The Blood Libel. An absurd, confusing, massively injurious accusation against Jews that refuses to remain in the dustbin of history. For those who may not remember their AP Euro classes, a blood libel occurs when the Jewish population of a town is accused of having kidnapped a non-Jew, usually a child, for blood to use in making matzah for Passover often ending with catastrophic persecution ranging from pogroms to the country’s expulsion of Jews and often a mixture of both. To state the obvious, the allegation makes no sense at all.
Beyond the prohibition in Judaism against anything resembling human sacrifice, the Torah strictly prohibits the consumption of blood even in kosher animals stating “You shall not partake of the blood of any flesh, for the life of all flesh is its blood. Anyone who partakes of it shall be cut off.” If you were ever curious as to how Kosher Salt got its name, the coarse crystals are used in a brining process to draw out blood post-slaughter making the meat fit for consumption.
Medieval Europe saw the earliest of blood libels, first in England before spreading like wildfire across the continent. With a few tragic exceptions, Muslim lands were mostly spared. Suleiman the Magnificent, regent of the Ottoman Empire, issued a royal decree in the 16th century formally denouncing blood libels. Even those that did occur usually involved the minority Christian community seeking to rabble rouse, the most famous of which resulted in the Damascus Affair of 1840.
The false charge made by a Capuchin Friar in 19th Century Syria possesses added significance today. Tuesday’s march in Washington DC, nearly 300,000 strong, has its direct antecedent in the first organized protest against antisemitism in the United States. The demonstrations took place across six cities, with the Jewish population numbering just 15,000 successfully persuading President Martin Van Buren to protest on behalf of Jews in distress half a world away.
While the JCC was unfortunately not represented in America’s Capital this week, Japan’s rallies for Israel continue to receive outsize influence on social media. From the gathering in Shibuya just a few days after October 7th to this past Sunday’s march from Hibiya to Otemachi, videos of support for Israel in Japan attract tremendous engagement, no more so than a video of people singing ‘Hoshia et Amecha’ while waving Japanese and Israeli flags that attracted nearly 3,000 likes. The caption? How do I join this shul
Kabbalat Shabbat
Friday, November 17th
Services: 6:00pm
Dinner by reservation: 7:00pm
Kabbalat Shabbat
High Likelihood of Turkey. Stuffing questionable. Kabocha tastes better than canned pumpkin. Pumpkin Spice Beer? Hard pass. IPAs welcome.
Friday, November 24th
Services: 6:00pm
Dinner by reservation: 7:00pm
Kabbalat Shabbat
Friday, December 1st
Services: 6:00pm
Dinner by reservation: 7:00pm
Shabbat Parshat Vayishlach
Kiddush Open for Sponsorship
Saturday, December 2nd
Services: 10:00am
Kiddush: 12:00pm
Kabbalat Shabbat – 2nd Night of Hanukkah
Friday, December 9th
Services: 6:00pm
Dinner by reservation: 7:00pm
Shabbat Parshat Vayeshev
Kiddush Open for Sponsorship
Saturday, December 10th
Services: 10:00am
Kiddush: 12:00pm
Kabbalat Shabbat
Friday, December 16th
Services: 6:00pm
Dinner by reservation: 7:00pm
Events
Hanukkah candle lighting(s) in the works
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Announcements
Thank you to the members of the 70th Anniversary Planning Committee for pulling off an incredible event that combined celebration with deeper reflection. Kudos to the kitchen for an incredible spread and everyone who attended for enhancing the day’s simcha.
Welcome back to our BBYO Delegation from their trip to Singapore for the inaugural Jewish Teens in Asia Convention. A special note of appreciation to the ‘Tokyo Dads’ who chaperoned.
Yashar Koach/Well Done to Robyn Nadler on representing the Jewish Community at the Remembrance Day Ceremony in Yokohama Commonwealth War Cemetery. Robyn proudly spoke about John Monash, born in 19th century Melbourne to Jewish refugee parents, who is arguably the most famous commander in Australian history.
Kudos to Ben Dooley for his front page story in the New York Times with accompanying video.
Lori Stoll, mother of JCCer Zach Chapman, will be featured at an art gallery in Hatagaya, Shibuya November 17th – November 29th. Details can be found on Facebook.
We pray for a full recovery to the Japanese police officer injured in the car ramming at the Israeli embassy in Tokyo.
Yiddish Club with Jack Halpern: Please contact Jack at jack@cjki.org if you are interested to join. All levels are welcome, from beginner to advanced. Much more than just language, the club’s monthly meetings explore Yiddish culture as well.
Shabbat Toldot
Candle Lighting: 4:15pm
Havdala: 5:13pm