המבדיל בין קוֹדש לחוֹל

I spent this past weekend up at Camp Ramah in the Poconos for an in-camp reunion for the oldest two edot. I have never before had the opportunity to visit camp in the winter months and to be completely honest, I found it a stunning sight. While the trees had seemingly long since lost their leaves, there was still a charm and beauty to the place. It really was stunning, especially watching the winter sun rise above the lake while davening in Beit Mogilner (one of the few winter-friendly buildings at camp). It was bitterly cold, but that did not stop the campers, or former campers, from wandering about camp in a nostalgic manner. There is nothing more satisfying than seeing former campers reminisce about past summers, not to mention when they tell you that you provided them with the best summer of their lives...

Time really does give perspective, and I am so happy that I was able to serve as a counselor for Gesher this past summer. Not only did my campers grow and gain much from the experience, but I learned so much about myself as well. On our trip this past summer, we ended up at Ramah in Wisconsin. While there, we learned a little bit about Abraham Joshua Heschel's formulation שָׁבָָּת in his appropriately entitled book, The Sabbath. In the book, Heschel writes that שָׁבָּת is a temple in time... it is a holy place in time. Akin to how the Temple in Jerusalem was a sanctuary in space, so too, according to Heschel, is the Sabbath a sanctuary in time. It is more than just a time set apart, it is quite literally a holy period of the week, there is something innately sacred about the Sabbath. The connection that we made was rather simple: if the Sabbath is something a holy time of the week that is inherently set apart and sacred, so too is time spent at camp. Similarly, camp is a time set apart from the rest of the year that is arguably very sacred for both campers and staff. It is a time when people get a break from school/the rest of the year in a safe environment. In this way camp is both a safe place in time and space.

This weekend made me question that notion of camp being both a holy place in both time and space. I was at camp but was this to retain much of the sanctity that is "camp" even in the off season. I was pleasantly surprised to find that when the right mix of people come together in the right place, a holy community truly is formed. There is some thing truly קדוש or holy about camp. Much like Heschel's conception of the Sabbath, there is something set apart and uniquely holy about camp, that is unlike the rest of the year.

So, as we said הבדלה, the ceremony that separates the holiness of the Sabbath from the profane of mundanity, I could not help but think that we are not just separating the holiness of the sabbath from the rest of the week; rather, we were separating the rest of the year from the time at camp. The last line of the last blessing in the הבדלה is the title of this blogpost, it translates as, "...the difference between holy and profane." I can't help but think on both the last night of camp and this past Saturday night that in this case, the ceremony is not only separating the sanctity of the sabbath and the rest of the week, but also serves as an appropriate marker separating the sanctity of camp and the rest of the year...

I can go the distance!

Who could ever know that one semester could be so important in one person's life? I frequently manage to find myself bogged down by various things and responsibilities semester after semester. While I am by no means complaining, as being busy is much much better than not being productive. No matter the semester I always manage to find myself feeling like not enough butter spread over too much toast. While there is plenty of Andy... sometimes I feel as though there really is not enough for all that needs to be done.

I have recently rediscovered the soundtrack from the disney movie "Hercules", and on it is a particular song entitled "I can go the distance." Consequently I have found myself listening to it more than any other song in my music library. It is a theme song of sorts that I feel appropriately describes much of what I have been feeling lately. For those who have not seen the movie or are not familiar with the song, it is about a young Greek demigod hero who is seeking his place in life. While I am neither Greek nor a demigod, I can certainly identify with a young man who is looking to find his niche in life. I am at a crossroads of sorts... I feel too old to really still be in college but simultaneously I can't help but think that I am too young to really be making my way in life. At what point does a person feel as though they are ready to take on the world?

I have been struggling with this idea for much of my collegiate career. I have tried to live my life in the vein of religio-ethical conduct. While I don't think I have always succeeded, I do feel as though I have made the effort I have endeavored to make myself the best person I can possibly strive to become. I guess this brings me back to the pivotal question: What does it really mean to be a mensch? The four years that I have spent at Temple I have spent attempting to be older than I really am, and now that I AM older I might be second guessing that decision. There is something to be said about being young and enjoying one's youth.

It should be noted that I am happy with the person that I have become and I am by no means upset at the way in which I have conducted myself in college. I am just at another transitory stage in my life and I am reflecting on decisions made and the past four years of my life. As I said earlier, Temple was by no means my first choice, but it most certainly was a good choice. I have grown here and I feel as though I have made an impact on this campus. For better or for worse North Philadelphia has been my home for the past 3.5 years and it will honestly be sad to leave. The changes, specifically in the Jewish community, have been great and I can only speculate as to where it will go from here.

I would like to thank everyone at Temple for helping to make my time here meaningful... But now it is time to look to the future and embrace whatever may come.

Here's to going the distance...

Keepin' it Kosh'

Have you ever noticed that there are times that certain themes become more prevalent in your life? For example: you are doing a presentation on hammerhead sharks for your science class and you begin reading up on their behaviors and habits and such. Then, you are perusing what's on TV and notice a "Nature Special" on hammerheads. Then the topic of hammerhead sharks comes up in conversation a few day later independently of you. It would seem that a higher power or some kind of serendipity has been toying with your life. Is it that these thematic elements are merely coincidental? Or could they merely always be present and we only make such connections when our minds are more sensitive to a particular topic? Is there some serendipitous force that provides "thematic" experiences for us throughout our lives?

One such theme that seems to be recurring through my life at the moment is that of כשרות, or Kashrut (Jewish Dietary Laws). I have been serving as one of the student mashgichim for Hillel at Temple University's new kosher operation since last year. At first we only were serving meals for shabbat and the holidays but as the final stages of the kitchen installation have become complete, we are preparing for a full kosher meal plan at Temple. Not only will this provide a great opportunity for the students on campus to explore kosher dining, but it can and will serve as a real draw for new students who are interested in living a more observant lifestyle. This is most certainly serve as a foot in the door to provide future growth for the Jewish community at Temple. The truth of the matter is that Temple can, and foreseeable will, become an inexpensive (albeit in-state only) alternative for observant Jewish students looking for a good education at a good price. I am only sorry that I will not be here for the inevitable growth that the Jewish community will see in the coming years.

I have recently taken on the position of Head Student Masgiach, which essentially means that I am responsible for scheduling the other student mashgichim's hours. As a result of taking on this responsibility I have been having many meetings about the Kosher operation at Temple Hillel. Pretty soon we will be running training sessions for students interested in serving as mashgichim. I am very excited for the weeks to come!!

In a related note... the theme of kashrut has carried over into other parts of my life. In another one of my professional lives no less! I teach hebrew school at Society Hill Synagogue and we have something (ironically) called "Theme Group". The last half hour of every hebrew school session is reserved for a special topics of sorts in which each teacher imparts some aspect of Jewish living, history, experience, etc... upon their students. In quite an ironic move, the topic of Kashrut was thrust upon me a few weeks ago to teach to my students. I suppose I am qualified?

This is just one of those times that a "theme" of sorts becomes prevalent in one's life and experiences... I guess I am just going to have to "Keep it Kosh" for the time being.

Reflections from the Holiday Season

As the holiday season has come to an end, I am attempting to regain some sort of handle on the enormities of my life. I am a senior in college a year late. Many of my cohorts from high school are already in graduate school, some in doctorate programs even. I am in a very awkward place in my life where I am both in college and ready to be done with college. The past three years have been a time of much growth and perspective for me. While I was not thrilled at first to be attending Temple University, I have come to the realization that while it might not have been what I wanted at the time it was most certainly what I needed. I had spent the 7 years prior to my matriculation at Temple in the "Jewish Bubble" as it were, and to be honest I had a bit of a skewed perception of the world. The world in which I thought I wanted to live was one where Jews were knowledgeable about their faith even if they didn't practice. The world in which I conceived was one where everyone came from a similar socioeconomic background. This fantasy world that I concocted was the direct result of my privileged religious upbringing.

That is not to say that I grew up observant, quite the contrary. I grew up in a home where we only began keeping strict kashrut at my behest in high school. I remember going to many restaurants as a youth right after Saturday morning services for some treif cuisine. The funny thing is that I seem to have forgotten that I lived this way up until Middle/High School. I had become so accustomed to living within the bubble that I had forgotten that there were plenty (if not a majority) of Jews in America who barely even graze against the bubble in their lifetime. Through USY and High School, I had left that realm of thought and experience and found myself in a wholly Jewish worldview. Honestly, I am glad that I truly found myself in the realm of Jewish experience and thought. However, I am not proud of the fact that I lost who I was entirely for a time. I lost the perspective that my non-observant upbringing offered. I lost my ability to connect with disenfranchised Jews who did not make their Judaism or being Jewish a priority in their lives.

What I found when I got to Temple was just that: many Jewish students who were simply nominally Jewish. They identified either as "ethnic Jews", or merely put the term down under race on any number of forms. These people were living in the spectrum of American Jewish experience (that is: what is experienced by modern Jews living in America), that I had ceased to subside in or recognize. I am ashamed to say that I honestly found it abhorrent that so many of my peers seemingly lacked anything that I could recognize as a sense of Jewish identity. Truth be told, I was as ignorant as I perceived that they were, I was looking in the wrong places.

While I had come to think of Jewish identity as being linked with knowledge about history and outward signs of identification, I had simply written many a person off without scratching the surface of their character. I am sorry that I did that, because it was not until much later in my collegiate experience that I learned that I was sorely wrong. Although my collegiate compatriots did not show what I understood as discernible signs of Jewish identity, I slowly began to realize that what I was looking for might not be there. In place of identity based on historical background or religious practice, I found that the very same people who I labeled as ignorant had and have a decidedly strong pride in their Judaism. While they may not relate to Jewish practice and religion in the same manner as I, their pride in who they are is not diminished.

Pride and growth go hand in hand. I have seen the seedlings of pride used to cultivate the growth of many individuals in college. From watching peoples' transformations after their first Israel experience on birthright to seeing my fraternity brothers study for Bar Mitzvahs that they would have never had otherwise, I have realized that nothing is as simple as it appears. While my initial judgements of the type of Jew that my campus attracts were erroneous on all accounts, it should also be noted that I was wrong to judge. I have learned a great deal about who modern American Jews are and where they stand on many issues.

In light of my anticipated career choice, I will say again: While I did not want to attend Temple University at first, it was most certainly the place that I needed to attend. My experiences here have helped me "pop" the bubble with which I had surrounded myself. I am so grateful for the wonderful people who have helped me see what I was blind to before...

This summer!

So, I will be spending the summer as a Madrich for the oldest edah at Camp Ramah in the Poconos. While I will miss my parents, my friends and my lovely girlfriend, Michelle, I can safely say that this summer is one that I am supremely looking forward to...

Anyway, I am so very excited to spend the summer there, and if anyone wishes to send me mail, my address is:

Andy Markowitz
Tzrif G-12
Camp Ramah
2618 Upper Woods Road
Lakewood, PA
18439

Please send me things as it makes me feel loved.

Well that is all for now as I need to get some rest for tomorrow's drive!

Something's not Kosher here...

As finals quickly approach, I find myself reading less for pleasure and more for the sake of my grades. That being said; however, I was procrastinating on the facebook earlier today and I stumbled upon a website entitled "Justice for Sholom" in someone else's blog post. This site is dedicated to keep people updated on the legal status of ex-CEO of Agriprocessors inc., Sholom Rubashkin. For those who are unfamiliar with the case at hand, Rubashkin's meat processing plant (incidentally the largest kosher plant in the country) was raided in May of 2008 by the INS. They apparently were not keeping to federal immigration and employment laws and as a result of this raid, Rubashkin committed band fraud in a vain attempt to keep his plant operational. Subsequently, the company has declared bankruptcy and Sholom Rubashkin is no longer the CEO. In the aftermath of this epic scandal, Rubashkin was shunned by the majority of the Jewish community and (as Agriprocessors was the largest Kosher Beef producer in the country) there was a national kosher meat shortage immediately following.

All of this aside, the aforementioned website dedicated to updating its readers on the legal battle that ensued following the charges filed against Rubashkin, recently posted that he was sentenced to life in prison. On that site, there were links to various op-eds covering the court's decision. One in particular caught my interest, as it was from Rabbi Shmuley Boteach. Besides the fact that I once davened Neillah service with this particular man, he is also a pop-cultural icon who runs a show entitled "Shalom in the Home" on TLC. Boteach's basic argument is that while Rubashkin messed up, he did not do anything that was worthy of life in prison. He continues that since Rubashkin has 10 children (one of whom is autistic), Rubashkin should be let go before his expiration. While I am not sure what I think... I am fairly certain that this man deserves the harshest punishment under the letter of the law, as his actions led others astray... not only morally but spiritually. The fact of the matter is that he broke the law and needs to be punished. I am not an interpreter of American law, and I have faith in the prosecutor. Rubashkin's sentence should serve as a deterrent for others.

On this same point, we need to ensure that the integrity of the Kosher food market be maintained and certified. How can this be done? Well the USCJ has proposed something called "Heksher Tzedek" or a certificate of righteousness that can be awarded (as an additional certification) to food products that are produced in ethically conscientious environments. This ethics-minded kosher food movement is, in my opinion, where modern Jewish thought on this subject should be headed. What is the purpose of having nominally kosher food if it is not produced with the correct intention? It is akin to davening without the proper kavanah... the laws are set up to provide a base structure that ethical conduct would naturally flow from. In the case of Rubashkin a perversion of the original intent of the act occurred... this essentially negated the holiness of all actions derived from that meat. This means that the Kosher products that others ate, while nominally kosher, lacked the essential kavanah needed for them to truly fulfill the mitzvah. To serve as a shochet or slaughterer of kosher meat, is to serve as stand in for the individual who partakes of the meat to ensure that the animal and God are given the proper respect. When Rubashkin messed with this system, he fiddled with the holiness of the action, which in turn warped the holiness of his customer. All of this is essentially "spiritual-fraud", which to an adherent is a sin of the highest degree.

Should Rubashkin rot in prison? I cannot pretend to answer that question with authority. However, if the question is asked whether or not the meat that Rubashkin produced was "kosher" or not... I can say with confidence that as the kavanah was absent, all of that meat was essentially treif...

A Little Chicken Soup for the Mensch's Soul

In the Jewish folk tradition chicken soup is considered to be an all restorative medicine capable of healing everything from a headache to a fever. In the tradition of the great books full of stories of hope and optimism, I present to you some good old fashioned Jewish humor... found in one of the most unlikely of places: an episode of "The Simpsons". The episode in question can be found here . While viewing this... don't expect something light and hopeful; rather, go in expecting to laugh your tushy off! It is rather off color and the really funny stuff is in Hebrew... BUT this might mean that we are coming to the mainstream. Well, I would say that Jews and Jewish culture have always been (in my lifetime) in the mainstream; however, this is something else.

Shabbat Shalom, and Enjoy!