Awful. One might not be surprised if this was a Reform synagogue (not that it would excuse it), but even the Conservative synagogues are becoming anti-Israel - witness Temple Emanuel's welcome of New Israel Fund board member Leonard Fine and their sponsorship of last year's debate between representatives of an anti-Israel group (J Street) and a moderate pro-Israel group (AIPAC).

What's next - synagogues holding debates on whether Israel should be "allowed" to exist and if Jews should be excluded from public life because of 'dual loyalty'? It's bad enough that our enemies hate us; what's worse is that our own people are joining in with the antisemites.

This is the most painful part of the current anti-Zionist Zeitgeist. The Palestinian victim narrative so pervades our culture that it even finds its way into Jewish life. I belong to a Reform synagogue and it's hard to listen to some of the sermons. I worry, when my Rev. Wright moment comes, will I have the courage to stand up and leave?

It's Jew-Flu:

"The intriguing research out of Haifa suggests that Jews may very well be inherently altruistic. But while exhibiting more sensitivity to another group's pain is one thing, embracing the goals of people openly committed to one's destruction is a form of madness.

So here's my ultimate theory for the cause of this nefarious virus: Jew Flu is a condition in which being "more sensitive to pain suffered by members of a group other than (one's) own metastasizes into a malignant emotional and moral identification with people committed to (one's) annihilation."

http://contentious-centrist.blogspot.com/2009/11/jew-flu-interesting-theory-advanced-by.html

So, does this make Emma anti-semitic, anti-zionist or both?

It makes Emmma a progressively blind, progressively mentally ill dupe.

From the River to the Sea,
Pal-e-SWINE will never be.

INSHALLAH!

I've endured politics occasionally at my synagogue (Temple Beth Zion, 1566 Beacon St. in Brookline), but never the noxious sort. (For example, there was a lot of self-congratulation when President Obama was elected, and a lot of speeches by people who couldn't imagine anyone not voting for him. I ground my teeth a little, but I can live with that.)

I do not attend KI -- in spite of the fact that my grand-uncle was once chief rabbi there -- and reading this, I'm glad that I don't.

respectfully,
Daniel in Brookline

Next thing you know, she'll be running a Hebrew school out of a Unitarian Church. Oh, wait - Rabbi Toba Spitzer over at Dorshei Tzedek already beat her to that. What's the world coming to.

Noga's comment is right on the mark. It exactly describes the Western Left, who are so concerned about "the Others" well being, oppression, and suffering, that they are openly hostile to their own culture and peoples. In this it is not just Jews that are afflicted, it is also the white Euro Christian....or ex Christian as the case may be, like many Jews they have left the faith. The Self Loathing, Nihilist Western Left, who cant promote the destruction of their countries and peoples cultures fast enough. They do this in many ways, by one sided criticizm of their own institutions and cultures, and by allying with those who are hostile to them, Third Worlders, Islamics, and so on and so forth.

Emma is a typical useful idiot. Self destructive. How do they breed self-haters like her? School, parents? What is KI thinking?

Sad day. I'll be skipping KI.

Should we be surprised??? The Bilble is full of stories about Jews being stupid - and God trying to slap some sense into them.

I agree with Zvi that the situation is very upsetting, but just leaving KI won't do any good. I think if Zvi doesn't mind, he should write a letter to KI chief rabbi about his experience, his concern and his resentment of what is happening in KI and, unfortunately, quite many other places.
It's especially important to do considering the outrageous treatment of Israeli PM by our president.
The letter can be posted on Internet, sent to REAL supporters of Israel to be signed and then forwarded to KI clergy and maybe to some other synagogues too. I'll gladly sign it myself and will forward to my numerous friends all of whom truly support Israel.

KI has 52 Shabbat sermons a year. The rabbinic intern gets to address the congregation maybe once or twice.

One sermon that you don't agree with hardly typifies the shul, nor does it signify a change in KI's pro-Israel stance.

In the past couple weeks alone KI has had four IDF soldiers address the congregation on one shabbat and the week prior we had another IDF vet talk about a new foundation which supports lone soldiers in the IDF.

Regular attendees at KI's shabbat services regularly hear very solid pro-Israel opinions in addition to a prayer for the State of Israel and the IDF.

Adam, KI has hired this woman to be one of its rabbis, starting in a few weeks. And apparently the chief rabbi and administration know about her anti-Israel preaching and don't mind at all. Yes, KI has historically been pro-Israel, but how long is that going to last with an anti-Israel and, I might add, vacuous rabbi?

I recommend this article from the late NY Sun newspaper which describes a similar, though more outrageous controversy - does the synagogue support groups, "progressively dumb" Jews, apostates, who work to undermine Israel.

http://www.nysun.com/editorials/worth-the-risk/77642/

"Happy And Proud",

Emma isn't anti-Israel. She was critical of settlers in Hevron. Maybe you don't agree with her, but that doesn't make her anti-Israel.

I don't know how to address the ad-hominem attack on her, except to say that you are wrong.

--Adam

Uh-oh Adam, Happy's gonna spank you.

You Jews always seem to shoot yourselves in the foot. A few facts: the enemy today is the Left. Liberal, leftist Jews are anti-Israel. Obama is an enemy of Israel and thus by connection, to Jews.

WAKE UP!

"You Jews?"

I gather "you" aren't on the "left."

Sheese.

I find comments like "It makes Emmma a progressively blind, progressively mentally ill dupe" quite offensive. First of all, you don't even know her- how can make such a judgment based on the account of one misled report. Supporting peace efforts and condoning social injustice does mean one is anti-zionist or anti-Israel. In fact, a true Zionist would hope that Israel would become all that we hope it to be- an example of a society in which people who have been oppressed for centuries (us Jews) can live peacefully and uphold just human rights principles.

Zvi:

I am writing a column about what you have posted and the responses for this week's Jewish Advocate.

Did you actually hear the sermon on Hayei Sarah at the time?

If not, have you ever read a copy of it?

Which statements in this sermon do you consider to be anti-Israel invective? Which statements show that the speaker is bent on the destruction of Israel?

You may respond to me at radin@comcast.net if you prefer that to responding here.

Best,

Charlie Radin

Is this an issue that is worthy of a comment from EMMA KIPPLEY-OGMAN? Does Rabbi Hamilton consider this an issue? Does the Board at KI consider her sermon as offensive? If not, why not? If not, then perhaps all of the above comments are so much verbiage on the net. Perhaps Mr Radin's forthcoming articel will enlighten us and the entire community of Brookline.

The bigger story here (to me) is that KI, a flagship Conservative synagogue, is hiring a rabbi from Hebrew College, an officially non-denominational pluralistic school.

I think that this is a very new phenomenon for the Conservative movement.

Adam and Charles Radin,

Yes, I have read the sermon and I stand by my statement. The 'facts' presented in the sermon are entirely one-sided; there is no mention at all of the horrendous attacks by Arabs against Jews in Hebron and elsewhere.

But even more important is the gratuitous interjection of this one-sided, anti-Jewish narrative into a religious sermon about Abraham's purchase of land in Hebron for a cemetery plot for Sara, and the extensive efforts he made to ensure that the purchase was legal so there would be no doubt as to ownership.

'Rabbi Emma' decided to take this vital indication of Jewish ownership in Hebron and interject her view that poor behavior on the part of some of Hebron's Jews means....means what? That Jews shouldn't live in Hebron? That Hebron's Jews should have better manners? She doesn't say. All that's left is a lingering distaste about Jews in Hebron, which IMHO is not at all the meaning of the parsha. (I do agree that people should not throw garbage at their neighbors, although compared to massacring them it's pretty mild).

As far as I can tell, there's no reason for emphasizing the fact that some Jews in Hebron have at times behaved poorly while completely ignoring murderous attacks by Hebron's Arabs. On the contrary, this is exactly what Israel's enemies and antisemities do - seize upon any instance of 'Jews behaving badly' to denigrate Israel and the Jewish people, while completely ignoring the massacres, pogroms, and attempts of genocide that Jews are subject to. The murder of Jews by Hebron's Arabs is not even mentioned, while instances of Jews throwing garbage is publicly rebuked. If there is some message that we're supposed to take away from the sermon - other than that Abraham went to great length to purchase the land but that today's Jews in Hebron are 'bad' - it's certainly well disguised.

Remember, 'Rabbi Emma' is not even a rabbi yet, but an intern. If this is the way she behaves as an intern, you can believe it is bound to become worse when she is a full-fleged and officially hired rabbi.

Why would 'Rabbi Emma' even want to work in a place where the politics are so different than hers? Does she think she can change KI once she's officially established? And why would KI want to hire such a person?

Yes, I do think it's disturbing. Anyone who doesn't is not paying much attention to what's happening to Israel and the Jewish people in the world today. And that's a very dangerous, not to mention naive and arrogant, thing to do.

I expect this hiring was a financial decision by the KI. They probably have an aging membership and need more members to support themselves. This Rabbi will attract young Jews who learn everything they need to know by listening to NPR and Keith Olbermann, and reflexively blame Israel for everything. KI has likely been losing potential members to places like TBZ, Dorshei Tzedek, etc. And, hey, at least she's straight!

How many people commenting have actually read her sermon? How quick we are to villify someone who has clearly devoted her life to study and to Israel.Is it not possible to disagree with someone without being hateful. As a long-time quite elderly member of KI I feel proud that we are bringing in someone so committed to Israel and to Judaism that she has the courage to point
out ways in which Israel could improve its behavior. Silence when one sees wrong doing by people and a country we love is by far the worse sin. I am proud of our Rabbi for his courage and prouder too of Emma.

To Anonymous #29),

If you read the comments, you will realize that yes, just about all of the people commenting have in fact read the sermon.

And yes, Israel like every other country could do some things better. Could Arab nations, the PA, and Hamas also do things better? Since Emma is talking about a conflict situation, why is she focusing only on alleged wrongdoing by one side?

As a long-time KI member, surely you know that KI has been a strong supporter of Israel. The hiring of a rabbi who is also an active J-Street member will surely change what constitutes "support" for Israel. Doesn't it bother you that both J-Street and 'Rabbi Emma' use the same phraseology as Israel's enemies?

I have been, and continue to be, a long-term KI member. It's amazing how much people just make up in web postings, including here. The fact is that KI has been, and continues to be, overwhelmingly pro-Israel, including the congregation, the programming, and the Rabbi. We have not been losing membership in the various ways that some are claiming here. We did, sadly, lose Zvi, not a member but a great attendee at a couple of minyanim each week. Emma was hired, to the best of my knowledge, because of her strong track record during her years of internship, and because of lots of positive feedback about that, namely her davening, leadership of KI projects, spirituality, love of teaching texts, etc. There was no search taking place, but since her internship would end when she was ordained, much of the membership didn't want her to leave so the Board decided to hire her. As for the infamous sermon and her affiliations, they bother me as much as many who posted comments here, but hopefully, the Board and Rabbi know what they're doing. I think that they weren't thinking about political views re Israel at all, since her job description has nothing to do with any of that, and except for that one slip, that's never come up in all the time she's been an intern at KI. I personally can only pray that that sermon was a one-time mistake in judgment, to never repeat itself again, and many of us will be quite vocal if it does, just as we were when she gave that one talk. Still, I think those who posted comments here that calling her a fake rabbi, a moron, and similar things, should be ashamed of themselves. She's an extremely intelligent and gifted person in her twenties, just starting her rabbinical career, and although she's clearly on the wrong side re some of her views, she didn't deserve such treatment.

Anonymous,
What are you referring to when you claim that people are 'making things up' in these postings? Most of what was posted is analysis and opinion, which cannot be 'made up'. The only factual issue is whether or not KI has in fact been losing membership, which can be easily resolved with a phone call. I dont see any evidence that facts are being 'made up'. Please enlighten us as to what you are talking about.

As to your complaints that posters are insulting 'Rabbi Emma' (I put a single quotation mark around the term as she is not yet a rabbi) is being insulted, Ive reviewed the posts and can find only one where Emma was called an inappropriate name. (She was called a "moron", but never referred to anywhere as a 'fake Rabbi'). One post out of 32. No one is 'attacking' Emma or calling her names; people are correctly pointing out the inappropriateness or her actions as well as the fact that an active member of J-Street is an odd choice to be a rabbi in a pro-Israel congregation.

I have no doubt that Emma is very good at many parts of her job, otherwise KI would not agree to keep her on. But her political positions, as well as her inappropriate use of the pulpit to promulgate them, makes her a poor choice as a KI rabbi.

Anonymous, you say you 'hope' the administrators at KI know what they're doing and 'pray' that this situation won't come up again. In a serious situation like this, however, IMGO 'hope' and 'prayer' are not enough. The fact that an intern who has been at KI only about a year (to my understanding) seems to feel no compunction about going out of her way to interject her own political opinion, which is not shared by the majority of KI members, into a sermon is extremely troubling. Why do you object to a measured though critical discussion about it?

'Rabbi Emma's' actions as well as Zvi's description of her response during the conversation with him and his spouse do not support your contention that she is an "intelligent and gifted" person. I hope that KI is taking this situation has seriously as is warranted.