jews in the d House Call with Dr. Ruben IS IT THE “FLU” OR THE “FLU”? ŶƐǁĞƌ͗DĂŶLJƉĞŽƉůĞŽŌĞŶƵƐƚŚĞǁŽƌĚ͞&ůƵ͟ƚŽĚĞƐĐƌŝďĞŵŝůĚƌĞƐƉŝƌĂƚŽƌLJ ŝŶĨĞĐƟŽŶƐŽƌŐĂƐƚƌŽŝŶƚĞƐƟŶĂůŝŶĨĞĐƟŽŶƐƚŚĂƚĂƌĞĂƐƐŽĐŝĂƚĞĚǁŝƚŚŶĂƵƐĞĂ͕ ǀŽŵŝƟŶŐĂŶĚĚŝĂƌƌŚĞĂ͕ŚŽǁĞǀĞƌ͕ŽŶůLJŽŶĞǀŝƌƵƐĚĞƐĞƌǀĞƐƚŚĞŶĂŵĞ͞&ůƵ͟ĂŶĚ ƚŚĂƚ͛ƐƚŚĞ/ŶŇƵĞŶnjĂǀŝƌƵƐ͘ dŚŝƐŇƵŝƐŚĞƌĂůĚĞĚďLJƚŚĞĂďƌƵƉƚŽŶƐĞƚŽĨĐŚŝůůƐ͕ŝŶƚĞŶƐĞŵƵƐĐůĞĂĐŚĞƐ͕ŚŝŐŚ ĨĞǀĞƌƐĂďŽǀĞϭϬϭ͘ϱ͕ŝŶƚĞŶƐĞĐŽƵŐŚŝŶŐΘŝƚĐĂŶůĂƐƚϳĚĂLJƐ͘/ƚŽŶůLJĂīĞĐƚƐƚŚĞ ƌĞƐƉŝƌĂƚŽƌLJƚƌĂĐƚƐŽŝĨƐƚŽŵĂĐŚƐLJŵƉƚŽŵƐĂƌĞƉƌĞƐĞŶƚ͕/ŶŇƵĞŶnjĂĐĂŶďĞĞdžĐůƵĚĞĚ͘ ŽŶƚƌĂƐƚƚŚĂƚĂŶƵƉƉĞƌƌĞƐƉŝƌĂƚŽƌLJƚƌĂĐƚŝŶĨĞĐƟŽŶ͗ƐLJŵƉƚŽŵƐĂƌĞƵƐƵĂůůLJŐƌĂĚƵĂů͕ ĨĞǀĞƌƐĂƌĞƌĂƌĞ͕ĐŚŝůůƐĂƌĞƵƐƵĂůůLJŶŽƚƉƌĞƐĞŶƚ͕ĂŶĚŵŽƐƚƉĞŽƉůĞĐĂŶĐŽŶƟŶƵĞ their jobs. /ŶŇƵĞŶnjĂĐĂŶďĞƉƌĞǀĞŶƚĞĚďLJǀĂĐĐŝŶĞΘƚƌĞĂƚĞĚǁŝƚŚŵĞĚŝĐŝŶĞŝĨŐŝǀĞŶŝŶƚŚĞ ĮƌƐƚϮϰͲϰϴŚŽƵƌƐŽĨƚŚĞŝůůŶĞƐƐ͘/ƚĐĂŶďĞĚĞĂĚůLJŝŶƚŚĞĞdžƚƌĞŵĞĞůĚĞƌůLJΘŝŶǀĞƌLJ LJŽƵŶŐĐŚŝůĚƌĞŶůĞƐƐƚŚĂŶϮLJĞĂƌƐŽĨĂŐĞ͘ /ŶĨĂĐƚ͕ŝĨLJŽƵŚĂǀĞĞǀĞƌĞdžƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞĚƌĞĂůŝŶŇƵĞŶnjĂ͞&ůƵ͕͟LJŽƵĂƌĞĮƌƐƚŝŶůŝŶĞĨŽƌ LJŽƵƌŇƵƐŚŽƚŝŶƚŚĞĨĂůůĂŶĚŶĞǀĞƌĨŽƌŐĞƚƚŽŐĞƚǀĂĐĐŝŶĂƚĞĚ͊ continued from page 20 And, why has the Jewish commu- nity been so upset that a so-called messianic “rabbi” offered a prayer at that political rally? Throughout the centuries, Jewish people were subject to intense missionary activity by the Catholic Church and various Protestant groups. Many Jews left Judaism and converted to Christianity, either by force or voluntarily. In early 20th-century America, attempts to convert Jews to Christianity were common, but often unsuccessful. In the 1970s, a new organization sponsored by Protestants was formed called “Jews for Jesus.” Other smaller groups, calling them- selves “Messianic Jews,” followed. Members of “Jews for Jesus” are encouraged to consider themselves to be “completed Jews.” Some mem- bers are born Jews who accepted Jesus as their lord, while others were not born Jewish but consid- er themselves to now be Jewish. Essentially, this group’s mission is to convert Jews to Christianity. Historically, Jews who converted to Christianity were often inter- ested in staying far away from being identified with Judaism. However, “Messianic Jews” stress their Jewishness and demand to be recognized as Jews by the Jewish community. The members of “Jews for Jesus” or any other messianic “Jewish” group who were legiti- mately Jewish at first would now be considered apostate Jews, the term used for one who has taken the definitive step of professing and joining another religion. An “apostate” is the term the Jewish community would apply to Loren Jacobs, the individual who delivered the prayer at the rally featuring Mike Pence (it was orig- inally an invocation and then he was called back on stage to offer a memorial prayer for the victims of the synagogue massacre in Pittsburgh). Some have questioned why the Jewish community was so offend- ed by Jacobs being asked to offer a prayer. Some in the Christian community were confused as to why the Jewish community couldn’t treat Jacobs’ words in an ecumeni- cal fashion. The issue for many in the Jewish community is that Jacobs self-iden- tifies as a Jewish rabbi, which is offensive to Jews because he has chosen to become an apostate, recognizing Jesus as his lord and savior. The fact that Loren Jacobs was introduced as a rabbi and Jewish leader was an affront to the Jewish community. It was unacceptable and insensitive. Had a non-Jewish faith leader been asked to deliver a memorial prayer for the Jewish vic- tims who were murdered while in prayer, that would have been accept- able. Although, the ideal situation would have been to have a rabbi deliver the prayer or a variety of faith leaders offer prayer as has been the case in many of the memorial vigils around the world. ■ Rabbi Jason Miller is a local educator and entrepreneur. Follow him on Twitter at @ RabbiJason. Chanu-Con Festival Nov. 18 ϮϯϬϬ,ĂŐŐĞƌƚLJZĚ^ƵŝƚĞϭϭϵϬ͕tĞƐƚůŽŽŵĮĞůĚ͕D/ϰϴϯϮϯ ϮϰϴͳϲϮϰͳϵϴϬϬ &ŽƌŵŽƌĞŝŶĨŽƌŵĂƟŽŶ͕ǀŝƐŝƚŽƵƌĐŽŶƚĂĐƚƉĂŐĞĂƚ ŚƩƉƐ͗ͬͬĞŶĐŽŵƉĂƐƐŚĞĂůƚŚĐĂƌĞ͘ĐŽŵͬĐŽŶƚĂĐƚ Video Consults now available with Dr. Ruben on WHATSAPP 248-672-9775 Bruce Ruben, M.D. is the Founder and Medical Director of ŶĐŽŵƉĂƐƐ,ĞĂůƚŚĂƌĞΘtŽƵŶĚDĞĚŝĐŝŶĞ͕DŝĐŚŝŐĂŶΖƐƉƌĞŵŝĞƌŽƵƚƉĂƟĞŶƚ /ŶĨĞĐƟŽƵƐŝƐĞĂƐĞĂŶĚtŽƵŶĚĂƌĞĞŶƚĞƌ͘ 22 November 8 • 2018 jn Congregation Beth Shalom will host its third annual Chanu-Con, a community-wide Chanukah festi- val, from 1-5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 18, at the Oak Park synagogue. Look for 25 fun vendors with gift ideas, many children’s activities, live music and magic, a tin can raffle, and Vaad and Star-K kosher lunch and snack options. Free admission. Non-perishable food donations to event part- ner, Yad Ezra, including latke mixes, are welcome. Sponsors include Cohen Lerner & Rabinovitz Attorneys, Camp Young Judaea Midwest, Quality Kosher Catering and Kravings Detroit, Star Trax Event Productions, Lincoln Rx Pharmacy, Adrienne Berlin Designs and the JN. For details, contact Beth Rodgers at bethlrodgers@gmail.com. Sponsorships, vendor tables, raffle prize contributions and any other donations are still being accepted. ■