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July 22, 2008 | 5:04 am
Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

Newsweek had another article recently about what God means to Barack Obama. I know, I’m really tired of this too, but the article had a great tidbit about Obama serving as a Shabbos goy after he joined the Illinois State Senate:
In 1999, while still in the Illinois State Senate, he shared an office suite with Ira Silverstein, an Orthodox Jew. Obama peppered Silverstein with questions about Orthodox restrictions on daily life: the kosher laws and the sanctions against certain kinds of behavior on the Sabbath. “On the Sabbath, if I ever needed anything, Barack would always offer,” remembers Silverstein. “Some of the doors are electric, so he would offer to open them … I didn’t expect that.”
If only Heeb had known. Maybe Obama could have penned these confessions last fall. I know he’s trying to smooth things over with all his Jewish friends.
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Anyone who is identifiably Jewish gets these questions all the time, but to understand Judaism by chatting about practices and rituals is the tail wagging the dog. Ira Silverstein appears to be a genial fellow who answered Obamas specific questions, but Obama does not appear to have the big picture.
Ben Plonie appears to be informed and genial, but lacks the big picture.
I’m brand-spanking new here, but I like Barack Obama. He may not have the big picture, but at least he asks questions. I really believe he’s intelligent enough to realize he can’t understand Judaism by a few questions, and a little chatting. But I think he is a brilliant man, and will make a great president.
(Thanks for the ‘genial’, Web)
Oh, nobody doesn’t like B.O. Or let’s make that BHO. Even Hilary had to address the ‘likability’ issue.
Nobody is suggesting that understanding Judaism is a criterion for choosing a President (food for thought ...) I got more of a feeling for the level of understanding Obama has from his attempt to get down with the homes by referring to the obnoxious Philip Roth. Probably the best his antisemitic campaign advisors could come with that day.
In order to make the Obama campaign relevant, you use the heading “Shabbos Goy” regarding the relationship between Ira Silverstein and the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee. It is time to stop the use of such language that excludes and offends. With the growing number of those from different religious backgrounds now part of the Jewish community, the term “goy” needs to be excluded from our vocabulary. No more need be said.
A lot more need be said, Reb. Considering that your proposal is impossible, can never be implemented, and is wrong-headed to begin with.
The word ‘goy’ is a legitimate Biblical Hebrew word meaning nation, that is never going away. It is applied many times to Israel itself, and to non-Jewish nations. If the word did not exist it would have to be invented anyway to convey what the Torah saeeks to convey in that topic.
And for the ‘big picture’, there are many who tell us that the idea of Jewish nationhood is offensive. Others say that the Jewish relationship to God, the Jewish view of Torah as overarching, the Jewish homeland in Israel/Palestine/Canaan, Jewish exclusivity, elitism, particularism are all sources of resentment from the ‘goyim’. Shall we exclude all of those from our vocabulary as well? Is anyone else excluding thngs the Jews find offensive from their vocabularies? Of course not.