Nevada (US) - Hindus have sent early greetings to Jewish communities world over on Shavuot, which falls on June 7-9 this year.
Esteemed Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a release in Nevada (USA) on Tuesday, expressed warmest greetings on behalf of Hindu community on Jewish festival of Shavuot; wishing happiness, peace and joy to all the Jews.
Zed, who is the President of Universal Society of Hinduism, stressed that all religions should work together for a just and peaceful world. Dialogue would bring us mutual enrichment, Zed added.
Also known as 'Festival of Weeks', Shavuot marks the time the Jews received the Torah on Mount Sinai. It includes prayers, studying Torah, decoration of synagogues with flowers, lighting candles, visiting synagogues, special meals, eating dairy foods, etc. Cheese blintzes are often served.
Judaism is a monotheistic religion of world's about 14 million Jews whose most sacred text is Torah. Hinduism, oldest and third largest religion of the world, has about one billion adherents and moksh (liberation) is its ultimate goal.
Ever tried a move called the Ganesh in bed? Jim Carrey did, and he’s feeling the wrath of Hindu and Jewish groups as a result. In a skit that aired on “Saturday Night Live” this month, Carrey played an “erotic shaman” who had developed new sex positions with an elderly character played by “SNL” regular Kenan Thompson.
“Lord Ganesh is highly revered in Hinduism and is meant to be worshiped in temples or home shrines, not to be thrown around loosely in reimagined versions for dramatic effects in TV series,” was the response from a Hindu statesman named Rajan Zed, the Toronto Sun reported. “Such an absurd depiction of Lord Ganesh, with no scriptural backing, is hurtful to devotees. It’s also disturbing and offensive to the one billion Hindus around the world.”
Rajan Zed, identified as the President of the Universal Society of Hinduism by the Times of India, “also asked Golden Globe winner actor-comedian Jim Carrey, actor-comedian Kenan Thomson, NBC Universal President and Chief Executive Officer Jeff Zucker, and ‘SNL’ Executive Producer Lorne Michaels to tender a public apology for it and urged them not to inappropriately drag Hindu deities to advance the commercial or other agenda in the future,” The Times reported.
The Hindus aren’t the only group upset by the comedy routine, the Sun said. “Leading Jewish advocate Rabbi Elizabeth W. Beyer has released a statement criticizing the parties responsible for the skit,” according to the Sun. “Making fun of someone’s religion or god is not within keeping with our ideals as members of a civilized community… We Jews fully support Rajan Zed’s protest initiative on this issue and urge others involved in television and film industries to be more considerate to the feelings of devotees of all religions in the future.”
Oddly, the same outrage was not taken out on the Simpsons:
Below, a Rabbi makes light of Judaism by telling Jewish jokes:
After the very hype trend of gym and aerobics, people are returning back to the basic and thus, yoga is gaining optimum popularity. Yoga which originated from India is now a hit trend in the United States and also in some other parts of the world. Various establishments and individuals across USA now offer what is termed as “Jewish Yoga".
In the United States have a association called the "association of Jewish yoga teachers" (to bring teachers and students together to explore their roots in Judaism and yoga), besides a “Torah Yoga Association". The Torah Yoga Association aims at provided an insight of Jewish wisdom to it's followers through Iyengar yoga and with the study of Jewish texts. The “Gentle Jewish Yoga" offers workshops, classes and retreats in Jewish yoga, meditation and mystical text study.
Apart from this there are many other forms of Yoga. One of them is the "Kabbalah Yoga" . The Kabbalah Yoga offers a “Technique of the 13 Point Prostration". Another type, the KosherYoga.net claims to be “Iyengar Yoga with a Jewish Bent".
Yet another programme for Jewish Yoga is the “Yoga and Jewish Spirituality Teacher Training Program"; besides a “200 hour Yoga Teacher''s Training Course For Torah Observant Women"; “Learn yoga with a highly experienced and knowledgeable Torah observant Trainer", “Yoga for Jewish Women", etc.
Rajan Zed, President of Universal Society of Hinduism in his statement in Nevada (USA) has expressed that though yoga belongs to Hinduism, it is a world heritage open to be utilized by all. According to Rajan Zed, this helps one to achieve spiritual goals and strengthens one's believe in it.
Explaining more about Yoga, Rajan Zed has referred to Yoga is a "Living Fossil", whose inception traces back to 2000 BCE in the Indus Valley Civilization. The basic aim of Yoga is mental and physical discipline.
Submitted by andie531 on Thu, 2011-06-09 18:33
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Well, well, well, it looks like the Ashkenazi Turko-Mongolian Slavic Gypsy Khazars will literally stoop down to any level...including endorsing idolatry. Even that shit-stained book, the Tell-Mud sayeth thusly of those who associate with idolators:
Avodah Zarah (Hebrew: "foreign worship," meaning "idolatry" or "strange worship") is the name of a tractate in the Talmud, located in Nezikin, the fourth Order of the Talmud dealing with damages. The main topic of the tractate is laws pertaining to Jews living amongst Gentiles, including regulations about the interaction between Jews and "idolaters" (who represented most of the Gentile population during the time of the Talmud), both for distancing Jews from the act of idolatry in every shape as well as distancing Jews from the threat of cultural assimilation.
Because of its subject matter, Avodah Zarah has probably been the most controversial tractate in the Talmud, and historically it has been the subject of criticism from Christian Church. Christians view the polemic of the tractate as being directed at them, and as painting them as idolaters and immoral people. The traditional Orthodox attitude has been that the tractate was authored in times of the Roman persecution and that this is what is generally meant by "idolatry" in the tractate.
The placing of the tractate in the order of "damages" says something about the attitude of the Sages towards idolatry. By engaging in idolatry, a person is seen as in effect denying God's creation and doing actual damage to the spiritual forces of creation. It also has the effect of removing the action of idolatry from a purely abstract notion into a real transgression with tangible effects and punishments, alongside theft and swearing a false oath.
The tractate consists of five chapters. The number of mishnayot is according to the standard numbering; however, different versions split up the individual mishnayot or combine them and the chapter breaks may vary as well.
Chapter One (nine mishnayot) deals with the prohibition of trade with idolaters around their festival (so as not to be complicit in the festivity) and the items that are forbidden to be sold to idolaters (which is basically any item that the idolater is likely to offer in an idolatrous service or commit an immoral act with). Thus, the main commandment explored in the chapter is lifnei iver.
Chapter Two (seven mishnayot) deals with precautions against the violence and immorality of idolaters and the items that are forbidden/permitted to be bought from idolaters. These include categories of objects that may be by-products of idolatrous services as well as foods with a difficult to identify kashrut status.
Chapter Three (ten mishnayot) deals with the laws of various images/idols and the asherah (idolatrous tree). Thus, it details the distinctions between forbidden and permitted use of various aspects and states of idolatrous items.
Chapter Four (twelve mishnayot) deals with benefit from the auxiliary items of a markulis (a Roman deity consisting of a heap of stones whereby worship consisted of throwing stones and thus adding to the heap) and other idols, the nullification of an idol (effected by an idolater deliberately defacing his/her idol) and the laws detailing the prohibition of the use and benefit of Yayin Nesech.
Chapter Five (twelve mishnayot) continues detailing the prohibition of yayin nesech and the kashering of utensils used by idolaters.
Did you catch Chapter One (nine mishnayot)? It says "deals with the prohibition of trade with idolaters around their festival (so as not to be complicit in the festivity)".
Did you catch Chapter One (nine mishnayot)? It says "deals with the prohibition of trade with idolaters around their festival (so as not to be complicit in the festivity)".
Funny, that never applied to Macy's (Christmas Parade, pandering to the goyim for the holiday dollars).