Some reflections from an unapologetic Rip Roaring Zionist, an Urban Scavenger for the unexpected. Stephen Darori (#stephendarori,@stephendarori) is a Finance and Marketing Whiz,Social Media Publicist, Strategist ,Investor. Journalist,Author, Editor & Prolific Blogger.
Showing posts with label Rabbi Benzion Klatzko. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rabbi Benzion Klatzko. Show all posts
Looking for a host for a free Shabbat meal ( with or without accommodation) or a invitation to a free Pesach seder near you.( or in other 123 countries)?Whatever Movement of Judaism you follow , Secular, Traditional to Modern Orthodox Machmir ,Chabad, Haradi or Hassid ....Join http://www.shabbat.com/ ( it is completely free) for free Shabbat meals and hey its not too late to join http://www.seder.com to find a Pesach seder host( completely free)
Shabbat.com has been endorsed by both Chief Rabbi "s of Israel David Lau and Yitschak Yosef Israel)+ Rafi Peretz ( previous IDF Chief Rabbi) , Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis ( Great Britain), Chief Rabbi Haim Korsia ( France) and Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein ( South Africa) . Shabbat.com is not a commercial site and absolutely everything is completely free with no hidden charges . Shabbat.com matches Hosts with Guests for Shabbos and Chaggim Meals and because this service appeals most to singles ( as guests) there is also a dating ( matching module) . In Israel there are just over 3000 singles with dating profiles. The Dating ( Matching) module differs from other Jewish equivalents in that their is no anonymity , no silly lists that need to be completed , you write you own narrative and what you are looking for in your Match and Basheret and do your own matchmaking. Hosting Guests for Shabbat and Chaggim is a Mitzvah ....obviously for free . Matchmaking is a Jewish profession as old as time in memorial.... also a Mitzvah.... the Yenta in Fiddler on the Roof in the 21st Century has been replaced by Social Media ..... you can do your own matchmaking on Shabbat.com orR use or use Yenta,a Shmenta ( a modern day Yenta) Aunt, Sister, Best Friend or nagging Mom .Get them all to join and may the Chuppah be with You ( soon) with apologies to George Lucas.
Shabbat.com is the largest Jewish Social Media Patform in the world. It resembles Facebook in many ways. No advertising. No membership charges . 243,765 members in 122 countries , as of right now . 72% are singles .67% have dating files with pictures . Join Shabbat.com and find your George Cooney with payot . Your Bar Refaeli who wants to cover her hair and wear skirts .or perhaps both without their religious statement. Shabbat,com caters for all different degrees of religious adherence from in the process of conversion, Secular, Traditional,Conservadox to National Religious ,Haradi, Chabadnik and Hassidi כמובן אפשר להירשם בעברית http://www.shabbat.com
another free Jewish Matching site worth join is http://yamsuf.com/ ( it is also free) with over 51 shadchannim , matchmakers .... obviously for traditional to hasidic orientated people and not at really all for secular Jews
and hey I am looking for (seriously) my basheret 2.0 in her late thirties , forties and maybe early 50's for another go at that big M (chuppah+ kids or and puppies to raise together ) Check out my own dating profile, investment portfolio and financial disclose to ROR ( for your two barrel shotgun dad/ brother) and MI6,CIA, FBI, Mossad, Shin Bet files ( for that suspicious best friend/ and my family heritage from Poland, Latvia, Lithuania South Africa and Zion (for your Bobbie/Yiddisha Mama ) . 72 references are also attached ....including 67 related to performance in bed . Yes , I am witty and wise, flirty and funny , self effacing and have a huge internet footprint that I cannot now escape ...... http://www.shabbat.com/profile/dating/stephen.darori/
.......and hey if you reached this final line of my post ( I am the pro bono publicist of shabbat.com) .... do share it ..
Whatever Movement of Judaism you follow , Secular, Traditional to Modern Orthodox Machmir ,Chabad, Haradi or Hassid ....Join Shabbat.com
Shabbat.com has been endorsed by both Chief Rabbi "s of Israel David Lau and Yitschak Yosef Israel)+ Rafi Peretz ( previous IDF Chief Rabbi) , Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis ( Great Britain), Chief Rabbi Haim Korsia ( France) and Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein ( South Africa) . Shabbat.com is not a commercial site and absolutely everything is completely free with no hidden charges . Shabbat.com matches Hosts with Guests for Shabbos and Chaggim Meals and because this service appeals most to singles ( as guests) there is also a dating ( matching module) . In Israel there are just over 3000 singles with dating profiles. The Dating ( Matching) module differs from other Jewish equivalents in that their is no anonymity , no silly lists that need to be completed , you write you own narrative and what you are looking for in your Match and Basheret and do your own matchmaking. Hosting Guests for Shabbat and Chaggim is a Mitzvah ....obviously for free . Matchmaking is a Jewish profession as old as time in memorial.... also a Mitzvah.... the Yenta in Fiddler on the Roof in the 21st Century has been replaced by Social Media ..... you can do your own matchmaking on Shabbat.com or use or use Yenta,a Shmenta ( a modern day Yenta) Aunt, Sister, Best Friend or nagging Mom .Get them all to join and may the Chuppah be with You ( soon) with apologies to George Lucas.
Shabbat.com is the largest Jewish Social Media Patform in the world. It resembles Facebook in many ways. No advertising. No membership charges . 243,765 members in 122 countries , as of right now . 72% are singles .67% have dating files with pictures . Join Shabbat.com and find your George Cooney with payot . Your Bar Refaeli who wants to cover her hair and wear skirts .or perhaps them both without their religious statement. Shabbat,com caters for all different degrees of religious adherence from in the process of conversion, Secular, Traditional,Conservadox to National Religious ,Haradi, Chabadnik and Hassidi כמובן אפשר להירשם בעברית
another free Jewish Matching site worth join is http://yamsuf.com/ ( it is also free) with over 51 shadchannim , matchmakers .... obviously for traditional to chassic people and not at all for secular Jews
... and if you are in your 30's to mid 40's and single and available and looking for a Match with the Chuppah and kids in mind ...send me a message .... I am 51 (in January) cute, cuddly, catlover ,witty, wise , wonderful . and live in Zion.... my unusual profile is on shabbat.com (http://www.shabbat.com/profile/dating/stephen.darori/) .Lnkedin and a zillion of other places on the web . Privacy is not my middle name and never will be.וכמובן אני שוטף לחלוטין בעברית
....and hey if you reached this final line of my please share this post .
Rabbi Benzion Klatzko, The Power of Anecdotes, Props and Stories and the contribution of Judaism and Psychology in the Diaspora and Zion
Rabbi Benzion Klatzko is the Founder of Shabbat.com and National Collegiate Educational Director. If you are not a member of this, the largest Jewish and Zionist Social Media site then do join Shabbat.com is completely free with no premium facilities that are no also freemium . Shabbat.com has two major goals. The first is the Shabbat Experience. Hosting guests on Shabbat is a Mitzva. There are 7361 Hosts in The US, 714 in Canada, 1694 in Israel, 414 in the UK ,and even 112 in France , 143 in South Africa and 145 in Australia where Shabbat.com is just starting to get known.The second goal is the extremely popular Dating Module which is very different from all other Jewish Dating and Matchmaking sites. You control your own narrative and the general questionnaire is devoid of anything not relevant. Over 40% of all Shabbat.com members are Eligible Singles. You can appoint a matchmaker of your choice or handle your own matchmaker. Perhaps the nicest thing in this unique dating site is the lack of anonymity and the need by definition to use real names. Like the Dating Profile of someone ...but not sure, ,,,, simply extend your search using his or her real name to Linkedin, Facebook and by Googling and Microsoft Edge Jews have engaged with and steered psychological inquiry since its inception.Jewish psychologists and the influence of Jewish tradition have been instrumental in creating the field of modern psychology. The fundaments of several psychological movements can be traced directly to Jewish values, ideas, and practices, and Jews in the 20th century were at the forefront of research about the psyche and the varieties of human behavior.
Jewish psychologists founded several branches of psychological inquiry. All of the major theorists of the Gestalt school, except Wolfgang Kohler, were Jews. Max Wertheimer, Kurt Koffka, Kurt Lewin, and Kurt Goldstein posited theories of perception and understanding based on holistic understanding, rather than a previous model based on the computation of parts.
Psychoanalysis was founded by Sigmund Freud and, with the notable exception of Carl Jung, most of its early proponents were also Jews.
Why the Jews?
Some intellectual historians speculate that it was particular Jewish personality and cultural traits that led Jews to lead the field of psychology in its early days.
In a social psychology study of Jewish families, researchers F.M. Herz and E.J. Rosen found that in contrast to some other ethnic groups, Jews on the whole tend to choose verbal expression as a way of expressing emotions, particularly negative or painful experiences. Historical circumstances of oppression, segregation, and confined living conditions often resulted in close-knit communities of Jews who felt their pain deeply and expressed it to one another plainly.
According to studies conducted by Mark Zborowski, an anthropologist who investigated cultural aspects of pain, Jews respond more quickly to physical discomfort than non-Jews. Jewish families often discuss issues and problems in great detail, and suffering individuals are encouraged to “let out” their feelings and achieve catharsis through communication.
According to Peter Langman, “Jews differ from many cultural groups in that they place less value on self-reliance and are less suspicious of taking their problems to professionals.” Thus, the traditional role of rabbi/rebbe involves extensive counseling or psychotherapy.
Traditionally, there was even what today we would call an “intake.” The gabai (rebbe”s assistant) met with people before they met with the rebbe, and then: “After interviewing the supplicant about his family, his background and his troubles, the gabai delivers the kvitl [written description of the presenting problem] and an oral report to the rebbe” (Zborowski & Herzog, 1995, p. 172).
Psychoanalysis and Freud
But it took Josef Breuer, an assimilated Jewish doctor living in Berlin, to apply this “talking cure” with his Jewish patient, Bertha Pappenheim, to ignite the practice of psychoanalysis. These two understood that when they talked about her symptoms, and particularly their origin and emotional side effects, she would feel better. Pappenheim, a notable figure on the scene of Berlin’s intellectual salons, is also well-known as Freud’s case study about Anna O.
Sigmund Freud’s Jewishness is a hotly debated subject. He always described his father’s background as Hasidic, and his mother was raised traditionally Jewish. Though by the time he was growing up the family had partially assimilated, Freud acknowledged how influenced he was by Jewish thought, and the mystical tradition in particular.
David Bakan, in his 1958 book, Sigmund Freud and the Jewish Mystical Tradition showed that Freud was familiar with, and interested in Kabbalah. Bakan advanced the idea that Freud’s psychoanalysis was a secularization of Jewish mysticism.
According to Langman and Dana Beth Wasserman (1990), Freud’s The Interpretation of Dreamswas based on interpretive methods used to understand dreams in the Talmud. The aspects of Freudian dream psychology that seemed perhaps shocking to the gentile public were already part of Jewish text: symbolism, word play, enactment of taboos, and numerology.
Psychoanalysis, as it then developed into a standardized practice, was dominated by Jewish men; Sandor Ferenczi, Karl Abraham, Max Eitingon, and Hans Sachs were a few of the 17 initial members of the Psychoanalytic Society in Vienna. Peter Langman has written that, contrary to a prevailing notion of this group’s secular orientation, “the analysts were aware of their Jewishness and frequently maintained a sense of Jewish purpose and solidarity.”
Later contributors to the practice of psychoanalysis also included a disproportionate number of Jews: Alfred Adler, Erik Erikson, Erich Fromm, Otto Rank and Bruno Bettelheim.
In fact, the practice had become so dominated by Jews that Sigmund Freud based his decision to hand over leadership of the movement to Carl Jung partially because he was not Jewish and would therefore refute the position that psychoanalysis was a Jewish conspiracy. Jung, however, became very interested in Kabbalah and continued to pursue this interest, ultimately linking kabbalistic beliefs with his understanding of the “collective unconscious.”
Other Major Contributors
Erich Fromm evinced a particularly Jewish ethos in his studies of ethics, love, and human freedom. Fromm had studied Talmud extensively in his youth in Germany, and was guided by his father and grandfather, both rabbis. Though he became largely secular in his interpretations of Hebrew scripture, the influence of biblical stories, particularly in Genesis, greatly impacted his work.
In the realm of popular psychology, Joseph Jastrow, whose father authored the well-known Talmud dictionary, was the first recipient of an American Ph.D. in psychology in 1898 and established a psychology lab at the University of Wisconsin. With a syndicated advice column and a talk radio show, he was the first psychologist to stir up public interest in psychological inquiry.
During the same time period, Hugo Munsterberg founded American applied psychology and became a well-known figure in America with his numerous books and magazine articles. Boris Sidis pioneered personality studies, entertaining the public with his spectacular cases of split personalities.
Abraham Arden Brill and Isador Coriat brought Freud beyond the European urban centers by translating his work into English. Influential psychoanalyst Alfred Adler also fed the public’s hunger for in-depth knowledge of their inner lives by going on lecture tours and giving numerous interviews in which he was helped by his translator, the psychiatrist Walter Beran Wolfe.
Jewish Texts and Ideas
All of these psychologists received a solid Jewish education, at least during their childhood years, and for some of them, this exposure to Jewish mores and stories influenced their later work by providing archetypal human relationships, such as the conflict between son and father, represented in Abraham and Isaac, and the lament of childless women like Sara.
In particular, Adler used the original family networks of the Torah to illuminate contemporary family dynamics. Cain and Abel, Jacob and Esau, along with other forefathers and mothers, provided models for kinship behavior.
Furthermore, Jewish involvement in the development of psychology in the early 20th century helped to create a more tolerant culture than in Western Europe. As Jewish psychologists participated in researching and defining human nature, they also sought scientific justifications of the role of the Jew in modern society.
Many of them popularized aspects of their studies and advocated against prevailing conceptions about hereditary intelligence, ethnic stereotypes, and particularly Christian interpretations of the unconscious. They also delved into previously taboo aspects of human behavior, producing classic studies of the social psychology of sexuality, deviance, and immorality.
Capitalizing on the wide appeal of their ideas, Jewish psychologists articulated a state of mental health and social cohesion that served the dual purpose of benefiting the Jewish and other immigrant communities, particularly in America.
Jewish understanding of the roots of human behavior as communicated in the Talmud are often more in tune with the revelations of psychological science than other religious frameworks. In Jewish tradition, the impulse to do good, the yetzer hatov, is balanced out by the yetzer hara, the evil inclination. This complex idea that every individual embodies productive and destructive instincts allows for a more nuanced self-development process than a moral compass that sees the pure individual tainted by sin and in need of salvation.
Issues in Jewish Psychology Today
Some Jews have since seized upon the insights of modern psychology to address issues of mental illness in the Jewish community. Their specifically Jewish psychology infuses a scientific understanding of the functioning of the mind and emotions with an appreciation of God and Jewish history.
Rabbi Abraham Twerski, for example, has done much to educate these communities about addiction and domestic abuse, even drawing specific parallels to the practices of Alcoholics Anonymous and wisdom in the Talmud. Other practitioners like Rabbi Harold Kushner and Dr. Joyce Brothers have applied Jewish wisdom and insight to modern relationships, and have gained a huge following among Jews and non-Jews alike.
And yet many observant Jewish communities have been slow to take on the insights of psychology, remaining in denial about specific mental health issues. This might be because psychological theories can conflict with traditional Jewish ideas. The Jewish system of mitzvot, commandments, presumes that individuals have agency and free will. Classical psychological concepts like the unconscious and contemporary approaches that stress psychopharmacology and the physiology of psychological disorders may challenge traditional Jewish notions of “freedom.”
In the secular world, however, Jews have assumed a central role in the formation of new psychological theories and applications to this day, and the continuing contribution of Jews to the field of psychology is a testament to the perceptive position of the Jewish people and the emotionally astute cultural heritage that binds them.
I was given a sneak preview of the new format (template) of Shabbat.com for notebook and laptop computers that is in the final stages of development . It looks wonderful with a number of new features and when it is released in a few weeks time Shabbat.com will be well on its was to capture
a Lion of Judea from Facebook. Shabbat,com has three modules. The first is a Shabbat and Chaggim Hosting Module , matching Wonderful Hosts with Guest who want to have a Kosher Shabbat Experience. The second is a Status update much like Facebook and after the revision in the final stages of development Shabbat.com come will look similar to Facebook's Timeline certainly in terms of functionality.The third is the Dating Module . Unlike other Jewish Dating Sites , Shabbat.com Dating site is completely free with no premium charges . Inane and Silly questionnaires have been largely dispensed with and it is anything but anonymous. You sell yourself and wants by what you write about yourself and what you are looking for. Try it . Shidduch yourselves and your single friends and hey .... I am available, willing and wanting . My name is Stephen Darori I have profiles also on Linkedin, Twitter , and Facebook .
The mitzva of hachnasat orchim (hospitality) is as old as the first Jew,Avraham Avinu. Among all the great personalities of the Torah he stands out, not only as a man of faith, but also as a man of chesed (lovingkindness). According to the Torah commentaries, he would sit at the doorway of his tent ready to welcome any passers-by. While doing his utmost to provide every physical comfort, he would also uplift his guests spiritually through his radiant kindness. Indeed, we are taught that Abraham and Sarah separately converted hundreds of men and women to following G‑d by their example and by their teaching. Perhaps it is because these two very effective methods for deepening love of Judaism and other Jews are present so naturally in hachnasat orchim that it is such a central mitzva in Judaism.
Jews have always needed the hospitality of other Jews for religious survival and even, during dark centuries of persecution, for physical survival. But there is a devotion to the mitzva of hospitality in traditional Jewish life which far exceeds the demands of necessity. Tales about impoverished sages and plain people who go to almost superhuman lengths to welcome strangers forShabbat abound in the classic sources. Real-life accounts of Jews in Nazi Germany and in the Soviet Union who took great personal risks hosting a Seder meal are just as common in our own era. Jews have always known that "if I am for myself alone, what am I?"
Most Jews in most times, however, have not had to regard the mitzva as such a critical proposition. The main and sufficient reason for inviting guests is simply that it increases Shabbat joy, for host and guest alike. A table with just the family around it feels quite adequately full every other day of the week, but on Shabbat it can feel somehow empty, lacking. We miss the new voices singing and laughing with us.
A guest also enables a host to be more conscious of the beauty and educational value of Shabbat. If the guest is less observant than the host, there may be lots of teaching to do, which usually ends up benefiting the host as well. Teaching in this way helps him learn, reformulate, and re-learn. As the saying goes, "More than the host does for the poor man [meaning poor in money, knowledge, spirit, or anything else] the poor man does for the host."
For the host's children, the experience of having frequent Shabbat guests is invaluable. It teaches in the most powerful way, by vivid examples and without preaching, that they have something special in Shabbat, something that other people want to learn about and share with them. Some of Nechoma's earliest Shabbat memories are of her mother explaining to guests about hand washing, of guests asking questions, and, through their answers to the guests, of her parents teaching her along with them. Seeing kiddush, for example, through their guests' eyes made her appreciate its beauty even more.
Children absorb much more than the explicit content of their parents' teachings. They absorb implicit context as well. Nechoma also feels that she learned from her parents a total hosting style, of teaching guests naturally, of being oneself with guests, of welcoming them with joy, and of regarding them as an integral part of her life so integral, in fact, that one of her first purchases after marriage was a sofa-bed for company.
At a time when most Jewish children are brought up with one other child at most in a large, comfortable home with "no room for guests," this traditional Jewish way of hospitality is rarely experienced and badly needed. It develops the child's openness and an interest in others, in short, how to be a Jewish social being.
What Rabbi Benzion Klatzko has created and maintains largely out of his own pocket should be shared and promoted especially on Facebook.... the people index of the world with 1.66 billion individual . Seriously do so in your own Timeline ( Status Up Date) and on some of your preferred Pages and Groups.The URL of Shabbat.com http://www.shabbat.com/
The conceptual founder of Shabbat.com, Rabbi Klatzko brings over two decades of visionary leadership, staunch support of Israel, and Jewish activism to the project.
In what at the time was perceived as a bold move, 1999 saw the Klatzko family move to California so that he could accept the position of Campus Rabbi at UCLA. As a hands-on ambassador for the Jewish faith, he reconnected thousands of young Jewish men and women to their heritage. He also made an impressive splash in the broader Jewish community, earning the moniker “The Hollywood Rabbi.” Some of Hollywood’s biggest stars and producers,
including cast and staff from Friends, Malcolm in the Middle, Third Rock From the Sun, and Directors and Vice Presidents of Sony, Disney, and Warner Brothers, became regulars at his popular monthly class on Jewish thought.
Rabbi Klatzko’s activities touched-off a revolution that profoundly changed the landscape of North American Jewry. He currently serves as a National Director of College Outreach, overseeing Jewish education throughout North America. He also serves as an lecturer at Yeshiva University and at over 70 different North American colleges and universities each year.
A person of indefatigable energy, Rabbi Klatzko is also a successful author, cantor, music producer, and Mohel. A noted Judaica art collector, Rabbi Klatzko is the founder of Simcha Art Gallery in New York. His eclectic accomplishments have earned him the admiration of the United States Congress, where he was honored during a live session of House of Representatives as a “distinguished gentleman making a difference to his community.”
Rabbi Klatzko was named one of the 28 Most Inspiring Rabbis in America by the Jewish Forward Newspaper in 2014.
Rabbi Klatzko and his wife Shani and their 11 children currently live in Monsey, New York, where hosting 80 or more people for Shabbos in the norm. He has been at the frontier of improving Jewish communal life in the United States for over two decades.
