At a NYC Temple Proud of Its Traditions, a New Rabbi With ‘Alternative’ Ideas

THE NEW YORK TIMES 
By Sharon Otterman

Rabbi Joshua M. Davidson, 45, is the newly installed senior rabbi of Temple Emanu-El in Manhattan. The rabbi has already broken with some of the temple’s customs.

NEW YORK---Rabbi Joshua M. Davidson, the new senior rabbi of Temple Emanu-El in Manhattan. Temple Emanu-El is a place that prides itself on tradition. It still uses a version of the original Reform prayer book, and dresses its clergy in robes. It conceals its choir above the congregation, near the organ console at its enormous Fifth Avenue sanctuary, so that prayers seem to float from the heavens. But Rabbi Davidson has already begun making his mark. He broke with an older Reform tradition of not wearing a Jewish skullcap and prayer shawl, by wearing them when he began to lead services this summer — resulting in an audible gasp from the congregation. But he also wore his robes, in a sign that custom and change could go hand in hand. [link]

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Where St. Nicholas Has His Black Pete(s), Charges of Racism Follow

THE NEW YORK TIMES
By John Tagliabue

St. Nicholas in Amsterdam on Sunday with his Black Petes, whom critics denounce as racist caricatures. 

AMSTERDAM---St. Nicholas entered Amsterdam twice this weekend. On Sunday morning, astride a tall white horse and clad in the red-and-gold cloak and miter of a bishop, to the cheers of tens of thousands of children and their parents, he paraded into the center of town accompanied by his faithful servant, Black Peter. Another St. Nicholas arrived on Saturday afternoon. He sat quietly on a makeshift stage in a tiny square near the Stock Exchange, dreadlocks flowing from under his gold-and-red miter, but without Black Pete. For if Black Peter is a white Netherlander in blackface, this St. Nicholas was a member of the country’s small black minority, and he was presiding at a demonstration by several hundred people, black and white, denouncing Black Pete as racist. [link]

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Sierra College Students Photograph Sikh Parade

SACRAMENTO BEE

CALIFORNIA---The lead banner and flag bearers begin their six mile parade route during the 34th annual Sikh Parade in Yuba City. [link]

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A Marriage Made in Art Heaven

THE NEW YORK TIMES

NEW YORK---Emma Butterfield Presler and Steven Yong Lee were married Saturday at Grace Church in New York, where they met. The Rev. J. Donald Waring, an Episcopal priest and the rector of the church, performed the ceremony. The bride, is the manager of the department of architecture and design at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. The groom, is the site director of the New York branch of National Justice for Our Neighbors, a ministry of the United Methodist Church that provides programs for immigrants. He is also studying for a Master of Divinity at the General Theological Seminary in New York. [link]

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Celebrating "Dia de los Muertos" (Day of the Dead) in America

STORYTELLER | EITELJORG MUSEUM
By Linda Montag-Olson

Catrinas, one of the most popular figures of the
Day of the Dead celebrations at Mexico. Image courtesy of Wikipedia

INDIANA---On Saturday, Oct. 26, join us for the annual Day of the Dead celebration at the Eiteljorg. In Mexican-Christian culture, skulls, skeletons and marigolds are important elements of ofrendas (altars) created to honor and celebrate the lives of family, friends and ancestors who have passed on. Fresh foods, candles, photographs and personal items are also placed on the public and private ofrendas, to welcome the spirits' return for a brief restful visit on Nov. 2. This is the essence of Dia de los Muertos, a traditional Mexican holiday, with roots in Aztec culture and Catholic traditions.

Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art: "Dia de los Muertos" (Day of the Dead)"; Saturday, Oct. 26, 11-4pm; White River State Park, 500 W. Washington St., Indianapolis, IN; (317)636-WEST; eiteljorg.org

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Asian Pavilion at Dutch Nat'l Museum Opens With Buddhist Ritual

GLOBAL POST

NETHERLANDS---The Rijksmuseum, the National Museum of the Netherlands, held an inauguration ceremony for its Asian Pavilion on Sunday with 11 priests from a famous Japanese temple carrying out a Buddhist ritual for the two 14th-century wooden statues from Japan to be displayed as the centerpiece of the pavilion. "It is the first time in history for priests from the temple to carry out the ceremony of inauguration overseas," Menno Fitski, curator of the Asian Art department, told the audience at the ceremony held for the official opening of the pavilion at the Amsterdam Rijksmuseum. [link]

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Onam Pageantry Gains Popularity in Capital City of Thiruvananthapuram

THE HINDU

A display signifying the conferring of Classical Language status on Malayalam at the Onam pageantry in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday. Photo: S. Mahinsha

INDIA--- Public patronage for the Onam pageantry is showing a steady rise with new art forms being included in the procession every year, Additional Director of Tourism M.S. Venugopal has said. The pageantry had, over the years, evolved as one of the most prestigious and awaited events, Mr. Venugopal, who is also the joint convenor of the pageantry committee, said. There was an overwhelming interest among artistes to be part of the cultural procession despite the fact that they were paid only a meagre amount, he said. [link]

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Jewish Holyday: The End and the Beginning

HOUSTON CHRONICLE | BLOG
By Lee Wunsch

This Thursday evening, Jews around the world will begin the final observance of the Jewish High Holiday season. Thursday night, we will observe Simchat Torah – a joyful celebration when we conclude the annual cycle of the reading of the Torah (the Five Books of Moses) and begin the cycle again. During this festive occasion, all of the Torah scrolls are brought out of the Holy Ark and paraded up and down the aisles of the synagogue sanctuary so that all present can rejoice in the completion of the annual cycle of reading Torah. Unlike most churches where portions of the Bible are read according to some theme, teaching or pastor’s sermon, Jews read the Torah from the start of Genesis to the last chapter of Deuteronomy. In this manner, we are literally wrapping ourselves in the Torah from the beginning to the end to the beginning, yet again. [link]

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