Amyjo Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > "If Christ were here now there is one thing he > would not be: a Christian." > > ~ Mark Twain
If Yeshua ben Yosef were here now, he would be an IKAR Jew. (Seriously.)
IKAR (means "essence" in Hebrew) was founded in 2004, in Los Angeles, by Rabbi Sharon Brous, and it is VERY swiftly transforming Judaism across the United States and in Jewish "outposts" elsewhere in the world.
IKAR calls itself "post-denominational," and it actually is---taking the best of Judaism and running with it, while leaving the not-so-good stuff in its historical place (as in, mostly, a kind of cultural "museum": something to look at and learn from, but not necessarily to follow).
It is having a transformative effect on all of the Jewish movements (especially because it is attracting many of the most intelligent, most creative, most free-thinking, most educated, and most potentially active Jews---with an age-range emphasis on millennials.)
Thanks for sharing that Tevai. I had not heard of IKAR before reading your post here.
Interesting movement for sure.
On its web page it states, "Our Jewish story calls us to become agents of social change whose fiercest weapons are love, faith and holy hutzpah.” –Rabbi Sharon Brous
My description of some of the many "kinds" of Jews attracted to IKAR should have included Eric Garcetti (Mayor of Los Angeles), who is an active member of the expansive IKAR "congregation."
If you are not an Angelino (which means: the name "Garcetti" doesn't ring any bells in in your memory, because "Garcetti" is a now, historical by generations, Los Angeles surname), this might be the first time you've heard about our 47-year-old mayor...
...but it is unlikely to be the last. What is most important about him in the context of this thread, is how he is totally Jewish (matrilineal Jew...a born-and-raised Jew who is actively Jewish)...yet when he was elected mayor (our first elected Jewish mayor), few people in the Southland were consciously aware of this. Not that anyone in Southern California cared particularly, it's just that his mixed heritage is so commonplace here that it literally was not news (not even the fact that he was our first elected Jewish mayor...and only our second Mexican-American mayor in over a century).
Part of this is that his ancestry is Mexican-Hispanic (his appearance is kind of film- and recording-star Hispanic, and he speaks fluent Spanish)...Italian (from whence came his surname)...and Russian Jewish.
He was born in Good Samaritan Hospital (as was I), and raised in the San Fernando Valley (me, too)...
...and the prognosticators are already predicting what they consider to be an eventual, and fairly inevitable, run for the U.S. presidency.
Our first Jewish/Mexican/Italian president...maybe???
So remember these words, dear reader...because you heard them, here on RfM, first!!!
:D
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/05/2018 11:46AM by Tevai.
Tevai Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Our first Jewish/Mexican/Italian > president...maybe???
Not that I don't think that would be an accomplishment (much like our first woman president would be), but...
I personally look forward to the day that none of us Americans *care* what ethnic/cultural/ancestral heritage a candidate has -- they only care about what they'll do in office.
American Jesus would drive a full-blown 1970's caddy, decked out with steer horns, gun racks (full of guns of course), and chauffered by a hot blonde, and with bumper stickers saying, "I AM perfect, and I do the forgiving!"
Filipino Jesus would drive a jeepney covered in crosses and virgin Mary stickers, with loudspeakers attached playing the Hail, Mary.
European Jesus would walk, bloodied and beaten, carrying a cross (with wheels to make it roll easier, the one point given to "driving," but no motor 'cause gas is too expensive there).
lurking in Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > ... he would yell, > "MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!" > > (Then watch out as he calls down from the sky > extremely dangerous thunderbolts and poisonous > frogs.)
When Jeebus visits Cuba he will insist on nothing less than faithfully restored 57 Chebby con tuck and roll upholstery y Tito Puente blasting from the boom box.