Florida law might threaten authority of Orthodox batei din [Forward]
It began as a state bill to oppose Islamic sharia law, but it may end in compromising the authority of Orthodox courts. The Application of Foreign Law in Certain Cases bill, which is one of many such bills nation-wide based on model legislation (ironically by an Orthodox Jew), sought to de-legitimize legal decisions associated with Islamic sharia law. Only now, some legal experts predict it may also challenge Orthodox courts (batei din) as well, particularly on the basis of gender discrimination. The Forward writes:
“The bill’s supporters acknowledge that their proposal is aimed at Muslims. But David Barkey, an Anti-Defamation League attorney specializing in church-state issues, said that the bill will affect Jews. Because only a man can grant his wife a Jewish divorce, or get, Barkey said, a beit din —singlular for batei din— may be seen as violating state and federal equal protection principles, which bar discrimination based on gender.”
How to do Spring Break right [Huffington Post]
Bamboozled as to how to turn your Spring Break legendary? The Huffington Post offers tips, debunks myths, and lets you know why the best Spring Break ever may not be as far away as you think.
“To all of the over-caffeinated students sitting in college libraries across the country right now anxiously gnawing on pencils, learning the entirety of biophysics textbooks and memorizing five thousand French vocab words in the anticipation of tomorrow’s midterms in anticipation of next week’s spring break:
This is for you.”
Jewnami [JTA]
On the advent of the first anniversary of the devastating tsunami in Japan last year, pride in the Jewish community’s response from a community Rabbi.
“In the first days after the disaster, those who remained in Japan felt the urgency to do something. This desire was combined with the fear and anxiety caused by the conflicting reports about the situation. It was a “time to act for the Lord,” but it was not clear what we could do. Some 2,000 Jews are living in Japan, and none of us had been affected irreversibly by the quake, thank God. However, the tragedy we faced as a nation was overwhelming.”
Mormon Church tries to stem baptism [NY Daily News]
Mormon leaders put up a virtual firewall to restrict access to a massive database of Holocaust victims in order to curb the practice of posthumous baptism, which they believe will help these people reach heaven. Anne Frank and Daniel Pearl are among the notable baptism cases.
“The new system will immediately block church members’ access should they try to seek out names of Holocaust victims or other notable figures that have been flagged as not suitable for proxy baptisms. The church said the move is aimed at ending the practice.
But critics say it merely serves to block anyone from monitoring whether the posthumous baptisms continue.”
