Mormons apologize for baptizing deceased Jewish family [Forward]
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has issued a public apology after accidentally allowing the posthumous baptism of the parents of the late Simon Wiesenthal, an Austrian Holocaust survivor who pursued fugitive Nazis during his lifetime. The baptismal practice, which involves church members acting in place of the individual who is being baptized, has been a source of controversy between Jews and church members for a number of years. The Mormon Church had previously agreed not to allow the practice to be used on behalf of Jewish Holocaust victims. The Jewish Daily Forward writes:
“Rabbi Abraham Cooper, the associate dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, participated in many of the high-level meetings between Jewish leaders and Mormon officials.
‘We are outraged that such insensitive actions continue in the Mormon Temples,’ he said in a statement on the organization’s website. ‘Such actions make a mockery of the many meetings with the top leadership of the Mormon Church dating back to 1995 that focused on the unwanted and unwarranted posthumous baptisms of Jewish victims of the Nazi Holocaust.'”
Israeli supermodel in new swimsuit edition of Sports Illustrated [6 Degrees No Bacon]
Israeli model Bar Refaeli is set to make an appearance in this year’s swimsuit edition of the popular sports magazine. While Refaeli once faced controversy for avoiding a draft into the Israeli Defense Forces, the model’s career has never been better, having since appeared in GQ.
Co-authored book explores history of Jewish conversion [Jerusalem Post]
A new book by Rabbi David Ellenson, president of Hebrew Union College, and Rabbi Daniel Gordis, president of the Shalem Foundation, seeks to unpack centuries of halachic interpretations on conversion to Judaism. The book, recently published, makes its debut at a time when the recognition of converts in Israel has reached a sort of critical mass, with conversions being retroactively revoked, Jewish status called into question, and an Israeli rabbinate that is increasingly stringent. The Jerusalem Post reports:
“Many Orthodox Jews will instinctively dismiss as tainted any work produced by non-Orthodox scholars. Yet the joint authors of this fascinating work avoid expressing their opinions or promoting their personal attitudes toward halacha. They merely quote responsa, dating from the 18th century until today, by universally respected giants of the Orthodox rabbinical world from all corners of the world, including Israel.”
Can we teach ourselves to consume less? [Sh’ma]
In a society that has become increasingly defined by its high levels of consumption and waste production, can Jews carve a path toward a more moderate lifestyle? Particularly when it comes to food, are we at the mercy of our impulses, or are there lessons to be learned about the value of temperance and restraint? Sh’ma, the Journal of Jewish Ideas, offers this food for thought:
“Ethical consumption is not only about being mindful of where we shop and what we ingest. It’s also about reforming government policies that perpetuate a cycle of poverty and widen the gap between ‘too much’ and ‘not enough,’ making ethical consumption nearly impossible for even the most conscientious among us.”
