From our rabbi
Dear Friends,
Shalom. You know, there is always something to discover in Tokyo, at times it is an old wooden house tucked between skyscrapers or the tiny tofu-ya that still makes tofu the traditional way. At times is something of a less traditional nature, but as exciting.
Last week, on the way back from a bris (a circumcision) near Tokyo Tower, a colorful wooden cat in a display window caught my eye. Next to it in the same window there were other pretty items on display. A small sign Welfare store next the cat sparked my curiosity even more, so I decided to enter the store on the second floor of that building and see what was it about. It was a small space, not larger than any of our classrooms, lined with shelves holding many kinds of really nice items: wooden puzzles and other wooden toys, wooden dolls, paper dolls, knitted bags, key-chains, ashtrays, simple and elegant tea-cups and many more items. Some objects were nicer than the others, but all had been made by persons with disabilities. Upon further inquiring (thank you Arie-san for making the phone call in Japanese for me!) it turned out that all the income from the sale from these items goes back to the persons who made them and helps support them.
I wanted you to know about this store as this could be a nice and easy way to give something back to this country that is so graciously hosting us, while buying pretty and simple omiyage to give your friends and family when you go back home to visit. It is also a really good deed to do from a Jewish point of view, as this is the highest level of charity one can possibly do, helping someone one doesn’t know and who doesn’t know the person who is helping them.
Here is the address. I hope you go with your children and spend a lot of Yen.
Fukushi-Shop / Welfare Shop, 2nd Floor, 1-11-4 Azabudai, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Just in case, here is the address in Japanese:
東京都港区麻布台１－１１－４、
いんなあとりっぷビル２階
福祉ショップ・はるかぜ
Shalom. You know, there is always something to discover in Tokyo, at times it is an old wooden house tucked between skyscrapers or the tiny tofu-ya that still makes tofu the traditional way. At times is something of a less traditional nature, but as exciting.
Last week, on the way back from a bris (a circumcision) near Tokyo Tower, a colorful wooden cat in a display window caught my eye. Next to it in the same window there were other pretty items on display. A small sign Welfare store next the cat sparked my curiosity even more, so I decided to enter the store on the second floor of that building and see what was it about. It was a small space, not larger than any of our classrooms, lined with shelves holding many kinds of really nice items: wooden puzzles and other wooden toys, wooden dolls, paper dolls, knitted bags, key-chains, ashtrays, simple and elegant tea-cups and many more items. Some objects were nicer than the others, but all had been made by persons with disabilities. Upon further inquiring (thank you Arie-san for making the phone call in Japanese for me!) it turned out that all the income from the sale from these items goes back to the persons who made them and helps support them.
I wanted you to know about this store as this could be a nice and easy way to give something back to this country that is so graciously hosting us, while buying pretty and simple omiyage to give your friends and family when you go back home to visit. It is also a really good deed to do from a Jewish point of view, as this is the highest level of charity one can possibly do, helping someone one doesn’t know and who doesn’t know the person who is helping them.
Here is the address. I hope you go with your children and spend a lot of Yen.
Fukushi-Shop / Welfare Shop, 2nd Floor, 1-11-4 Azabudai, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Just in case, here is the address in Japanese:
東京都港区麻布台１－１１－４、
いんなあとりっぷビル２階
福祉ショップ・はるかぜ
Purim 5770
Dear Friends,
Shalom. It’s funny I had to come all the way across the world to have the best pizza, the most fragrant challah and now the tastiest homen-taschen. And you can come and have some too this if you come and celebrate Purim with us at the JCJ.
Purim is the second of the minor holidays, the first one being Chanukkah, and in a way they are connected. Chanukkah celebrates the victory of the Jews over the enemies who wanted to kill them spiritually, who wanted to take away their cultural and religious identity. Purim instead is a celebration of victory over enemies attempting to physically destroy us.
You know the story. In Persia, sometime around the 4th century BCE, Esther, a beautiful Jewish girl is taken to the kings harem. She becomes the king’s favorite, but she doesn’t tell anyone she is Jewish. Later on after some initial hesitation, she manages to thwart the plan of the evil vizier who was about to have all the Jews of the kingdom killed by royal decree.
I like Queen Esther. Not because she was beautiful. Not because she was pious. But because she reminds me of many of my friends or people I know. She is the perfect assimilated Jew. She lives in the midst of the non Jewish world, doesn’t tell anyone her origin, marries a non-Jew, she is reluctant to reveal her origin when her uncle Mordekhay asks her to do so. But at the end she saves her people. Many people I know have acted like her: they have expressed no Jewish identity, have steered away from Jewish communal life, have felt some discomfort at their heritage, but at some point they have fully embraced that one Jewish cause that was dear to their heart, and this has brought them back home. One of them today is a rabbi who fights against hunger and poverty, another one has joined an organization that defends human rights everywhere they are denied. Another one has been at the forefront of the campaign to save Darfour, she is also a rabbi today. The amazing thing is that they are doing their wonderful jobs as Jews, motivating and justifying them using Jewish ideas and values, after spending most of their lives ignoring, if not denying, the fact they were Jews.
So, I know, I did not really talk about Purim, but you know the story already. If not, come and read it again with us on motsa’ei Shabbat, Sat. February, 27th, at 6:00 pm and on Sun, February 28 at 11 am.
I look forward to seeing you all soon. Happy Purim.
If you would like to read the Book of Esther in English, you find it here.
Dear Friends,
Shalom. It’s funny I had to come all the way across the world to have the best pizza, the most fragrant challah and now the tastiest homen-taschen. And you can come and have some too this if you come and celebrate Purim with us at the JCJ.
Purim is the second of the minor holidays, the first one being Chanukkah, and in a way they are connected. Chanukkah celebrates the victory of the Jews over the enemies who wanted to kill them spiritually, who wanted to take away their cultural and religious identity. Purim instead is a celebration of victory over enemies attempting to physically destroy us.
You know the story. In Persia, sometime around the 4th century BCE, Esther, a beautiful Jewish girl is taken to the kings harem. She becomes the king’s favorite, but she doesn’t tell anyone she is Jewish. Later on after some initial hesitation, she manages to thwart the plan of the evil vizier who was about to have all the Jews of the kingdom killed by royal decree.
I like Queen Esther. Not because she was beautiful. Not because she was pious. But because she reminds me of many of my friends or people I know. She is the perfect assimilated Jew. She lives in the midst of the non Jewish world, doesn’t tell anyone her origin, marries a non-Jew, she is reluctant to reveal her origin when her uncle Mordekhay asks her to do so. But at the end she saves her people. Many people I know have acted like her: they have expressed no Jewish identity, have steered away from Jewish communal life, have felt some discomfort at their heritage, but at some point they have fully embraced that one Jewish cause that was dear to their heart, and this has brought them back home. One of them today is a rabbi who fights against hunger and poverty, another one has joined an organization that defends human rights everywhere they are denied. Another one has been at the forefront of the campaign to save Darfour, she is also a rabbi today. The amazing thing is that they are doing their wonderful jobs as Jews, motivating and justifying them using Jewish ideas and values, after spending most of their lives ignoring, if not denying, the fact they were Jews.
So, I know, I did not really talk about Purim, but you know the story already. If not, come and read it again with us on motsa’ei Shabbat, Sat. February, 27th, at 6:00 pm and on Sun, February 28 at 11 am.
I look forward to seeing you all soon. Happy Purim.
If you would like to read the Book of Esther in English, you find it here.
[Agust 2009]
Dear friends,
Shalom and konnichi-wa. I’m very excited to be here in Tokyo and looking forward to being a part of this community, so diverse and rich.
We have many things in store for the upcoming months, so please consider participating in any one of them. Immediately after High Holidays we will start an Intro to Judaism course, geared not only for those who are exploring the possibility of giyur, conversion to Judaism, but also for those who would like to brush up on their Judaism. There are many other possibilities for study, depending on the interest of our congregation, such as a weekly Torah class, or early morning meeting for those who have long and busy schedules.
If you are in Tokyo as a tourist or resident, if you are a non-affiliated Jew or a Japanese friend, consider joining us for services on Shabbat and share a meal with us. I think it’s always nice to see new faces, and we are a very friendly group.
If you are a member of the JCJ, call the office and let’s meet over a cup of cha or espresso. I look forward to meeting all you, getting to know all of you and your families and working together. Together we can make sure that the ancient words of the Psalm are still true today:
“From the rising of the sun to its setting, praised be the name of the Lord.” Together we can create a sacred space where everyone feels welcome and accepted, regardless of her or his level of Jewish observance and knowledge. Together we can learn about Judaism in all its richness. Together, most of all, we can live Judaism as a community that shares a past and wants to work towards the future.
Blessings,
R. Antonio Di Gesù
rabbi{at}jccjapan.or.jp
Dear friends,
Shalom and konnichi-wa. I’m very excited to be here in Tokyo and looking forward to being a part of this community, so diverse and rich.
We have many things in store for the upcoming months, so please consider participating in any one of them. Immediately after High Holidays we will start an Intro to Judaism course, geared not only for those who are exploring the possibility of giyur, conversion to Judaism, but also for those who would like to brush up on their Judaism. There are many other possibilities for study, depending on the interest of our congregation, such as a weekly Torah class, or early morning meeting for those who have long and busy schedules.
If you are in Tokyo as a tourist or resident, if you are a non-affiliated Jew or a Japanese friend, consider joining us for services on Shabbat and share a meal with us. I think it’s always nice to see new faces, and we are a very friendly group.
If you are a member of the JCJ, call the office and let’s meet over a cup of cha or espresso. I look forward to meeting all you, getting to know all of you and your families and working together. Together we can make sure that the ancient words of the Psalm are still true today:
“From the rising of the sun to its setting, praised be the name of the Lord.” Together we can create a sacred space where everyone feels welcome and accepted, regardless of her or his level of Jewish observance and knowledge. Together we can learn about Judaism in all its richness. Together, most of all, we can live Judaism as a community that shares a past and wants to work towards the future.
Blessings,
R. Antonio Di Gesù
rabbi{at}jccjapan.or.jp