Rabbi Shmuley Boteach Wins NJ-9 GOP Primary

[Visionoyahweh]

http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/ ... fpnewsfeed

Rabbi. Celebrity confidant. Sex therapist. Voters in New Jersey’s 9th Congressional District will have a chance to elect a representative with all those qualifications and more after Shmuley Boteach won the Republican primary Tuesday night.

Boteach is known for his role as “spiritual adviser†to the late superstar Michael Jackson. The Hasidic rabbi recorded a series of conversations with the King of Pop that he published after his death as a book, “The Michael Jackson Tapes: A Tragic Icon Reveals His Soul In Intimate Conversation.†He has been a frequent fixture on daytime and reality TV, hosting a radio show on Oprah Winfrey’s network and a TLC show, “Shalom In The Home.â€

As an author, however, it’s hardly his only notable release. He also put out a series of Judaic sex advice books, with titles like Kosher Sex, The Kosher Sutra, and Kosher Adultery: Seduce and Sin With Your Spouse. One of his causes behind his campaign is a desire to spice up the Republican party’s puritanical reputation with some wholesome family sex.

LOL :clap:

[Witsec7]

This is so effing surreal.

[Maude]

This is great. :lol:

[Visionoyahweh]

I've followed him on and off for years. Nice to know cray-cray isn't confined to Christan fundies.

Kosher Adultery: Seduce and Sin With Your Spouse

I want a copy of this book!

[Mela99]

I saw his show a few times. It was entertaining.

I was a little put off when I read a few of his articles, though. I understood where he was coming from, but there was one where he advised a young Jewish woman to break off her engagement to a non-Jew and find a Jewish spouse, saying it was wrong to not continue the line, even for love.

[emmiedahl]

It is still a Jewish line if the mom is Jewish.

[RR88]

It is still a Jewish line if the mom is Jewish.

That's true. I think that most Orthodox Jews, however, are in their hearts so dogmatic that no amount of "progressiveness" will allow them to approve of a marriage between a Jew and a non-Jew.

[OnceModestTwiceShy]

That's true. I think that most Orthodox Jews, however, are in their hearts so dogmatic that no amount of "progressiveness" will allow them to approve of a marriage between a Jew and a non-Jew.

The "don't marry a non-Jew" thing is pretty strong outside the Orthodox community too. My father, who probably hasn't set foot in a shul in at least a decade, eats pork, works on Saturdays, etc., is still wringing his hands because I'm in a relationship with a non-Jew. He's tried to persuade me to leave him for just that reason.

Also, while it's nice to see someone try to shake the GOP out of their anti-sexuality mindset, since the Rabbi is referring to "wholesome family sex", I'm guessing that still excludes a LOT of us.

[FlorenceHamilton]

The obsession with Jews marrying only other Jews is widespread. Even the most secular Jews are indoctrinated thus. The reason is fear of anhilation. I was raised very nearly secular, but my family actually disowned me when I fell in love with a Catholic. I eventually succumbed and found a Jewish mate. My mother is on a one woman mission to influence my daughter to end her 5 year relationship with a Baptist. The battle cry is, "Love is Hitler's final solution". She will dog my daughter about this unceasingly and even break down into tears begging her to give up her boyfriend.

Looking back, I was indoctrinated with some pretty intense fears related to religion. We did not go to synagogue. We did not keep Kosher. We did not observe the Sabbath. But I was taught that non-Jewish men do not honor their wives as Jewish men do . I was taught to have a negative response to Christmas trees and string lights. I was taught that non-Jewish people are never really our friends, but actually want to either convert us or destroy us. (The last one may actually have some truth to it.)

With my children, I had a completely different approach. We did join a synagogue and did attend. I took adult classes while my children attended evening and Sunday school. My aim was for all of us to learn about our roots. I leave it to my now grown children to decided where their branches grow. My parents once showed me that their love for me was conditional and they defined the conditions and showed their willingness to give up their love for me if I did not meet them. My response was to show my own children that my love is not conditional.

[OnceModestTwiceShy]

Florence, I'm feeling really bad for your daughter right now. That's a pretty intense thing for your mother to say.

And yeah, a lot of what you describe sounds like my parents, though they are Soviet immigrants so it was a little different. But the whole "non-Jews aren't really your friends" thing sounds very familiar. As Gary Shteyngart wrote in one of his novels, "Run before the goyim get you" is the Jewish grandmother's battle cry.

I should also mention that I've magnified the horror of dating a non-Jew tenfold because my partner is German.

[deelaem]

Shmuley Boteach is just another patriarchal bastard. His wife and daughters still have to head-cover and wear skirts. And he gets real ugly when anyone attempts to expose the abuses in ultra-orthodox Judaism.

[pomology]

Shmuley Boteach is just another patriarchal bastard. His wife and daughters still have to head-cover and wear skirts. And he gets real ugly when anyone attempts to expose the abuses in ultra-orthodox Judaism.

On the plus, according to my brother via facebook, there's no way in hell that he'll win the general election.

[B5SnowDog]

Shmuley Boteach is just another patriarchal bastard. His wife and daughters still have to head-cover and wear skirts. And he gets real ugly when anyone attempts to expose the abuses in ultra-orthodox Judaism.

Yeah, I'm not that impressed with him. In Moms, Don't Forget to Feed Your Marriages, he wrote, "[breastfeeding] should always remain subordinate to the romantic and passionate needs of a marriage," "but public breastfeeding is profoundly de-eroticizing, and I believe that wives should cover up, even when they nurse their babies in their husband's presence," and "I believe this same problem comes up when men witness childbirth up close. There are certain poses in which a husband should not see his wife."

[Mela99]

Yeah, I'm not that impressed with him. In Moms, Don't Forget to Feed Your Marriages, he wrote, "[breastfeeding] should always remain subordinate to the romantic and passionate needs of a marriage," "but public breastfeeding is profoundly de-eroticizing, and I believe that wives should cover up, even when they nurse their babies in their husband's presence," and "I believe this same problem comes up when men witness childbirth up close. There are certain poses in which a husband should not see his wife."

:facepalm:

So seeing your wife nurse your child is gross and huge turn off, and screw it anyway because it's more important for your hubs to have his funbags at the ready than to bond and feed your child in a healthy manner? Oh, and just go right ahead and destroy your body in childbirth, it's cool, I won't watch anyway.

One of my best guy friends from college told me he never fell more in love with his wife than when she gave birth to their son -- and when she nurses him, he says there is nothing more beautiful. If men can't handle that, they ain't man enough to be fathers as far as I'm concerned.

Why do the fundies try to sexualize everything? Mullet whips her vag and boobs out all over television.

[ceg045]

You guys are good. The only thing I knew about this guy was that he is/was a regular guest on Dr. Phil, which alone was enough for me to write him off.

[RR88]

Jewish husbands aren't allowed to touch their wives during childbirth, anyway, nor see any nudity during the process.

[Mela99]

Jewish husbands aren't allowed to touch their wives during childbirth, anyway, nor see any nudity during the process.

Is that due to the whole school of thought that menstrual blood is damaging to testosterone, or is there a religious backing?

I'm not too well-informed on Judaism. Happy non-crazy Catholic.

[RR88]

The moment a woman's water breaks, she is considered a "yoledet" (one who gives birth) and is in a state of spiritual impurity, similar to that incurred by menstruation. The woman's husband may not touch her at all (nor pass things to her, including the newborn baby) from that point until several weeks after childbirth when the post-birth bleeding has stopped and she goes to the miqva (ritual pool). He is also not allowed to help deliver the baby, since it is forbidden for a husband to look directly at his wife's vagina.

[Mela99]

So when can he start being an active father to the newborn?

Kinda makes me think of Tudor England and the ritual 'churching' after a birth. Interesting. All news to me - especially the no looky-looks at your own wife's lady parts.

[Patsy]

it is forbidden for a husband to look directly at his wife's vagina

:shock: ... in... in general?

[B5SnowDog]

Jewish husbands aren't allowed to touch their wives during childbirth, anyway, nor see any nudity during the process.

Are they allowed to see them breastfeed?

ETA: He's addressing a general audience in that article, not just a Jewish one. Many of the people he's speaking to don't have such restrictions.

[OnceModestTwiceShy]

The moment a woman's water breaks, she is considered a "yoledet" (one who gives birth) and is in a state of spiritual impurity, similar to that incurred by menstruation. The woman's husband may not touch her at all (nor pass things to her, including the newborn baby) from that point until several weeks after childbirth when the post-birth bleeding has stopped and she goes to the miqva (ritual pool). He is also not allowed to help deliver the baby, since it is forbidden for a husband to look directly at his wife's vagina.

Hmm, all these things they never told me back when I was a naive little baalat teshuva (a Jew returning to Orthodoxy - didn't last long.)

So birthing a baby is the most amazing sacred thing that a woman can do, her whole reason for existing, yet the minute she goes into labor she is in a state of "spiritual impurity" and Teh Holy Husband cannot touch her, which conveniently gets him out of having to witness any of the painful messy stuff. Awesome. Do we need any more proof that this religion was made up by a bunch of men?

[OnceModestTwiceShy]

:shock: ... in... in general?

Kind of puts that whole "the husband has a responsibility to pleasure the wife"* thing into context, doesn't it?

*That is something they DID tell me when I was a baalat teshuva - Orthodox Jewish marriage is, like, totally egalitarian sexually because the husband HAS to pleasure the wife. But he can't give her oral sex? Yet another proof that this was made up by a bunch of men.

[2xx1xy1JD]

Kind of puts that whole "the husband has a responsibility to pleasure the wife"* thing into context, doesn't it?

*That is something they DID tell me when I was a baalat teshuva - Orthodox Jewish marriage is, like, totally egalitarian sexually because the husband HAS to pleasure the wife. But he can't give her oral sex? Yet another proof that this was made up by a bunch of men.

There's no actual rule against a husband giving oral pleasure to the wife. Some groups follow extra customs or decide to be stricter than necessary, but actual Jewish law doesn't require this.

[2xx1xy1JD]

Hmm, all these things they never told me back when I was a naive little baalat teshuva (a Jew returning to Orthodoxy - didn't last long.)

So birthing a baby is the most amazing sacred thing that a woman can do, her whole reason for existing, yet the minute she goes into labor she is in a state of "spiritual impurity" and Teh Holy Husband cannot touch her, which conveniently gets him out of having to witness any of the painful messy stuff. Awesome. Do we need any more proof that this religion was made up by a bunch of men?

It depends on the particularly group within Orthodoxy.

Satmar men won't be around during the birth itself. Lubavitch will be in the room, but won't be looking at the baby actually coming out. There are some progressive and lenient views within Modern Orthodox circles - a cyber-pal of mine was actually on an episode of A Baby Story with her home waterbirth, and she explained that things which some other religious women had questioned were actually allowed by her rabbi.

Online discussion of her televised birth - note that the bitchy tone changes as soon as she arrives on page 7:

http://www.imamother.com/forum/viewtopi ... &start=180

The links to the video are on page 1 of the imamother thread.

Interestingly enough, the poster who started the thread is Satmar herself. One of the cool things about connecting with other women online is that it can bring together people from different backgrounds who have things in common but wouldn't otherwise connect.