RABBI'S CORNER               

MATCHMAKERS

By DR. RABBI RAYMOND APPLE

Q. Why is a matchmaker called a "shadchan"?

A. The term derives from a word which means "to persuade", "to negotiate".

As a distinct profession or business, shadchanut dates from the time of the Crusades, when Jewish life was so disrupted parents worried that their children might remain unmarried.

At first match-making was a side-line often adopted by the rabbi, who in the Middle Ages received no salary for performing rabbinical functions and had to seek an income from subsidiary pursuits.

The expansion of shadchanut is reflected in references to the subject found in halachic literature from the 13th century. How much commission may a shadchan claim? What happens if the projected marriage does not take place?

At times the shadchan was such a respected personage that the words of Job could be applied to him, as they were to Jacob Mollin, the Maharil who was highly esteemed marriage broker:

"Unto me men gave ear, and waited,
And kept silence for my counsel,
After my words they spake not again,
And my speech dropped upon them" (Job 29:21)

But many lacked the unquestioned integrity and good judgment of the Maharil. They tried to persuade people that it was immodest to do their own courting, that it was undignified for families to approach each other direct and the sales talk of the experienced shadchan could obtain a young man or woman who might otherwise be far beyond the wildest dreams of the client.

In many places an untidy appearance, plus a rolled umbrella and a bowler hat was the uniform of the matchmaking profession. A shadchan’s most valuable piece of equipment was his little dog-eared book, which a recent writer has called "the social register of the shtetl".

From Mendele Mocher Sefarim to Sholom Aleichem to Israel Zangwill and far beyond, the shadchan was depicted in literature, with all his goings-on. But he did have quite a high rate of success.

           CHIEF RABBI SLAMS ICJ HEARINGS AS SHAM

By ROBIN MEYERSON

As ICJ proceedings against Israel at the Hague unfold, SA’s Chief Rabbi Dr Warren Goldstein says UN body is illegitimate, lacks moral authority to adjudicate Israel’s just war of self-defense.

Labeling allegations of genocide against Israel as “bizarre and without foundation in fact or law”, SA’s Chief Rabbi Dr Warren Goldstein slammed the International Court of Justice (ICJ) proceedings as a “dangerous farce”, pointing to the illegitimacy of its parent body, the UN, whose General Assembly selects the judges. 

“The UN, dominated by dictatorships, riddled with antisemitism, appoints ICJ judges, who therefore, by definition, lack the moral authority to stand in judgment over any democracy, especially Israel.”

He says the UN and its institutions “have increasingly been hijacked by undemocratic societies to advance objectives that threaten freedom, peace, and prosperity in the world”, citing damning data showing how the majority of countries making up the General Assembly and UN Human Rights Council (HRC) are repressive, authoritarian regimes.  

“Consider that of the 193 members of the UN General Assembly only 84 are free societies,” said Rabbi Goldstein. “That makes the ICJ case against Israel a theater of the absurd.

“What we see in Israel’s case before the ICJ is a majority of non-free societies weaponzing a UN platform to undermine the self-defense rights of a liberal democracy,” he continued. “Allow that precedent to continue and the outlook for freedom in the world is dire.” 

He pointed to the make-up of the court as an indication of its illegitimacy.  “Among the ICJ judges hearing this case, one is from serial human rights abuser, China, and another is from Lebanon, where Hezbollah, an Iranian proxy and combatant in the current war on Israel, is a key member of the government.”

Rabbi Goldstein drew particular attention to the UN’s “anti-Israel bias and obsession with the world’s only Jewish state and the only free democracy in the Middle East.”

“At the General Assembly, each year there are more condemnations of Israel than the rest of the world combined. The HRC has adopted 103 resolutions condemning Israel, and zero for countries guilty of real human rights violations such as China, Venezuela and Saudi Arabia.”

Rabbi Goldstein believes the case is nevertheless an opportunity for free countries to reassess their relationship with the UN. 

“For constitutional democracies to submit themselves to the judgment of UN institutions is ludicrous. No UN body should exercise authority over Israel or any free society’s sovereignty, and certainly not over national security decisions such as how to conduct an existential war of self-defense.

“The time has come to build a new global alliance comprising free societies with shared values and a sincere commitment to human rights.”​

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CALIFORNIA LEGISLATORS RETURN FROM SOLIDARITY

MISSION TO ISRAEL 

By DAVID BARCARSLY

I just returned from an incredibly powerful and heartbreaking four-day Solidarity Mission to Israel and the Gaza Border with California legislators. Leading the delegation were California Legislative Jewish Caucus Co-Chairs Senator Scott Wiener and Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel, along with Senator Henry Stern and Assemblymembers Damon Connolly, Josh Lowenthal, Al Muratsuchi, and Esmeralda Soria. 

Throughout the trip – a collaboration of JPAC, JCRC Bay Area, and Jewish Federation LA – lawmakers witnessed firsthand the consequences of the horrific atrocities committed by Hamas on October 7th and their lasting effect on Israeli civil society. We visited impacted communities on the Gaza border and the surrounding areas, cried with families of hostages, and met with Israeli government officials, including President Isaac Herzog. You can read more about these powerful experiences below.

It was the most difficult few days I have ever spent in Israel, but I was struck by how this pain has manifested into a unity of purpose throughout Israeli society: a powerful determination to bring the hostages home, remove Hamas from power, provide humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians, and push for a peaceful coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians. We return with a strengthened resolve to reject denialism and uplift the calls of our Israeli brothers and sisters.

We are deeply grateful to the seven lawmakers for making the time to travel with us to witness the devastation Hamas has inflicted on the country and help humanize all people impacted by this conflict. We look forward to working with them to share their experiences with both colleagues and constituents, and to redouble our efforts to counter rising antisemitism here in California.

During our visit to Kibbutz Kfar Aza, resident Chen Kotler Abrahams walked our delegation through the wreckage where 63 people were murdered and 19 residents were taken hostage. The Kibbutz was not cleared of terrorists for two weeks, and many of the buildings and personal property remains utterly destroyed. The rest of the community remains largely displaced, unable to return until the threat of Hamas is removed from their border – just a mile away – and they have the chance to rebuild.

The vestiges left behind amidst the bullet holes and burnt buildings stood out to me: A surviving poster that read "Truly Love" and "Smile." A leftist Shalom Achshav/Peace Now activist flag. A Sukkah reminding us how this place was frozen in time on October 7th.

At the site of the Nova music festival, survivor Nehoray Levy shared his raw and emotional story of survival, grief, and remembrance. He showed us the makeshift memorials honoring of a few of his friends who weren’t so lucky, telling us of their character and zest for life. He lost ten of his friends that day. In total, 364 people who came to the desert to celebrate music, love, and peace were murdered.
In Tel Aviv, we visited Hostage Square and met with family members of hostages – one Jewish and one Bedouin – who shared their loved ones’ stories and constant yearning for their return. We also met with leaders of rape centers in Israel working with survivors of sexual violence. Over and over, people shared feelings of betrayal following the the global community's underwhelming and hypocritical response to such grotesque and intentional mass sexual violence.

We also visited Be’er Sheva to learn about the impact of October 7th on minority communities. Bedouin leaders from Desert Star shared their efforts to develop civic leadership among young people in their communities. And LGBTQ leaders at the Be’er Sheva Pride House, who serve many family members of survivors, shared the dramatic rise in counseling and therapy needs for community members since the attacks.

Finally, in Jerusalem, the first female Ethiopian Member of Knesset, Pnina Tamano-Shata, discussed her activism confronting women's groups who deny the mass sexual violence of Hamas. We met Palestinian journalist Rami Nazzal, who briefed us on the challenging experiences of Palestinians in East Jerusalem, West Bank, and Gaza since 10/7, and reminded us that coexistence is the only path forward. And we had a frank discussion with President Isaac Herzog, who thanked our Democratic lawmakers for standing up for Israel and against antisemitism.

It was a full and heavy four days, but each of the legislators were profoundly moved, and considered the experience to be life-changing. They stepped away from a very busy time in the legislature to show up for our community, and we are eternally grateful.

JEWISH CAUCUS CONDEMNS ANTISEMITIC VIOLENCE ON UC CAMPUSES

SACRAMENTO, CA - The California Legislative Jewish Caucus, led by Co-Chairs  Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D-Encino) and Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) and Vice Chair Senator Josh Becker (D-Menlo Park), issued the following statement in light of violence, threats, and harassment directed at Jewish students at UC Santa Barbara and UC Berkeley:

“We unequivocally condemn the recent targeting of Jewish students at UC Santa Barbara and UC Berkeley, including violent threats, physical violence, and destruction of state property. The Jewish Caucus demands immediate action from University administrators to hold those responsible accountable and to protect our students.

“At UC Berkeley, students were harassed, threatened, and physically assaulted by protesters seeking to shut down a private event hosted by Jewish student organizations. These protesters shattered a glass window and assaulted two Jewish students to the point that they required medical care. Jewish students had to be evacuated from the event via underground tunnels after it was deemed unsafe for them to leave through the front entrance. This event featuring an Israeli speaker was meant to foster an important, nuanced conversation and would have provided a platform for open and difficult dialogue; instead, protesters used physical violence and intimidation to stifle speech with which they disagreed.

“At UC Santa Barbara, signs were posted in the campus multicultural center seeking to prohibit those who support Israel’s right to exist from accessing public spaces on campus. These signs also directly targeted and threatened the Student Body President, who is Jewish, threatening her “you can run but you can’t hide.” At the same time, the door to a Jewish student’s dorm was vandalized with anti-Israel graffiti and an arrow pointing to the student’s mezuzah – a Jewish cultural and religious object. These threats and hateful acts were intended to threaten, bully, and intimidate Jewish students on campus because of their Jewish identity.

“The right to free speech is fundamental to our democracy and must be protected. But hateful, violent conduct that prevents others from expressing their free speech rights is antithetical to our values, our democracy, and the core mission of our public education system. The violent, hateful acts at UC Berkeley and UC Santa Barbara were not speech – they were despicable acts of antisemitism.

“We also were disappointed to see that the statements by campus leadership responding to these incidents failed to mention that it was Jewish students and organizations that were targeted. This ambiguity and lack of moral clarity is unacceptable. Antisemitism must be condemned – clearly, forcefully, and without reservation.

“We acknowledge that UC has recently adopted new policies and devoted more resources to addressing hate on campus, including antisemitism. We very much appreciate those efforts. However, more work clearly remains, and we look forward to working closely with UC leadership to ensure that those who participated in acts of hate and violence are held accountable and to ensure that Jewish students – like students of all faiths, backgrounds, and orientations – are safe and welcome on campus.”.