After watching endless coverage of the outrageous and completely unnecessary riot in Charlottesville, VA, I thought that incident was at the top of the anti-Semitic outrage list for the week.

Imagine my surprise when this insanity popped up in my Twitter feed:

Ruth Thomann, who is the manager of the Aparthaus Paradies hotel in Switzerland, not only wrote it, but was willing to put her name on it! According to this article, she claims that the sign was posted after “two Jewish girls had gone into the swimming pool without taking a shower.”

Such a comment is so offensive, on so many levels, because it implies that Jews are inherently dirty by nature, that they are physically dirty due to bad hygiene, and that Gentiles are neither. (Obviously, all of the above is completely untrue and any rational mind knows that!)

This hotel had a reputation for accommodating Kashrut and rules about Shabbat, making it popular with Orthodox Jewish visitors, which is even more bewildering.

Such incidents prove that anti-Semitism is thriving in Europe, just as it has for centuries. The big difference now is that such evil acts can go viral through the internet, raising awareness and penalizing those who do wrong.

Personally, I would not stay at this hotel if they paid me and I sincerely encourage others to avoid it like the plague it is until they offer a formal apology and fire the manager. Two-faced folks that are willing to take Jewish money with one hand and slap us across the face with the other hand can not be tolerated!

Is the cost of participating in Jewish communal life too expensive? This article, written by a mother in California, claims it definitely is—so expensive that she can’t afford to Bar Mitzvah her son.

The author, who is a freelance writer, and her husband, who works in retail, don’t make enough to belong to a traditional temple, pay for High Holiday tickets, or Religious School. Even affording a Hebrew tutor, which can cost over $100 hourly, is beyond their reach.

Or, I should say, beyond what they wish to spend, since she freely admits to finding room in the budget for baseball and sleepaway camp…

From my point of view, there are two issues here: cost and value. It is 100% accurate that some families absolutely can not pay, even if they want to. Most, however, feel it’s not worth paying the money (sad but true).

For folks that want to participate and can’t just write a check, there have always been reduced dues and scholarships available. Unfortunately, those discounts tend to be extremely limited and the application process is so invasive, many opt-out altogether.

For folks that have the cash, but choose not to affiliate, that’s because they no longer feel a need to (if they ever did to begin with). Let’s be honest: the majority of Jews don’t want to attend weekly worship, no longer have strong ties to a particular area, and may not know anyone in their current community. Others may object strongly to the “Pay to Pray” system that persists.

Because most temples are very hesitant to break away from the old way of doing things and aren’t good at outreach to begin with, it’s little wonder that the Unaffiliated rates continue to grow every single year.

Unless individual temples get serious about implementing big changes like eliminating dues and reducing salaries, their membership will continue to stagnant and eventually disappear as the older folks die off. There are not enough young people to replace them, let alone enough youngsters that are actually interested.

So, what then, is the solution? There’s no quick fix, that’s for sure, and each family must do what’s right for them. Folks can try to find a cheaper temple, can look into online schools, can always participate for free at Chabad, or just do their own thing at home.

The Jewish experience is definitely enhanced by the communal aspect. But even if someone has to practice their faith entirely alone, it can still be done. No Jewish child should have to miss out on a Bar or Bat Mitzvah because of a lack of funds. Parents who agree will always find a way, even if it’s self-led in their own living room.

Is paying for a temple membership important to you?

Most Jews, myself included, consider a Bris to be an exceptionally joyous occasion, that is beloved by everyone. It is so standard, so normal, that it’s never been in dispute. At least I didn’t think so, until I read an alarmist (contrived and biased?) article from the New York Times that ponders “When Jewish Parents Chose Not to Circumcise.”

Naturally, such a pronouncement would—and has—caused quite a bit of controversy.

Stated reasons why parents take issue with the procedure reads like a laundry list of assorted nonsense: fear of causing pain or “mutilation,” considering it an outmoded custom, and claiming it’s sexist against daughters. The main reason, however, appears to be a strong objection from a non-Jewish spouse.

Based on the title alone, one is led to believe that this issue is being debated within the Jewish community at large. I know, from my own personal experience, that it’s absolutely not. Just to be clear: I have never heard of a single case involving two parents who were both raised Jewish refusing to circumcise their son. (Maybe they’re out there, but it is so far from the norm, it’s barely worth considering.)

Most people, regardless of their religion, consider circumcision to be positive, healthy, and much more aesthetic. Certainly, there are cultural differences, but if given the choice, I think most grown men would not choose to undo it.

It’s interesting to note that the folks interviewed for the article were a single mother and interfaith couples. One of them, a Jewish man, is quoted as saying that the fight over circumcision with his non-Jewish wife was “the hardest thing we’ve ever had to deal with,” and they ended up forgoing it because she was so against it. (It’s quite obvious that had the wife been Jewish, they would have kept the tradition.) He goes on to say: “I didn’t want it to end our marriage and tear apart our family.”

The sad fact is that the odds of such marriages lasting are slim to none, because the husband and wife are so completely opposite. Without a common belief system to the guide the family, it is nearly impossible to thrive. I don’t say any of this because I’m against interfaith couples. I say it because every stat for the past 30 years has proven that when Jews intermarry, the children are rarely raised Jewish and that cycle perpetuates with the grandchildren.

If someone chooses to intermarry—and everyone deserves that choice–they need to go into it with their eyes open. It’s highly unlikely that a non-Jewish spouse will want to raise a child according to Jewish tradition. It may start with a fight over the Bris, which inevitably will lead to a fight over a Baptism, and a Christmas tree, and an Easter Bunny, and so on.

There are certain issues which are so important, no compromise can exist. If a Jewish parent believes circumcision is right because it is the physical manifestation of the Covenant, that argument will not sway someone who doesn’t believe it to begin with.

So, I guess the article should’ve been titled “When Interfaith Couples Choose not to Circumcise.” Of course, that would take a lot of steam out of the hysteria and defeat the purpose…

Throughout history, there have always been Jews that rejected Judaism. (That’s fine; we’re not keeping anyone by force and if they’re unhappy, we have to let them go.) Those of us in the mainstream will continue to circumcise, until the end of time, not because we have to, but because we want to! Because we know, deep in our hearts, without any doubt, that it’s right, it’s good, and it’s the best possible option for every Jewish male.

Readers are welcome to chime in with their opinions.