Dear Rabbi I have recently become a member of our Shul executive. At a recent meeting the topic under discussion was about whether to allow a particular form of advertising to take place on the Shul grounds, as a way to raise some much needed funds. I personally felt very strongly against the idea for a number of reasons which I brought up at the meeting. Nevertheless, when it came to the vote, I was out voted and the motion was passed to allow it to take place. I know for a fact that once the advertising takes place, some people will object and ask who it was that allowed it. Am I allowed to tell such people that I personally agree with them and was very against the idea too, just that I was out voted, or would doing so fall into the category discussed at the end of the Mishna in Sanhedrin 29a, of being a Ho’lech Ro’chil Me’galeh So’ed, and as a result will I be forbidden from making my own opinion know? Many thanks, Leonard

We are learning about ethics in one of my anthropology classes. My professor wanted us to ask the opinion of a Rabbi because of your educational training on ethics. Here is the dilemma: For his own aesthetic purposes, Marcus Randolph had collected Pueblo Indian arts and crafts for many years before becoming an anthropologist. Randolph's fieldwork sites for ten years were located in Latin America. However, as a result of personal contacts, he was asked to conduct a brief ethnohistorical study in one of the Rio Grande pueblos. As his study progressed, he learned that an important item had been missing for about 20 years from the collection of paraphernalia used by one of the religious leaders in the community. According to this individual, ceremonies had never been complete since the item had disappeared. Crop failures and other community problems were partially attributed to this loss. After obtaining a full description from the religious leader and checking this against information about the item with colleagues in local museums and universities, Randolph realized that there was a good chance that the item in question was at least similar to, if not identical to, one he had purchased 15 years previously from a trading post. Randolph's Dilemma: Should he offer the item in his possession to the religious leader? Should he even show the item to the religious leader? Or, should he simply make a note regarding the missing religious piece and not disclose his personal possession to anyone in the community? I say he should return it immediately, my professor says Randolph should mind his own business, don't make trouble. What do you think? Thank you for your imput.

can a jewish woman get an abortion? why do men go to the mikvah? why do men go in the mikvah together? dont they care that people are looking at them together? how come woman dont do that? i think my friend is gay and she keeps doing inapropriate things to me. if she does it to me, do i get an aveira?

We are thinking of moving to a new town that is much more orthodox that Woodbridge (Lakewood), and a major sticking point is our pets, namely our dog. Simply put, is she muktzeh. Some say not for us, only for others; some just say yes. Do I look for a new home for her, or us?

IS there any problem with having your bris performed by your father? If he isn't a mohel? What are the requirments for a bris to be kosher?