Temple Hatikva celebrates Purim CITY ISLAND’S ST. PADDY DAY 5K RUN
BY FRANK V. VERNUCCIO, JR.
There has been an inappropriately
relaxed attitude
towards the introduction
into the common conversation
within the United States
of discredited and factually
incorrect political positions,
and, in some instances, concepts
once considered reprehensible.
The acceptance of extreme
partisanship as a justifi
cation for relying on falsehoods
and historically vile
positions has been facilitated
by a deeply partisan media
and academic establishment.
The former willingness of responsible
civic, media, and
cultural leaders to expose
and reject ideas that have repeatedly
failed is no longer is
prevalent.
Consider several major
examples.
It has now become common
for academics and leftwing
electeds to openly
engage in what is clearly religious
bigotry. The BDS (boycott,
divest, sanction) movement
against Israel, based
on patently false premises,
combined with the accession
to power of noted anti-
Semitic fi gures such as former
Democratic National
Committee Chair Keith Ellison,
(who now serves as Minnesota’s
Attorney General)
would have been universally
condemned in the past. It has
now become part of the political
landscape, along with
the anti-Catholic statements
of leading senators such as
Kamala Harris and Diane
Feinstein who have strongly
implied that adherents to
that faith aren’t fi t to serve as
judges.
Even as socialism claims
Venezuela as its latest victim,
subscribers to that fatally
fl awed school of economics
have become a rising
force within America. The
century-long record of fi nancial
devastation and societal
oppression that inevitably
follows its introduction is curiously
ignored.
Obvious comparisons between
North and South Korea,
the former East and
West Germany, as well as the
whole of Eastern Europe and
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, M 108 ARCH 15-21, 2019 BTR
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Association
Western Europe, and the failure
of the Soviet Empire in
its competition with the West
apparently have been consigned
to be removed from
memory.
Consider the lack of realism
in the left’s approach to
foreign affairs. For the eight
years of the Obama Administration,
the U.S. military was
slashed, and support for U.S.
allies was reduced. Rather
than being partners in peace,
Russia and China’s response
was to use that period to
dramatically upgrade their
armed forces and engage in
hostile actions abroad. Moscow
openly violated the longstanding
Intermediate Nuclear
Forces treaty. Despite
that result, there has been no
move to admit fault and support
a more realistic defense
strategy, on the part of those
who endangered America’s
The inaugural City Island St. Paddy’s Day 5K Run was held on Saturday,
March 9. All proceeds were donated to the City Island Theater
(Above) Edmond Pryor representing Councilman Mark Gjonaj ran
in the race. Photo courtesy of Edmond Pryor
national security. One common
myth, in an interesting
bid to engage in intellectual
obfuscation, has been to cast
President Trump as being
soft on the Russian threat, despite
his advocacy of a much
larger Pentagon budget and a
bid to weaken Moscow’s ability
to earn funds to devote
to its military by competing
with it more forcefully in the
energy market.
The stunning turnaround
in attitudes towards free
speech is as worrisome as
it is unexpected. Many media,
cultural, and academic
sources have been all too eager
to justify censorship of
conservative ideas and actual
physical attacks on those
expressing them.
Far too many have considered
it justifi able to engage
in violent actions to keep
on-Progressive speakers off
stage, and to actually assault
individuals wearing hats or
other paraphernalia expressing
support for conservative
fi gures. Violent tactics by
anti-free speech advocates
on campuses, and by Antifa
on city streets, has become a
common practice.
Unforced marriages of
child brides have gained
common currency. Oddly
enough, many of the same
sources that accept these acts
of oppression against women
engage in a shocking acceptance
of infanticide, camoufl
aged as late term abortion,
as a so-called nod to women’s
rights.
Extreme movements, (and
the left of Bernie Sanders,
Keith Ellison, and Alexandria
Ocasio-Cortes is indeed
extremist) eventually fi nd
the concept of individual
rights to be burdensome, despite
the reality that these
rights are the essence of the
American Republic. I
n its opposition to key portions
of the Bill of Rights, its
rejection of Constitutional
norms, its eagerness to condemn
individuals without
due process, U.S. Progressives
are following a dangerous
but time-worn path, one
which is slowly and dangerously
gaining greater mainstream
acceptance.
Group.
Temple Hatikva will hold
its Purim Shabbat service on
Friday, March 22, at 7:30 p.m.
All community residents seeking
a welcoming atmosphere
in which to learn more about
and connect to Judaism are
welcome at Temple Hatikva, regardless
of their level of knowledge
and expertise. The modern/
traditional services are
chanted in both Hebrew and
English, and Adult Education
sessions explore various aspects
of Judaic customs and
practices.
Purim, is one of the most
joyous holidays on the Jewish
calendar, commemorating a
time when the Jewish people
of ancient Persia were saved
from extermination through
the bravery of a young Jewess
named Esther, whose bravery
inspired The Book of Esther,
one of the books of the Old Testament.
At synagogues throughout
the world, congregants will
hear the Purim story through
the reading of the Megillah.
Those attending Temple Hatikva’s
service are encouraged to
follow Jewish tradition by coming
in costume.
Please bring an unopened
box of Kosher dry pasta to be
used as a grogger, Purim noisemaker,
to drown out the name
of Haman, the evil villain in
the Purim story, whenever it is
mentioned during the reading
of the Megillah. Haman’s plot
to destroy the Jews is central to
the Purim story,
In addition to the pasta,
Temple Hatikva welcomes the
donation of other Kosher nonperishable
food items, such
as canned fruit, vegetables
and soup. All items collected
that evening and at Sunday’s
Adult Education session, will
be a part of Temple Hatikva’s
annual Purim Food Drive to
benefi t the Bronx Jewish Community
Council’s food pantry,
which services the entire Pelham
Parkway community. The
BJCC’s food pantry is the largest
in the East Bronx, distributing
over 2,400 food packages
each month.
Following the recitation
of the Purim story in the Megillah
by Cantor Kyle Cherry,
there will be a holiday Kiddush
featuring Hamantaschen, triangular
fruit-fi lled cookies in
the shape Haman’s three-cornered
hat traditionally served
at Purim, generously provided
by the Bronx Jewish Community
Council.
“I love Purim!” said Cantor
Kyle Cherry. “It is a great time
to kick back and have fun while
listening to a great story of the
triumph of good over evil, love
over hate. And Esther is one of
my favorite heroes of history.
Through her determination
and courage she uncovers the
evil plot against the Jews and
thwarts the wicked Haman.
One of many great women in
Jewish history who have set
the example that all Jews, high
born and low, men and women,
can affect the progression of
our people and leave our mark
on our history.”
Following a winter hiatus,
the temple will resume its
monthly Adult Education program,
always starting with
a free bagel breakfast, sponsored
by Shalom Jewish Funeral
Home. The upcoming
Adult Education session will
take place on Sunday, March
24, starting at 10 a.m. Continuing
our exploration of Jewish
traditions and rituals of major
life events. The topic will be
Bar/Bat Mitzvah and Confi rmation.
The breakfast will be
supplemented with the Hamantaschen
provided by the Bronx
Jewish Community Council.
As a follow up, Temple Hatikva
will hold a “Popcorn &
Video” showing of an entertaining
British award-winning
teleplay on the same topic of
Bar Mitzvah on April 7 at 10
a.m. The event will be free for
members, and $3 for non-members.
All those interested in
attending is asked to R.S.V.P.
in advance by telephone voicemail,
email or via the temple’s
website.
The synagogue is located
at Bronx House, 990 Pelham
Parkway South, in the Pelham
Parkway area of the Bronx.
For more information, the synagogue
can be reached at (917)
819-2456, by email at TempleHatikva@
aol.com, or on the web
at www.TempleHatikva.com.
/www.TempleHatikva.com
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