Between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv

Follow up on Netvision Fiasco

2012-01-09T12:34:00.001+02:00

I said that if I would post any follow up from Netvision.

This morning I got a call from Tami at Netvision who had read my last post and was keen to try to make amends.

She again repeated that I must have agreed to the Internet plan when they called, she said that they would not have given me an Internet account unless they provided me with a user name and password.

I repeated that I definitely did not agree to open an Internet account and I am certain that I never received a user name or password. Again I asked for a copy of the original conversation, and again she said that they could not provide it without a court order.

She did however agree to a full refund and she said that she would personally review the original call to verify what happened.

She said that the refund will take up to 30 days – Bli neder I’ll leave a comment to this post if/when it arrives.

So it seems that the only way to get any service from Netvision is to write about it on the Internet. With that in mind, if anyone else has a story that they would like posted on this blog, please leave a comment and I’ll get back to you.

013 Netvision – Customer Service at its worst

2012-01-08T13:51:00.004+02:00

If any readers are considering 013 Netvision as an Internet Service Provider or long distance phone carrier – don’t.

If you already have an account with 013 Netvision, you should carefully check your monthly statements to make sure that there are no additional charges for services that you did not agree to.

If you want details of what really bad customer service looks like, take a look at the following (sorry that this is such a long post). If anyone else has had an interesting customer service experience with 013 Netvision, whether good or bad, please leave a comment.

For the past several years, we have used 013 Netvision for long distance phone calls. About 3 months ago, a representative of 013 Netvision called to offer us their Internet service. She offered a similar service to what I’m getting for a better price and the first moth free.

Because I never agree to any deals over the phone without first seeing the details in writing, I asked her to email me further information, including specific technical details that she was unable to provide me on the phone. They never sent a follow-up email, and because I am very happy with my current ISP and had no interest in changing, I never followed up with them.

To my surprise, when I opened my 013 bill last month, I was astonished to see that they were charging me for the Internet Service, in spite of the fact that I never agreed to it and never used it – nor did I ever get the technical details how to connect to them, so I could not have used it even if I had wanted to.

Assuming that this was a simple misunderstanding, I called their client services number to explain what had happened and to get a refund.

After more than half an hour on hold, the agent I spoke to transferred my to Omaima, a manager in the Client Services department. She pulled up my information, and said that according to their records I agreed to the deal. She then had the Chutzpah to try to sell me the deal instead of cancelling it. I explained several times that I was not interest in their Internet Service, I just wanted my money back and for them to cancel the account.

After a long conversation, Omaima agreed to get someone to review a recording of the original sales call, and if I had not agreed to the deal, she would refund the money and cancel the service. She said that she would call me back later that day or the next business day to confirm that the issue had been resolved.

When she didn’t get back to me the following business day, I again called, was put on hold for almost an hour and left a message with Bracha who said that someone would get back to me (which they didn’t).

The following day, after almost an hour on hold, I spoke to Rinat who said that the case was being reviewed and someone would get back to me later that day or the following day (which they didn’t)

2 days later again I spent an hour on hold. This time I spoke to Irene (who was the only representative I spoke to who even sounded sympathetic), who said that she would investigate the case and get back to me later in the same day (which she didn’t).

Irene did transfer me to a senior representative, Yasmin, who said the same thing – that the case was being reviewed and she would get back to me the same day (which she didn’t).

This morning, I spent almost 2 hours on the phone with them. I spoke to a manger called Adi who outright lied to me claiming that I must have given a credit card number to the sales representative, which I am 100% certain did not happen. When I asked for a recording or transcript of the verbal contract she said that there was no way for them to send me a copy without a court order.

She also had the chutzpah to again try to sell me their Internet plan service based on their terrific client services (I kid you not!).

She said that there was no way for them to refund the money, I asked if they could compensate me in a different way, for example credit in long distance phone calls. She said that she would get someone from the phone service department to call us back, which (surprise surprise) they did – to offer us almost the same phone deal that is advertised on the radio (great compensation).

So bottom line, we are looking for a new long-distance provider.

I have sent a copy of this post to 013 Netvision’s Customer Service department. If I get a response, I will post it as a follow-up message.

If anyone else has any 013 Customer Services experiences, please leave a comment.

The Dateline and Halacha

2011-12-30T12:42:00.002+02:00

One of the most famous Halachic questions to come out of New Zealand (and Japan) is the question of where the Halachic dateline is.

Briefly the question is where the dateline should be. The International Dateline marked on maps is loosely based on 180 degrees from Greenwich. Given that Halacha doesn’t (necessarily) recognize Greenwich as the center of the Earth, there doesn’t seem to be reason for Halacha to accept the arbitrary dateline in common usage today.

There are various Halachic opinions as to where the halachic dateline should be, most famously the Chazon Ish who moves the dateline West of its current location, making Shabbat on Sunday in New Zealand and Japan. Rav Tucazinsky moves the dateline East, which would make Shabbat on a Friday in Hawaii. (For further background to the issue, see this article by the Star K.)

A lot of people have trouble understanding the question, because they think of the dateline as something that is fixed and universally accepted. How can there be a question whether a day is Friday or Saturday. To put the question in perspective, you should realize that historically there have been many changes to the dateline, and in fact there will be another adjustment this week.

The South Pacific Islands of Samoa and Tokelau have decided that they should be on the Western Side of the Dateline to make their time zone more similar to their closest neighbours and major trading partners, New Zealand and Australia.

This means that on these Islands, Thursday December 29 was followed by Saturday December 31.

As far as I am aware, there are no Jewish Communities on these Islands, but the Jewish Virtual Library estimates 100 Jews in Oceania outside New Zealand and Australia. If any of these Jews are in Samoa or Tokelau, they would be faced with an enormous Halachic issue.

Assuming that until now any Jews in Samoa followed the opinion of the Tucazinsky, and kept Shabbat on Saturday, seven days after last Shabbat will be Sunday January 1st, which according to Tucazinsky should be Shabbat.

It would be difficult to justify keeping Shabbat on Saturday one week, and then keeping the following Saturday which is only six days later, based on an arbitrary decision of the government to modify their time zone.

If anyone has a Halachic solution for the Jews of Samoa and Tokelau, feel free to leave a comment.

OK - Here's my favourite Christmas Song

2011-12-12T09:10:00.000+02:00

Simply Jews just asked "What Is Your Favourite Christmas Song?" and responded with a really funny "They ain't making Jews like Jesus any more" (click on the link above, you won't regret it).

However, I prefer a more traditional Christmas Song, like Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer - in the Moma Loshon (Yiddish):

Shana Tova to all

2011-09-27T20:58:00.002+03:00

Shana Tova to all my readers,

May the comming year be a year of health, happiness, Yirat Shamayim, and Peace for all klal Yisrael and the entire world.

See ya'll in 5772

Ethics Question of the Day

2011-09-25T16:20:00.002+03:00

The following question was posted today in the Ethics Column of the New York Times:

My husband and son took a New York-to-Milwaukee flight that was supposed to leave Friday at 11:29 a.m. The flight boarded after 4 and didn’t leave the gate until 4:40, and a half-hour later the pilot announced it would be another hour until takeoff. At that point a devout Jewish family, worried about violating the Sabbath, asked to get off. Going back to the gate cost the plane its place in line for takeoff, and the flight was eventually canceled. Was the airline right to grant that request? M. W.,NORWALK, CONN.

Before looking at the response from the NY Time’s resident Ethicist, consider some of the following points:

Is it reasonable for an Orthodox Jew to book a ticket on a short flight leaving late Friday morning in the Summer (the flight took place in August).
If there is a 4 hour delay before boarding, is it reasonable for a passenger to refuse to board and demand that their luggage be removed from the plane, which could would cause further delays to other passengers.
If you end up on a plane close to Shabbat, is it reasonable to ask the crew if you can get off. If so, If the crew is unable to accommodate your request, how much of a “fuss should you make?
What are the Halachic implications of being stuck on a plane when Shabbat comes in? Could you deplane? If there is a hotel in the airport terminal, or within walking distance, could you check into it? What about issues of Tchum Shabbat, could you leave the terminal on Shabbat?

Now, go and take a look at the answer in the NY Times, take a look at the comments, and draw your own conclusions.

Taranto Does it Again

2011-09-23T14:11:00.001+03:00

One of my favourite columnists is James Taranto who writes the conservative-leaning humorous “Best of the Web Today”, published by the Wall Street Journal.

Below is his take on the Palestinian Statehood bid, I couldn’t have said it better.

----

You Do Have to Live Like a Refugee
How seriously should one take the Palestinian Authority's request for the U.N. to grant statehood without peace with Israel? Not very, we'd say, especially after reading this piece in the Daily Star of Beirut, Lebanon:

Palestinian refugees will not become citizens of a new Palestinian state, according to Palestine's ambassador to Lebanon.

From behind a desk topped by a miniature model of Palestine's hoped-for blue United Nations chair, Ambassador Abdullah Abdullah spoke to The Daily Star Wednesday about Palestine's upcoming bid for U.N. statehood.

The ambassador unequivocally says that Palestinian refugees would not become citizens of the sought for U.N.-recognized Palestinian state, an issue that has been much discussed. "They are Palestinians, that's their identity," he says. "But . . . they are not automatically citizens."

This would not only apply to refugees in countries such as Lebanon, Egypt, Syria and Jordan or the other 132 countries where Abdullah says Palestinians reside. Abdullah said that "even Palestinian refugees who are living in [refugee camps] inside the [Palestinian] state, they are still refugees. They will not be considered citizens."

In other words, the statehood drive is a fraud. Its purpose is not to resolve the conflict but to keep it alive. Why does America continue giving money to these hucksters?

Do You Support Peace in the Middle East.

2011-09-22T19:24:00.001+03:00

A few weeks after I wrote to the New Zealand Minister of Foreign affairs about the Durban III conference, New Zealand decided to boycott the conference.

In the coming days it looks like the Palestinians are going to go ahead with the bid for statehood at the UN. A while ago I blogged about my thoughts on a Palestinian State. My opinion hasn’t changed, although if i get a chance I may follow up with additional thoughts.

In the mean time, here is a letter that I just sent to the New Zealand Minister of Foreign affairs:

To: murray.mccully@parliament.govt.nz
CC: nzmissionny@earthlink.net
Subject: Palestinian Statehood Bid

Hon Murray McCully

Minister of Foreign Affairs

Dear Minister,

As the minister is aware, the Palestinian Authority has threatened to renege on its obligations under the Oslo Accords and attempt to bypass peace negotiations with Israel by asking the United Nations General assembly to recognize an independent Palestinian State.

A growing number of Western Democracies including Australia, Canada, and the United States have publically opposed this move in the firm belief that the only way to achieve peace between Israel and the Palestinians is through direct negotiations, not unilateral actions.

Recent history has shown us that when one side takes unilateral actions or refuses to negotiate, the result has been an increase in violence. This was the case in 2001 when Yasser Arafat cut off negotiations with Israeli Prime Minister Barak which was followed by a violent wave of terrorism that lasted years and costs thousands of lives. Similarly, when Israel unilaterally withdrew from the Gaza Strip without a negotiated agreement, the result was an influx of thousands of missiles fired at Israeli towns bordering the Gaza Strip.

As a New Zealander currently living in Israel, I sincerely hope that New Zealand will join Australia and other democracies and take a stand for negotiated peace and oppose the resolution on Palestinian statehood at the United Nations.

We all dream and pray for the day when Israelis and Palestinians can live side-by-side in peace, however if the Western Democracies are unable to stand up against one-sided actions that jeopardize any chance of negotiations, I fear that the dream of Palestinians and Israelis living peacefully together will remain a distant dream.

Yours sincerely,

Michael Sedley
Modi’in, Israel

Parshat Ki Tavo - Who Knows Eleven

2011-09-16T09:34:00.001+03:00

The weeks Parsha, Ki Tavo includes the ceremony of Blessing and Curses that took place on Har Eival and Har Grazim. Six tribes went up Har Grizim (the Mountain of blessings), the other six went up Har Eival (the Mountain of curses) and parts of the tribe of levy stood in the middle reciting blessings in one direction and curses in the other and after each blessing or curse the nation replied Amen (one of the few uses of the word “Amen” in the Torah)

The list of curses seems to be a strange collection of prohibitions, not to create an idol, not to move a property marker, not to curse your parents, various sexual sins,

Many Rishonim point out that the connection between these prohibitions is that they are all done in private, hidden (בסתר).

Kli Yakar points out that the language of the blessings is active but the curses are written in the passive voice:

11. And Moses commanded the people on that day, saying,		יא. וַיְצַו מֹשֶׁה אֶת הָעָם בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא לֵאמֹר:
12. When you cross the Jordan, the following shall stand upon Mount Gerizim to bless the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin.		יב. אֵלֶּה יַעַמְדוּ לְבָרֵךְ אֶת הָעָם עַל הַר גְּרִזִים בְּעָבְרְכֶם אֶת הַיַּרְדֵּן שִׁמְעוֹן וְלֵוִי וִיהוּדָה וְיִשָּׂשכָר וְיוֹסֵף וּבִנְיָמִן:
13. And the following shall stand upon Mount Ebal for the curse: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naftali.		יג. וְאֵלֶּה יַעַמְדוּ עַל הַקְּלָלָה בְּהַר עֵיבָל רְאוּבֵן גָּד וְאָשֵׁר וּזְבוּלֻן דָּן וְנַפְתָּלִי:

Kli Yakar says that this passiveness gives the impression that G-d isn’t there; that these curses happen by themselves. When we commit sins in private, HaShem hides himself, a state known has הסתר פנים it is this hiddenness of G-d’s Presence that gives the appearance of curses or evil in the world.

The Kli Yakar also notes that there are 11 curses (other meforshim count 12, but the Kli Yakar doesn’t count the last general statement).

Eleven is an unusual number in Judaism. Twelve we know represents the complete nation, the 12 tribes.

Thirteen can represent the Attributes of G-d or the 12 tribes with the addition of Levy. This is actually 2 manifestations of the same idea; when we add Levy to the nation, Levy who “escorted” (מלווה) the mishkan or the Divine Presence (physically in the Dessert, or spiritually in later generations when Levy served as teachers), we bring G-d’s Attributes into the nation; we become as one with G-d.

If Thirteen equals the 12 tribes plus the Divine Presence, it makes sense that Eleven is the Twelve tribes, without the Divine Presence. When we commit sins in secret, we are in fact banishing the Divine spark that exists amongst us.

11 are also the stars in Joseph’s dream. It was this dream that lead to the hatred of the brothers against Joseph, which lead to the attempt to kill Joseph and our eventual descent into exile.

I.e., Eleven is not only the exclusion of the Divine Spark through sins in private, it also leads to Sinat Chinam and Exile.

As Rosh Hashana approaches, may we all manage to perfect our actions so that we act the same in private as we do in public, and thus restore the Divine Presence amongst us and bring an end to this Sinat Chinam and bring the Redemption.

Words to Live By

2011-09-14T18:19:00.001+03:00

Saw this image in an email today, I’m reposting here with no additional comment (other than to say the Princess Bride was possibly the best movie ever made)

People who live in glass houses

2011-09-05T14:46:00.001+03:00

As I from time-to-time need to remind my kids, you should never throw stones. it is dangerous and can even be potential lethal.

Sometimes the “first” intifada is described as “non-violent” as it consisted largely of stone throwing (or stone shooting from a slingshot). Far from being non-violent, this type of attack can cause death or injury, especially if you fire the stone at a car which could cause the driver to loose control of the vehicle.

Well if you’re wondering what the correct response is to assault with a potentially deadly rock, take a look at the following article from the Associate Press.

Boy Throwing Rocks Hit By Crossbow

Associated Press

SAN DIEGO -- San Diego police say a 16-year-old boy throwing rocks at a sport utility vehicle was struck by a crossbow arrow fired by a passenger.

Police say the shirtless boy and a friend were throwing rocks at a black Toyota RAV4 in the Linda Vista neighborhood Monday afternoon when a passenger fired a crossbow out the window.

The boy was shot in the right side and was taken to a hospital. The San Diego Union-Tribune says his injuries are not life-threatening.

His name wasn't released.

Nobody has been arrested.

Anyone know where you can by a decent crossbow in Israel?

Have you contacted you MP yet

2011-09-04T08:59:00.001+03:00

If there are any readers out there who are citizens of countries that are still planning to attend the “Durban III” hate-fest at the UN on September 22, I would strongly recommend that you write to your MP or Foreign Minister and question why your government is attending.

Below is the letter that I just sent to the New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs. Bli Neder, if I receive a response I’ll post it on this blog.

Countries that have pulled out so far include the Czech Republic, Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, Australia, Austria, Israel, Canada, and the United States.

If you are a citizen of a country not in the above list, NOW is the time to write to your government.

To: murray.mccully@parliament.govt.nz
Subject: Durban III Conference

Hon Murray McCully
Minister of Foreign Affairs

Dear Minister,

As a New Zealand citizen currently living in Israel, I find it distressing that New Zealand is still part of a shrinking number of Western Democracies that are attending the “Durban III” conference at the United Nations later this month.

As the minister is no doubt aware, the original Durban conference that took place a few days before the September 11 terrorist attacks, was slated to be a conference against Racism and intolerance, but in fact turned out to be an openly anti-Semitic and anti-Israel hate-fest.

That a respected body like the United Nations could allow such a conference to take place shows that anti-Semitism is still an acceptable form of racism in many parts of the world.

That New Zealand has not yet publically distanced itself from the conference is an embarrassment to all New Zealanders who believe in equality and civil rights for all.

I sincerely hope that the New Zealand government will follow the lead of Australia, Canada, the United States and many European nations, boycott the conference, and show the world that New Zealand does not regard anti-Semitism or anti-Zionism to be an acceptable practice.

Yours sincerely,

Michael Sedley

Modi’in,
Israel

Jerusalem, Palestina

2011-09-01T23:57:00.002+03:00

A few blogs (The Muqata and DovBear) have posts on the following wedding invitation which lists the location of the wedding as ירושלם תובב”א פלשתינא (Jerusalem, May it be built speedily, Palestine)

Needless to say, there has not been a “Jerusalem, Palestine” since the end of the British Mandate.

In addition to the location, there are a few strange things about this wedding invitation:

The time is 7:00 on a Friday afternoon with the time zone listed as “7.00 לשא”י” or “2:00 אירופית”
I have no idea what time that is supposed to mean, לשא”י probably stands for “לשעון ארץ ישראל” (Eretz Yisrael time), as opposed to “Zionist Daylight Saving time” It is quite common for people in Mea Sharim to not change their clocks for Daylight Saving time, so it most likely means 6:00 PM Israel time (IDT), but I have no idea what “2.00 European Time” would correspond to; 6 PM IDT is 3 PM GMT, but as far as I can tell, there is no place in Europe that would be 2 PM when it is 6 PM here in Israel.
Shabbat comes in this week in Jerusalem at 6:27, so if they do mean 6:00 PM Israel time, that is less than half an hour before Shabbat. If the wedding was 7:00 Israel time, that is a few minutes after Shkiya when it would be forbidden to get married under normal circumstances (I know that there is a Rama where he discusses a wedding that he performed after Shkiya on Erev Shabbat, but that was far from a normal circumstance)
The wedding is to be held in the home of the bride’s parents in Mea Sharim. Given the small size of homes in Mea Sharim, I assume that it will be a very small wedding.
An erev Shabbat wedding is not as strange as it seems, at one time it was very common to get married on Erev Shabbat, particularly in Jerusalem where people didn’t have money for lavish weddings. This way the 2 families could eat Sudat Shabbat together which would also be the Sudat Mitzva for the wedding.

However what is not mentioned on the invitation is the ages of the Chatan and Kala.

The Kala is the Granddaughter of Moshe Hirsch, the former leader of Neturei Karta (until his death last year), she was apparently 17 when she got engaged last year and is now 18 (or maybe even 19)

What is more worrying is the Chatan who was 15 last year when he got engaged. Below is a video from his Irusin (engagement). He looks like a scared Bar Mitzva kid with a Shtreimel, not a young man ready to take on the responsibilities of marriage.

Video hat tip: Gruting

The Mossad Strikes Again

2011-07-20T22:44:00.002+03:00

The New Zealand media (followed by other media outlets and Honest Reporting) is all abuzz about an alleged spy scandal that the Israeli who died in the Christchurch earthquake was a Mossad agent.

Having lived in New Zealand for the first 20 years of my life I can assure you that not much happens there, so a spy scandal makes for great entertainment.

According to the Southland Times (link has since been updates with confirmation that the story is false) that originally broke the story, the story is basically that (from the original article):

Three Israelis were among the 181 people who died when the earthquake destroyed most of Christchurch's central business district on February 22. One was found to be carrying at least five passports.

An unaccredited Israeli search and rescue squad was later confronted by armed New Zealand officers and removed from the sealed-off "red zone" of the central city.

The response of the Israeli government to the three deaths appears extraordinary. In the hours after the 6.3 quake struck:

Prime Minister John Key fielded the first of four calls that day from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Israel's Ambassador in the South Pacific, Shemi Tzur, who is based in Australia, booked flights to Christchurch, where he visited the morgue.

Israel's civil defence chief left Israel for Christchurch.

A complete Israeli urban search and rescue squad was assembled and flown to Christchurch, arriving about the same time as ...

Three people who had smashed their way out of a van crushed by a concrete pillar in the central city, leaving a fourth person dead in the vehicle, arrived back in Israel.

Soon after the article was printed, it was debunked by the DimPost, but in case you need it spelling out, there is nothing unusual or suspicions about this story. Nothing, zero, just people acting as you would expect (it must have been another slow news month in New Zealand, for about the 200th month in a row).

The Southland Times that originally broke the story got so many verifiable facts wrong it's surprising that the editors let it print, let alone on the front page. But in case the editors missed the non-news of this item, here are the facts:

Turns out that the Israeli was not carrying 5 passports, just one – it is however possible that the 4 people in the car had multiple passports between them – not particularly newsworthy.
The Israeli PM called the New Zealand PM because Israelis were hurt and Israel is often the first to offer assistance after a major disaster, just ask the PM of Haiti, Japan, Turkey, or any other country which as suffered a major natural disaster.
Shemi Tzur is not “Israel's Ambassador in the South Pacific … based in Australia”, he is Israel's Ambassador to New Zealand based in Wellington. I realize that Wellington is in the North Island, but I would have thought that the fine people of the Southland Times would have heard of it, after all it is their capital city. This is the most glaring error, because it is so obviously wrong and would have been easy to check.
The three people who smashed their way out of the vehicle left the country the next day were following directives of both the Israeli and New Zealand Governments who recommended that all travellers who are able to leave as quickly as possible.
I guess Israelis following government directives are by definition suspicious and were probably Mossad.
This Israeli Search and Rescue team were trying to help even though they didn’t have authorization from the NZ Government.
I guess Israelis going against government directives are by definition suspicious and were probably Mossad.

So basically the entire story was that an Israeli died in the earthquake, his travelling companions followed government directives and returned home to Israel, Bibi Netanyahu called the NZ Prime Minister to offer assistance, and an Israeli search and rescue team arrived without being asked.

Except for the fact that there was no illegal, suspicious, or even unusual activity there is every reason to believe that this was a good spy story.

Like I said, it’s been a slow news decade in New Zealand, almost like last decade.

No true Scotsman (or Yid) …

2011-07-20T12:47:00.001+03:00

I just saw one of the most disgusting responses to last week’s tragic murder in Boro Park.

This letter printed on The Yeshiva World, and other places, puts the blame for the murder on Klal Yisrael, in particular our “Goyisha type materialism”. Of course Pizza, Sushi, Large houses, and Tznius are the reasons that this little boy was murdered – not only that, but the “Bedika of Shechita is very lax”. No indication as to how much Pizza or sushi this little chassidic boy ate, how big his house was, or how often he did spot inspections of Shechita knives before purchasing meat.

To make the letter even worse, it claims to have been written by “a handicapped child” without even attempting to mimic the style of a child, let alone a handicapped child.

But what made me laugh was the following paragraph:

A true Yid would never kill a child as this man did, only if he is totally deranged. And even so, a real Yiddishah Neshomah could never be guilty of such cruelty; therefore he died Al Kiddush Hashem. The Goyishkeit in us is what killed him.

Without even trying, the author of the letter paraphrased the “No True Scotsman” Argument:

Imagine Hamish McDonald, a Scotsman, sitting down with his Glasgow Morning Herald and seeing an article about how the "Brighton Sex Maniac Strikes Again." Hamish is shocked and declares that "No Scotsman would do such a thing." The next day he sits down to read his Glasgow Morning Herald again and this time finds an article about an Aberdeen man whose brutal actions make the Brighton sex maniac seem almost gentlemanly. This fact shows that Hamish was wrong in his opinion but is he going to admit this? Not likely. This time he says, "No true Scotsman would do such a thing."

—Antony Flew, Thinking About Thinking

Wikipedia describes this type of argument as an intentional logical fallacy, an ad hoc attempt to retain an unreasoned assertion.

Hat Tip: Wolfish Musings

Herman Cain Said What About Islam?

2011-07-18T09:08:00.001+03:00

As Americans are getting ready for the 4-yearly power pageant (AKA Presidential Elections), the entire world gets an entertaining several months as Americans put on the ultimate reality show – primaries.

Even though I am not an American and don’t get a vote, I love following US politics and always have candidates that I’m rooting for, much like many Israelis root for various English soccer teams.

One of the GOP candidates who initially impressed me but may have just lost my support is Herman Cain. In the early debates he struck me as about the only rational speaker, however his approach to religious freedom seems to be seriously misguided with reports that he said that communities 'Have the Right' to Ban Mosques.

Cain was quotes as saying:

"Let's go back to the fundamental issue that the people are basically saying that they are objecting to, … They are objecting to the fact that Islam is both religion and (a) set of laws, Shariah law. That's the difference between any one of our other traditional religions where it's just about religious purposes.

I’m not sure what Cain defines as “traditional religions”, but I can think of at least one other established religion widely practiced in the US which defines itself as “both a religion and a set of laws”.

Hint – the religion is widely practiced in Israel, and the set of laws is not called Shariah, rather it’s Halacha.

The US is correctly concerned about Islamic extremism, but if a GOP candidate defines the all aspects of Islam unacceptable to the point that he feels that mosques could be banned anywhere, than as a religious Jew, I am very concerned about the direction the world’s uni-power is headed.

I hope that Cain issues a clarification. In the mean time, I’m headed back to the list of GOP candidates to see if there is anyone else worth rooting for.

Can we use computer analysis to prove that G-d Wrote the Torah?

2011-07-01T11:38:00.004+03:00

For many years various outreach organizations, most notably Aish Hatorah have used the “Torah Codes” to “prove” that the Torah must have been written by G-d.

Basically the argument was that using “highspeed computer analysis of the letters of the Torah” they found hidden messages that could not have been put there humanly which proves that the Torah was written by G-d who decided to hide secret messages in the Torah in this manner.

There are many flaws in this argument

Similar codes can be found in other text
The Torah we have is not letter-for-letter identical to older manuscripts. The Rama on Shulcah Aruch (Orach Chayim 143:4) says explicitly that an extra letter or missing letter does not invalidate a Torah Scroll, as our Torah Scrolls are not so accurate.
In spite of what Aish claims at Discovery seminars, the codes have been reviewed by statisticians, and rejected as a statistical anomaly which would prove that there is unique about the patterns of letters in the Torah.

However, the biggest problem with basing belief in the Divine Authorship of the Torah on computer generated statistical analysis is what would happen if there was computer-generated Statistical Analysis that indicates that the Torah was written by multiple authors?

Well, now we’ll find out. NPR has an article on recent statistical and linguistic analysis which indicates that “multiple hands wrote the Bible”.

Unlike the Torah Codes, this analysis has gone through a robust scientific process and was not written by people who had an agenda to prove or disprove anything about the Torah, in fact 3 of the 4 scientists that worked on the project are religious Jews that belive in the Divine Origin of the Torah. The analysis was developed to analyze historical and modern texts, not specifically to analyze the Torah.

I accept as a tenent of our Faith that HaShem revealed Himself on Sinai and gave to Moshe the Torah, however I don’t believe that we need to find secret codes to prove or disprove that article of faith.

I would be interested to see a response from Aish HaTorah or other outreach organizations that taught that you can base or strengthen faith based on computer-generated textual analysis.

Hat Tip: Modern Orthoprax and DovBear

Are you planning to go sailing to Gaza this Summer

2011-06-20T16:07:00.001+03:00

In case any of my readers are planning on joining the “Freedom Flotilla” to support the poor people of Gaza who only have a one small border with Egypt through which they can smuggle missiles to fire peacefully at the evil Zionist occupiers who go to kindergartens and schools in the Israeli towns near Gaza – well think again. I just received the following travel advisory from the new Zealand Government. And when the New Zealand Government issues a travel advisory, you know that things are serious….

Reviewed: 17 June 2011, 16:20 NZDT
Still current at: 21 June 2011

There is extreme risk to your security in the occupied Palestinian territory of Gaza and we advise against all travel due to the threat from kidnapping, acts of terrorism and retaliatory military operations. The security situation in Gaza remains dangerous and unpredictable despite the ceasefire that has been in place since January 2009 between Hamas and Israel. Israeli strikes on Gaza have occurred since the ceasefire. Tensions within Gaza also remain high. Foreign nationals, including a New Zealander, have been kidnapped in Gaza in the past.

We strongly advise against any attempt to enter Gaza by sea in breach of Israeli navy restrictions or participating in any attempt to break the naval blockade, including participation in flotillas to deliver aid. In May 2010, an attempt to breach the naval blockade along the coast of Gaza was intercepted by Israeli security forces and resulted in the injury, death, arrest and deportation of a number of foreign nationals.

New Zealanders who decide to travel to Gaza against our advice should ensure that appropriate personal security protection measures are in place at all times. We strongly recommend you consult a reputable security company (with experience in Gaza) for advice on security arrangements. Security arrangements should be reviewed on a regular basis. Such measures may mitigate the risks to your safety but cannot eliminate them entirely. As there is no New Zealand diplomatic presence in Gaza, the ability of the government to assist New Zealand citizens who get into trouble is severely limited.

….

Don’t say that you weren’t warned…

"It's a pity they can't both lose"

2011-06-02T08:56:00.001+03:00

Henry Kissinger, when asked about the Iran-Iraq war is quoted as saying “It's a pity they can't both lose". That about sums up my reaction when reading about demonstration against the “Westboro Baptist church” by none other than the Ku Klux Kan.

I never thought that I’d find myself on the same side of a debate as the KKK, but the Westboro Baptists are truly vile. They are well known for protesting military funerals with hate-filled messages such as “Pray for more dead soldiers” and “God hates your prayers”. These messages are designed to upset and provoke a reaction, and they normally succeed.

Not only are they against civilized debate, show zero respect, and re opposed to US values, they are also openly anti-Semitic. The text on the demonstrator’s TShirt says “JewsKilledJesus.com” (and no, I haven’t checked out the web site, and wouldn’t link to it).

If anti-Americanism is so closely linked to Anti-Semitism, it is no wonder that America can still be regarded as Israel’s closest friend, and the US people by-and-large support the Jewish State.

My thoughts on a Palestinian State

2011-05-24T21:15:00.001+03:00

One of the email lists that I’m active on is the New Zealand Jewish list.

Not surprisingly, after Obama’s speeches over the last few days, there has been discussion on the list about the pros and cons of a Palestinian State and “Defensible Borders”

On of the regulars on the list, who in the past has expressed opinions against a Jewish Sovereign State in a long message included the following comment:

I do not believe that there is an existential threat to Israel whether or not the Palestinians recognise Israel or not.

Below is my response:

I have no idea whether there is an “existential threat to Israel”, however if there is a Palestinian State under present circumstances, I think that it a near certainty that there would be missiles on or near my home within a short space of time (probably within a year, certainly within 5 years).

I live in Modi’in, which is regarded by much of the Palestinian leadership as “Occupied Territory” as, like Tel Aviv, it has been occupied by Israel since 1948. I cannot conceive of the possibility of a Palestinian State that would not necessitate me preparing my bomb shelter for use.

If the Palestinians were ready to live in peace alongside Israel, and accept the existence of a Jewish State next to their borders, and would be prepared to accept Jewish Residents in their state, it wouldn’t matter where the border was any more than the Americans and Canadians are bothered by the exact location of their border – people are free to cross the US-Canada border relatively easily and there is no risk of life crossing from Windsor to Detroit, or from Niagara NY to Niagara Ontario.

On the other hand, in the present circumstances when it is extremely dangerous for Jews to enter any areas under Palestinian control and Palestinians regularly fire missiles from their territory to Israeli towns and cities, I don’t think that there are any safe borders that would allow Israelis and Palestinians to co-exist.

What would it take for me to support a Palestinian State? A show of willingness to co-exist from the Palestinians; they need to say clearly in English and Arabic that they respect the right of Jews to live in Israel, and would be happy to accept and protect a Jewish minority in their state (The way that Israel accepts and protects an Arab minority within its borders).

They need to educate their children to live in peace and have their mosques and media preach co-existence, the way that co-existence is taught in Israeli schools.

They need to crack down on ALL attacks against Israel, and live up to their obligations to provide safe access for Jews to visit sites within Palestinian security control.

As soon as Jews can freely visit Joseph’s Tomb in Shchem, or the markets in Janin, or set up joint-ventures with firms in Ramallah, the way that Arabs can safely walk around in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, or Modi’in, then I would support the existence of a Palestinian State; in the meantime, I want to make sure that I don’t have to teach my children how to run to a bomb shelter within 15 seconds (would actually be less than 15 second warning if Modi’in came under attack).

Happy (Belated) Lag B’Omer

2011-05-24T15:09:00.001+03:00

I love a well written cartoon, and I think that the best cartoon is when you would not have anticipated the ending. There is a style of humour known as the “brick joke” where the ending shows up where you’d least expect it. (See for example the Garfield cartoon where he kicks Odie into next week)

Well full marks to Dry Bones – Last March he ran the following cartoon to make “Israel Apartheid Week”

Cartoon, was OK – but at the time I thought that he’s done much better in the past.

Until yesterday, with the following Lag B’Omer cartoon.

Sheer Brilliance.

The Orthoprax Jew on Yom Hashoah

2011-05-02T08:50:00.003+03:00

Over recent weeks, many blogs have been talking about the recent Ami article about a practicing Jew who keeps Torah and Mitzvot, yet doesn’t believe in HaShem.

It is impossible to know details about the story, to understand exactly what this person does or does not believe, and how it effects his performance of Mitzvot; however I found the story inspiring – that Torah and Mitzvot have meaning and purpose, even without belief.

But I wanted to share a different story about a different Jew who possibly could be defined as Orthoprax.

Three years ago I was privileged to visit Budapest with my father who was born there in 1934, and lived there until the age 13 in 1948.

We were walking back from shacharit down a wide street not far from the shul. The street was busy with street cars and traffic and had a large supermarket with large signs in the window advertising various kosher products. At the end of the street was a sign saying that this had once been the edge of the Jewish Ghetto; in 1945 the ghetto housed the remaining Jews of Budapest, including my father who shared a tiny room with his younger brother and grandfather – his parents had both been taken away

When we passed a small doorway my father stopped and told me that in 1945 he was walking down this street with his grandfather, when suddenly a plane appeared overhead, strafing the street with machine gun fire. My father and his grandfather managed to duck into the doorway and weren’t physically hurt but were very shaken.

In that small doorway, my great-grandfather looked at my father and said one phrase: “There is no G-d”. I’m not sure whether this caused my Great-grandfather to abandon belief, possibly he had already given up belief years earlier, or possibly he still believed in spite of everything.

In any case, it didn’t matter – the following morning my great grandfather woke up in the tiny room that he shared with his two grandsons, and did the same thing that he had done every morning since his Bar Mitzvah, he put on his Tfillin and prayed to the G-d in whose very existence he had questioned.

Song for Yom Hashoah

2011-05-01T21:21:00.002+03:00

In honour of Yom HaShoah tonight, here is Yaakov Shwekey’s “Shema”.

The song retells the legend of HaRav Yosef Shlomo Kahaneman. After the Churban in Europe, Rav Kahaneman travelled throughout Europe trying to find Jewish orphans and bring them to Eretz Yisrael.

Legend has it that Rav Kaheneman heard rumours that a Jewish child was hidden in a convent orphanage, however the people who ran the orphanage denied that there were any Jewish children there, and invited the Rabbi in to see for himself that none of the children were Jewish.

When confronted with a room full of orphans the Rabbi stood up and loudly cried out Shema Yisrael. Sure enough, a small child started crying “Mama! Tate!”. And so Rav Kaheneman was able to leave with the child he came looking for.

SHEMA

He raised his hand to wave goodbye
Saw the pain in mother's eyes
Who left her little precious boy of four
In a citadel of ashen stone
That preached a faith unlike his own
Perhaps he may just yet survive this war
In the shadows stood a man in black
My child he said, you must not look back
Yet one image lingered, the tears on her face
And mother's words from their last embrace

CHORUS:
Shema, Shema Yisrael
Know that there is but one G-d above
When you feel pain, when you rejoice
Know how He longs to hear your voice
Hashem Elokeinu, Hashem Echad

Deep within the iron gate
Far from the stench of war and hate
He knew not of a world gone insane
You must believe us, he was told
Our faith alone can save your soul
Please let us heal your wounds and ease your pain
He tried not to forget his past, his home
But he was so very young and all alone
While visions of his shtetl, so vivid and clear
Began to fade, and all but disappeared

CHORUS:
Shema, Shema Yisrael
Know that there is but one G-d above
When you fel pain, when you rejoice
Know how He longs to hear you voice
Hashem Elokeinu, Hashem Echad

The winds of war had finally passed
One man took on a sacred task
To bring the scattered Jewish children home
He travelled far, from place to place
A quest to reignite the faith
Of those sent into hiding long ago
He entered the fortress grey and cold
Your kind is not among us, he was told
Hashem above, he whispered, please don't let me fail
As he began to sing Shema Yisrael

CHORUS:
Shema, Shema Yisrael
Know that there is but one G-d above
When you feel pain, when you rejoice
Know how He longs to hear your voice
Hashem Elokeinu, Hashem Echad
Shema, Shema Yisrael
Know that there is but one G-d above
When you feel pain, when you rejoice
Know how He longs to hear your voice
Hashem Elokeinu, Hashem Echad

He Who Gives Salvation to Kings and Dominion Unto Princes

2011-04-28T17:43:00.002+03:00

Growing up in New Zealand, a central part of Shabbat Morning Services was the following Prayer for the Royal Family, recited in English throughout the British Commonwealth (although I never saw it in Canada). The wording is based on the prayer composed by Chief Rabbi Dr Hertz for the Royal Jubilee Service in 1935. Text in blue is said in New Zealand (and I assume other commonwealth nations).

He Who gives salvation to kings and dominion to princes,
Whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom – may he bless

OUR SOVERIGN LADY, QUEEN ELIZABETH

PHILLIP, DUKE OF EDINBOROUGH

CHARLES, PRINCE OF WALES

AND ALL THE ROYAL FAMILY

HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR GENERAL OF NEW ZEALAND

AND ALL WHO LEGISLATE FOR ITS BENIFIT

So, in honour of tomorrow’s royal wedding (also being celebrated here in Modi’in a few doors up from my house), I thought that I’d share some Prayers for the Royal family from older siddurim.

This סדור ויעתר יצחק published in Berlin 1785 blesses an anonymous “King Ploni”

This סדור אשי ישראל published 1968 in Tel Aviv has standard text in Hebrew, with a blank space to insert the monarch of your choice:

סדור שפתי ישנים published in Warsaw in 1865, complete with Polish translation blesses “the Father of Our Nation”, Alexander the 2nd, together with his wife Maria and his son Alexander

This Siddur Beit Yaakov published in 1889 in Bazitamar (sp?) has a prayer for Kaiser Alexander, his son Nikolai, and his wife Maria. I found another edition of the same siddur was published 1881 in Warsaw, with the same royal family.

And here is a prayer for Nikolai when he grew up to be Kaiser from סידור דרך החיים published in 1839 in Vilna.

Over to America, This School Siddur from Philadelphia, 1904 has a prayer for The United States and its President, complete with inter-linear Yiddish translation.

This סדור חנוך תפלה החדש from New York 1940 expands the prayer considerably to bless not only the rulers, but also the country itself. The name of the ruler is listed as “President” and his assistant the “Vice President”. The same Nussach is in the 1916 סדור שפת אמת החדש also from New York.

And finally, here is the prayer as it appeared in the 1975 Singer Siddur that I received for my Bar Mitzvah:

With Best Wishes to William and Kate, may they enjoy many years of happiness together, and may G-d grant them the wisdom to rule with love and compassion towards the People and Land of Israel

The Seder Plate According to the Rama

2011-04-15T11:50:00.005+03:00

Every Pessach, a few minutes before Chag, as I’m about to leave for shul, I realize that again I’ve forgotten how to set up the Seder Plate (קערת הסדר).

I start frantically looking through haggadot until I manage to find one with a picture of the קערה על פי הרמ”א

This year, in a bid to be a bit more organized, I prepared this diagram:

סדר הקערה על שלחן הסדר לדעת הרמ"א ז"ל

:אומר השו"ע:

"מביאין לפני בעל הבית קערה שיש בה שלשה מצות ומרור וחרוסת וכרפס או ירק אחר (רמ"א: וחומץ או מי מלח) ושני תבשילין, אחד זכר לפסח ואחד זכר לחגיגה, ונהגו בבשר וביצה."

הרמ"א: מביא את המאכלים של השו"ע, ומסדר אותם בקערה ע"פ הכלל ש "אין מעבירין על המצוות", לכן צריך שהדבר הראשון שמברך עליו יהיה יותר קרוב אליו, השני אחריו וכן הלאה, כדי שלא יקרה מצב שבו הוא רוצה להגיע אל הכרפס, לדוגמא, יעבור מעל המצות ויש בכך מעין ביזוי למצה.

הגה: ויסדר הקערה ... הכרפס יהא למעלה מן הכל והחומץ סמוך לו יותר מן המצה, והמצות מן המרור והחרוסת, והם יהיו יותר קרובים אליו מן הבשר והביצה."

(1)
הרמ"א מוסיף על השו"ע את המי-מלח או החומץ, כדבר שיש לשים בקערה, ולא בצידה. וניתן להסיר אח"כ את המי-מלח מהקערה.

(2)
בב"י הביא את מחלוקת הפוסקים, האם מניחים על הקערה שתי מצות או שלוש, ומרן חורג ממנהגו להכריע כדעת הרוב ופוסק כדעת הרא"ש והתוס' (ולא כמו הרי"ף והרמב"ם) והסביר בב"י שהעולם נוהגים כדעת הרא"ש והתוס'.

(3)
.ע"פ הציור אין מצות בקערה, כי ע"פ הרמ"א המצות צריכות להיות באמצע. ונהגו לשים את שלושת המצות מתחת לקערה במעין מתקן בעל שלושה מדפים שעל כל אחד מהם מניח מצה אחת.

Source http://www.shoresh.org.il/hidush/print.asp?id=158

We Were Slaves to Hitler - A Seder in Munich 1946

2011-04-05T07:50:00.002+03:00

I was looking for an on-line Haggada to use for a source sheet that I needed to prepare, but instead I stumbled upon this “Passover Service” booklet printed in Munich Germany in 1946 for a Seder held for the Jewish Members of the US armed forces.

The booklet contains snippets of the Haggada as well as text in Yiddish, Zionist text written in Hebrew, together with chilling illustrations.

Here’s part of the introduction:

And the khaki-clad sons of Israel commanded by Lt. General Truscott gathered together as was the custom in Israel, to celebrate the Passover festival.
They came from the Ninth Division in the West and the First Division in the East. They came from the 98th General Hospital and from the 24th Dispensary. They came from the CIC, the CID, the lCD, the UNRRA and the American Joint Distribution Committee, all of them came to the city of Munich, there to relate as of old, the miracle of freedom.
They spoke of Pharaoh and the Egyptian bondage. They spoke of slave labor and the torture cities of Pitham and Ramsees and they spoke of the inevitable force of liberty which will lay waste to every tyrannical design.
But in their hearts they felt very close to all that which was narrated. Pharaoh and Egypt gave way to Hitler and Germany. Pitham and Rarnsees faded beneath fresh memories of Buchenwald and Dachau.

Or take a look at this short snippet:

ברוך שומר הבטחתו
לישראל. ברוך בלפור שחשב
לעשות את הקץ. לעשות כמו
שנאמר: ידע תדע כי שוב
לא יענו אתכם ארבע מאות
שנה ובית יקום לכם כםו
שנאמר: אל יהיה זרעך גר
בארץ לא להם

ברוך שוםר הבטחתו
לישראל וחבר את הספר
הלבן, אסר על העליה וקנית
הקרקעות וחשב לעשות את
.הקץ

My Approximate Translation:

Blessed is He who guards his promise to Israel. Blessed is Balfour that calculated how to bring the redemption.
To do as is written: You shall surely know that when you return you will not be afflicted four hundred years”
And a house will be established as it is written “Your descendents will not dwell in a land which is not theirs”

Blessed is he who guards his promise to Israel, yet wrote the White Paper that is is forbidden to make Aliya or to purchase land, yet calculated how to bring the redemption.

What is most chilling about the Haggada are the illustrations, following are some examples with their captions:

שֶׁלֹּא אֶחָד בִּלְבָד עָמַד עָלֵינוּ לְכַלּוֹתֵנוּ

”זכרנו את “הדגה

שֶׁפַּרְעֹה לֹא גָזַר אֶלָּא עַל הַזְּכָרִים וְלָבָן בִּקֵּשׁ לַעֲקוֹר אֶת הַכֹּל

לְפִיכָךְ אֲנַחְנוּ חַיָּבִים

"The Last Time"

2011-03-17T18:09:00.002+02:00

The entire nation is in shock over the horrific massacre last Shabbat.

I have nothing to add to the comments that have already been made on other blogs and news sources, however I wanted to repost a few of the more powerful images.

The Muqata has a copy of the Tfilla that was hanging above 11 Year Old Yoav Fogel's bed, we could should all internalize the message of this Tfilla:

May it be Your will, the Lord my G-d and the G-d of my fathers, that I should merit to love every individual in Israel as if they were my soul, and with my might, and to properly observe the mitzva (commandment) of "Love your Neighbor as Yourself."

And may it be Your will, the Lord my G-d and the G-d of my fathers, that You place in the hearts of my friends, love for me, and that I will be accepted by all, that I should be loved and caring, and find favor in the eyes of all.

As a face is reflected in water, so should the hearts of man be to each other.

And all for the sake of heaven, to observe Your will.

Amen.

Life in Israel, and A soldier's Mother both talked about Rami Levy's act of chessed towards the orphans.

Several bloggers have commented on the inspiring words and courage of 12 year old Tamar who found the bodies and talked about her new responsibilities as a "mother to her sibling"

And finally, there is this new song and video by Shmuel Schwartz

May this indeed be the last time, and may Klal Yisrael (and the entire world)know no more sorrow.

News Flash: It wasn’t the Lutherans

2011-01-26T13:59:00.001+02:00

The Washington Times has a scoop. Apparently, contrary to initial assumptions, it seems like the attack on the Moscow airport wasn’t carried out by extremists Lutherans, but may have in fact been Islamic Militants.

Islamic militants suspected in Russia airport bombing

At least 35 die, 170 injured in ‘terrorist attack’

As Russian authorities sift through the wreckage of the Moscow airport attack, the world’s attention will be drawn to the Muslim separatists who experts suspect carried out the Monday bombing.

source: http://www.washingtontimes.com/

Seems like the Washington Times scooped every other major news organization on linking the terrorist attack to Islamists. Sounds like they either had inside information, or possibly they’re covering for the Lutherans.

Good thing that the attackers wee only “Militants”, not “terrorists”. Seems like it wasn't a terrorist attack after all, just a friendly disagreement over theology. I guess that’s why they put “Terrorism” in scare quotes.

Lutheran Extremists Launch Terrorist Attack in Moscow Airport

2011-01-24T17:22:00.001+02:00

According to breaking news reports, there was a major suicide Terrorist attack carried out by Lutheran Extremists in Moscow’s Domodedovo airport, killing at least 33.

CNN say that the terrorist attack was “attributed by Russia's Investigative Committee to terrorists” – boy they’re really going out on a limb (no mention of the religious or political affiliation of attackers)

Fox are saying that the suicide attack may have been carried out by a “Suicide Bomber”, again no assumption as to possible affiliation of the attacker.

BBC is being more cautious, saying only that the suicide attack “may have been the work of a suicide bomber. Russia's chief investigator said the explosion was the work of terrorists.”

So far the only speculation from major news sources is that this suicide terrorist attack may have been carried out by Suicide Bombers, and they may have been terrorists.

Given that no reports so far have mentioned religion or political affiliation of the attackers, I’m guessing that they were Lutheran, or possibly extremist Social Democrats. Unless of course they were environmentalists who have a history of supporting violent attacks.

I can’t think of any other religious group that could carry such an attack, and the media seem to be avoiding any assumptions.

Our prayers and thoughts go out to the casualties, wishing the wounded a speedy full recovery.

Cool Video

2011-01-19T15:15:00.001+02:00

Take a look at this cool video from the Jerusalem2111 project, it does not end the way you would expect.

You could check out some of their other videos as well, some are really neat.

Hat Tip: Frum Satire.

Ehud Barak’s Priorities

2011-01-17T21:39:00.001+02:00

Well – Ehud Barak has done it again, he turned the Israeli political system on his head in order to serve the interest of Ehud Barak.

In a recent quote he summarized the priorities of his new party (in order of importance) as follows:

Of course this is Israel, so it reasonable to assume that he is reading the list of priorities from Right to Left….

Parshat Bshalach – The Bones of Yosef

2011-01-14T10:42:00.003+02:00

This Shabbat I was asked to give a short Dvar Torah between Kabbalat Shabbat and Ma’ariv. Here’s a sneak preview of some of the ideas I plan to use….

Shmot 13:19 tells us:

ויקח משה את עצמות יוסף עמו כי השבע השביע את בני ישראל לאמר פקד יפקד אלקים אתכם והעליתם את עצמתי מזה אתכם

Moses took Joseph's remains with him. Joseph had bound the Israelites by an oath: 'God will grant you special providence, and you must then bring my remains out of here with you.'

Why did Moshe, in the middle of the action and excitement surrounding the Exodus, need to stop to take Yosef’s bones, and why does the Passuk only talk about Yosef? Chazal tell us that the remains of all the brothers were brought out from Egypt, why is only Yosef mentioned specifically? What is unique to Yosef that makes him an essential part of the Exodus?

Ibin Ezra gives us a brief history lesson, that it was because of Yosef that they went down to Egypt, and Yosef swore his decedents that they would take his remains with them, an oath which was passed down through the generations until Moshe was able to fulfil the commitment to previous generations.

I think that part of the message that Ibin Ezra is trying to convey is that as we move forward in life it is important to remember who we are and where we come from.

As Bnei Yisrael started this next chapter in their history, it was important that they not abandon the past, rather they carried the past with them in a very physical way.

But what were the attributes of Yosef that we needed to take with us as we left Egypt and entered the Desert?

Firstly we refer to Yosef as “יוסף הצדיק” Yosef The Tzadik. Tradition identifies Yosef with righteousness. The Kli Yakar says that there were 2 Aaronot that we carried with us through the dessert, the Ark of the Covenant (Aaron Habrit) and Yosef’s coffin, and these 2 aronot were equivalent – one carried the Physical Ten Commandments, the other carried Yosef who was a personification of the Ten Commandments. It was that image of complete righteousness that we took with is as an example into the Wilderness.

Rav Moshe Feinstein (Igrot Moshe “ויקח משה”) takes this idea one step further, Yosef represented not only righteousness, but also, in spite of his important position in Egyptian society, remained humble. Moshe realized that if he was going to serve as a leader of the people, he would have to learn this humility from Yosef, which is why Moshe personally took responsibility for carrying Yosef’s bones, instead of delegating the task to someone else.

The Slonimer Rebbe (Rabbi Shalom Noach Barzovsky (1911-2000) in his Netivot Shalom (פרשת בשלח, ויקח משה) says that Yosef not only represents Righteousness, but also Holiness (Based on the Zohar). Moshe realized that the reason that we were leaving Egypt was not only to escape slavery, but to build a Holy nation, and in fact building a Holy nation is a major theme of the rest of the Torah. Moshe wanted to bring this image of Holiness, represented by Yosef with them as an example to emulate as they built a nation.

Finally, the Lubavitcher Rebbe in his Sichot (Volume 26, Page 85) had a different understanding of the essence of Yosef. The “bones” (עצמות) of Yosef represent hiss “Essence” (עצמיותו). What is the Essence of Yosef? We learn it from when he was named (Berashit 30:24)

וַתִּקְרָא אֶת שְׁמוֹ יוֹסֵף לֵאמֹר יֹסֵף ה’ לִי בֵּן אַחֵר.

She named the child Joseph (Yoseph), saying, 'May G-d grant another (yoseph) son to me (“ben acher”).'

The Passuk says that his mother (Rachel) prayed for “Another Son” (בן אחר). In Jewish Tradition “אחר” (Another) has come to represent someone who is removed or far from Jewish tradition – The Tanna Elisha ben Abuya was referred to as “Acher” after he adopted heretical beliefs and removed himself from Klal Yisrael.

The Rebbe points out that Yosef’s name refers to “Ben Acher”, that even though someone can be far removed from the Jewish People, he should still be regarded as “Ben”, a son of our people.

Before the Jewish people could leave Egypt, Moshe had to find the essence of Yosef – the “Ben Acher”, who is removed from the Jewish people, but is still our brother and son.

It is only once we find that person and include him in our journey that the Bnei Yisrael were able to leave Egypt.

Auditions in the Heavenly Choir

2011-01-12T23:18:00.004+02:00

When I was kid, I was given a couple of tapes of Megama, a duo made up of Moshe Yes and Shalom Levine.

How I loved those tapes, I played them so many times that I must have driven my family crazy, but I loved the music, even if even back then I found the lyrics a little silly (“What page are we on the prayerbook”, “G-d is Alive and well in Jerusalem”, and "Throw away that Ham”) however I found the Dollar Bill, My Zaidy, and especially "Yosef My Son" very powerful.

It was with great sorrow that I heard that Moshe Yess, the star of Megama returned his soul to it’s Maker last Motzei Shabbat.

Interesting that this week another big name in Jewish Music also passed away. Of course I am referring to Debbie Friedman. I don’t know if Moshe ever met Debbie in this world, but I’d love to see their expression if the meet for the first time at an audition for the Heavenly Choir.

Debbie Friedman has been described as the Shlomo Charlebach of the Reform movement. When I worked with NFTY’s Summer Program in Israel, all the kids with a Reform background were very familiar with her music, both as liturgy and as campfire music. one of her most popular tunes was “Lechi Lach”, which was a feminine version of “lech lecha”. The corruption of a Hebrew Possuk made no sense to me, but the kids loved it.

Only later when I found out that in addition to being a driving force behind the modern-musical style of Reform services, she was also a radical feminist and a Lesbian, did the concept of re-writing a passuk in the feminine make sense (and drove me even more crazy).

So this week, the Jewish world lost 2 influential singers, although singers with radically different world views. Both were very well known, although I wonder how many people were familiar with both of them.

May their memory be blessed.

Yosef My Son

Moshe Yess

A child was born into this world, in 1933
a blessing for a Jewish home, in Frankfurt, Germany
his father taught him Aleph-Bais, he learned to read and write
each night he heard his mother say these words to him

Yosef my son, the Lord our G-d is one
G-d is very near, Yosef my dear
Yosef my son, we are the chosen ones
do not fear we'll always be together

Yosef was a boy of 9, in 1942
he had a secret hiding place, like all young children do
horrified, he saw them take his Mom and Dad away
alone, he heard his mother's final words to him

Yosef my son, take some food and run
G-d is very near, Yosef my dear
Yosef my son, we are the chosen ones
do not fear we'll always be together

To feel his hand on the Western Wall, was a life-long dream come true
he'd made it to Jerusalem, the city of the Jew
and he opened up his Siddur, as he had done each day
and he prayed to G-d for his mother and his father

and an old man stood there praying, for a son he thought long dead
that voice! thats my fathers voice! was all that Yosef said
and he looked into the old man's eyes, tears came down his face
and he fell into his father's embrace

Yosef my son, the Lord our G-d is one
Now come your mother's here, Yosef my dear
Yosef my son, a miracle has been done
from now on, we'll always be together

Yosef my son, the Lord our G-d is one
G-d is very near, Yosef my dear
Yosef my son, we are the chosen ones
from now on, we'll always be together
from now on, we'll always be together

If you're late for Shacahrit ….

2011-01-07T11:10:00.002+02:00

A wise man once said that is you are late for Shacharit, the first thing to get sacrificed are the korbanot.

Unfortunately the reality is that relatively few people take the few minutes that it takes to read the Korbanot each morning. Many people skip them all together even if they are not late for shul. As we started Missechet Zvachim in Daf yomi, I heard Rabbi Lau point out that people should realize that the siddur does not start on page 20, and to include the Korbanot in your daily Tfilla would not be a big imposition.

That said, it is very seldom that I am in shul with Tfilin on early enough to read through all the Korbanot, I do however try to read at least the first Mishna so that I start each day with some Torah Shba’al peh.

In spite of this. as we started Perek איזהו מקומן in Daf Yomi, I realized how painfully unfamiliar this perek was to me (and everyone else in the shiur).

The Maggid Shiur had a great suggestion as to how we could become more familiar with this Perek – given that (almost) no one seems to be able to spend 2 minutes reading the entire Perek each morning, how about a single mishna each day – but instead of the first mishna every day, divide the 8 mishnayot over the week – each day read a different Mishna, and the final 2 on Shabbat. That way you can review the entire perek each week, and hopefully over time the perek will seem less unfamiliar.

A great idea, so far I am almost one week into it – we’ll see if I manage to keep it up.

(BTW – Yisha Koa’ch to the The Rebbetzin's Husband on starting a new Daf Yomi shiur. Next time I'm in Toronto I'll try to check it out – בלי נדר)

Happy Festivus Everyone…

2010-12-25T22:38:00.001+02:00

I’m posting this article without additional commentary from me, make of it what you will…

Source: AZCetntral.com

Inmate seeking kosher meals cites Festivus belief

Associated Press

SANTA ANA, Calif. - An inmate in California who disliked salami was able to receive kosher meals after his attorney cited the "Seinfeld" holiday Festivus as his religious belief.

The Orange County Register reported Monday that 38-year-old convicted drug dealer Malcolm Alarmo King asked for kosher meals at the Theo Lacy jail to maintain his physique.

Orange County sheriff's officials reserve such meals for inmates with religious needs, so a judge demanded a religious reason for King to get the meals.

His defense attorney, Fred Thiagarajah, cited his client's devotion to Festivus - the holiday celebrated on the hit TV show with an aluminum pole and the airing of grievances.

Sheriff's spokesman Ryan Burris says King got salami-free meals for two months before the county got the order thrown out in court.

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/offbeat/articles/2010/12/13/20101213california-inmate-festivus.html#ixzz199qq7i2b

Tfilin Bomber

2010-12-12T22:46:00.002+02:00

By now I’m sure everyone has heard of the latest Tfilin bomber in what seems to be a growing trend, this time on the Inter-Island Ferry in new Zealand.

I have a friend who used to work on the Inter-Islander before moving to Israel and becoming a Breslover (see picture). I suppose that it’s a shame that he no longer works there, looks like he could have provided some much needed cultural training.

And a quick word of advice – anyone who is travelling and needs to lay Tfilin in a strange place such as an airport, airplane, boat or train (and I’ve davened with Tfilin in all those places in the past), you may want to do yourself a favour and before you daven look around for a security officer or employee, explain to them that you need to pray, and ask them if there is an out-of-the way location where you could pray in private without causing any alarm or disturbing others. No guarantee that you still wont find yourself involved in the next Tfilin-scare, but at least you can claim that it wasn’t your fault.

Chanukah Songs

2010-12-08T18:58:00.001+02:00

Other bloggers feel obligated to post their favourite Chanukah Songs (I’m looking at you On The Contrary and Dov Bear), but they all seem to have missed the ultimate stupid Chanukah Song.

I’m not normally a fan of Chabad Web Sites, but I love The Itche Kadoozy Show. So without further ado, I present you with Jono’s Dreidle Song.

Happy Chanukah Everyone

What could be more Jewish than a Dreidel

2010-11-30T21:22:00.002+02:00

If you ask most people why we play Dreidel on Chanukah, you’ll probably get a answer like the following:

A game similar to the dreidel game was popular during the rule of Antiochus. During this period Jews were not free to openly practice their religion, so when they gathered to study Torah they would bring a top with them. If soldiers appeared, they would quickly hide what they were studying and pretend to be playing a gambling game with the top.

Source: About.com

Does anyone notice any similarity between this explanation, and the reason given for bows and arrows on Lag B’Omer?

But if Dreidel is such an old Jewish custom, how come that it is not mentioned in any Talmudic or other early sources? In fact, how come there wasn’t even a Hebrew word for Dreidel until the modern era? The word סביבון (Sivivon) was coined by Eliezer Ben Yehuda, legend has it that his son Itamar came up with the word. Other early modern Hebrew speakers used other words, Bialik referred to a Dreidel as a "כרכר".

Given that Chanukah represents our rejection of foreign culture, the biggest irony is that it seems that we stole the Dreidel from the Goyim. In the 16th Century there was a popular gambling game using a top known as a teetotum, popular particularly in Ireland around Christmas time (see picture).

Lookup up Teetotum in the dictionary:

[From T-totum. Originally a teetotum was a kind of die used in a game of chance. It had a stick put through a six-sided die so that only four sides could be used. One of the sides had the letter T representing Latin totum (all), implying take the whole stake from the pot. Other sides had letters A aufer (take one stake from the pot), D depone (put one stake), and N nihil (do nothing).
Source: http://wordsmith.org/words/teetotum.html

If you’re still not convinced that the Teetotum is the original dreidel, when the game was played in Germany, the game was called “Trundl”, and the 4 sides were translated to German as follows: N (Nichts = nothing), G (Ganz = all), H (Halb = half), and S (Stell ein = put in).

You don’t have to be a language scholar to translate those letters to Yiddish.

Chanukah Sameach to all

Practising long enough?

2010-11-16T17:38:00.001+02:00

A big Mazal Tov to Prince William and Kate Middleton, future King and Queen of the England and the British Commonwealth. I wish them many years of happiness together. I hope that the younger generation of British royals are more successful in marriage than their parents were.

An interesting reflection on how society has changed (and not necessarily for the better) is the fact that William and Kate have been living together for a number of years, even Prince Charles joked that "They've been practising long enough."

A generation ago, it was expected that people would shack up together only after their wedding, not before. Certainly in “refined” circles, this type of arrangement would not have been joked about publically.

Today there are all types of living arrangements, there is no assumption that a man and woman living together would be married, no assumption that a child’s parents would be married to each other, we live in a society where anything and everything is acceptable.

Outside Religious circles, is there even a concept of “waiting until marriage”?

Is the world a better place now that the institution of marriage has been depreciated?

The New Zealand Jewish Community Needs Your Help

2010-11-15T20:43:00.003+02:00

This is it – in 2 weeks the Shechita issue is going to trial in New Zeaalnd.

This is the first time since the Holocaust that a Western Democracy has attempted to ban Shechita. There is a lot riding on this case, not just for the thousand Jewish families in New Zealand, but for Jews all over the world. This trial will set a precedent that may be referred to if other countries attempt to ban Shechita, and believe me there are many organizations in Europe and other places that are looking for legal backing in their attempts to ban Shechita.

Below is a letter from the New Zealand Jewish Community asking for the help from concerned Jews all over the World.

Tizku L’Mitzvot

Are you aware that the Government of New Zealand has passed a code that outlaws Kosher slaughter in New Zealand? The last time similar legislation was enacted by a Government was 70 years ago in Nazi occupied Europe. New Zealand is the first country to ban shechita without a public mood of anti-semitism behind it.

If this code remains, Jews in NZ will only be able to import kosher meat at great expense and chicken will not be available at all. Can you imagine a Jewish home with no chicken soup?

The ramifications of this move may one day affect Jews throughout the whole disapora. It could have a domino effect.

Even though the vast majority of Jews in New Zealand are secular and don't keep Kosher, they understand the implications for worldwide Jewry and they are currently defending world Jewry’s basic human right to practice our religion.

The tiny New Zealand Jewish Community is fighting back and is taking the New Zealand Government to court to fight for their basic human right to practice their religion. The cost of this court case is in excess of NZ$300,000 - a very large sum for a country that has less than 1,000 Jewish families. Already the local Jewish community has raised half of the funds, but is struggling to find the rest of the money to fund the legal challenge.

You can help by :

1) Pass on this information to other people - the more people who know and are prepared to support the New Zealand Jewish community the greater the chance the New Zealand Jewish community has of success.

2) Send a short e-mail to the New Zealand Government. In New Zealand there is a huge support from animal welfare groups who are extremely vocal in their support for the Governments' actions.

Minister of Agriculture (David Carter) david.carter@parliament.govt.nz

Prime Minister (John Key) john.key@parliament.govt.nz

3) Make a donation:

The two largest orthodox congregations in New Zealand, the Wellington Hebrew Congregations and the Auckland Hebrew Congregation have together issued proceedings against the New Zealand Government. All donations large and small would be used in this fight:

Donate using PayPal:

Please visit http://bit.ly/9uiMdG to place a Credit Card

or

Telegraph Transfer:
Account Name: New Zealand Shechita Appeal
Account Number: 01-0297-0024731-27
Bank: ANZ Bank (New Zealand)
Swift code (for international transfers): ANZBNZ22
Reference: *Your last name and first Initial*

If you need more information please contact in New Zealand

Garth Cohen - President - Auckland Hebrew Congregation - office@ahc.org.nz

Post Script: There are a number of other countries that have bans or limitations on Shechita, including Switzerland and Norway, but most of these bans go back to before the Holocaust, and none of them have practical implications as they are either in locations where there is no Jewish Community (such as Iceland) or in places close to larger Jewish communities where meat can be imported from at a reasonable cost.

“G-d wasn't there. He was on vacation”

2010-11-01T15:16:00.002+02:00

The Jerusalem Post has a moving article about the last 2 survivors of Treblinka.

Of over 850,00 Jewish people who passed through the gates of Treblinka in 1943-44, only these 2 people, Samuel Willenberg and Kalman Taigman, are still in the World of the Living.

Less is known about Treblinks than some of the other camps, notably Auschwitz, this is because after the rebellion of October 1943, the NAZIs murdered the few remaining prisoners and destroyed the camp.

67 people who managed to escape during the rebellion, these are the only people known to have survived the camp.

Of the over 850,000 Jews who entered Treblinka, less than 70 survived to the end of the war, and of those, only 2 are still with us.

In a few years, there will be nothing left, not even a memory, just a memorial site in a forest Northeast of Warsaw. A forest that sits on the ashes of close to a million human beings (maybe even more).

Our generation is still to close to the Churban in Europe to ask questions of “Why” or “Where was G-d”, all we can do is document and educate to make sure that the world never forgets.

Wikipedia has an informative article on Treblinka, but the following from the Jerusalem Post article is a much more personal account:

Taigman said he recalls…

He entered Treblinka holding the hand of his mother, who was quickly pulled away from him and murdered. He left [During the Rebellion] watching a Nazi flag burning in the distance from a blaze they had set — a small piece of revenge after nearly a year of torment.

"It was hell, absolutely hell," said Taigman, who lives in a retirement home south of Tel Aviv. "A normal man cannot imagine how a living person could have lived through it — killers, natural-born killers, who without a trace of remorse just murdered every little thing."

Taigman, who wandered in the Polish countryside for nearly a year after his escape, said his most lasting memory of Treblinka is fellow prisoners who had to remove bodies — often their own relatives — from gas chambers.

…

David Silberklang, a senior historian at Israel's Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial, said that in contrast to other camps where Jews were also used for industrial labor, Treblinka truly represented the essence of the Nazi Final Solution.
"Treblinka had nothing, just killing, and they almost finished the job. These camps left us almost nothing," he said. Without the survivors, he said "it would just be a black hole, we would know nothing. With them, we know quite a lot," he said.

One of the men most responsible for documenting the atrocities was Eliahu Rosenberg, who was tasked with removing bodies from gas chambers and dumping them into giant pits. He passed away in September, but before his death recounted his experiences in a video testimony to Yad Vashem.

"It poisoned, choked people within 25 minutes, all would suffocate. It was terrible to hear the screaming of the women and the children. They cried: "Mama!" ''Tata! (Dad)" but in a few minutes they choked to death," he said.

"The crematoriums were train rails which lay on a concrete base. On them were wood planks, we called it 'grills.' We threw the body parts onto those 'grills,' and with a match everything burnt. And we stood there ... and it burned all night, all night long."

After the revolt, the Nazis attempted to destroy all evidence of their atrocities. The camp structures were destroyed, the ground plowed and planted over. Today, all the remains at the site are a series of concrete slabs representing the train tracks, and mounds of gravel with a memorial of stone tablets representing lost communities.

NZ Shechita Ban – The Good, The Bad and the Ugly

2010-10-27T23:20:00.004+02:00

Last week the heads of the Jewish communities in Auckland and Wellington put out a letter calling on people to take action to make sure that the ban on Shechita in New Zealand is defeated when it goes to court next year.

Since then there have been a number of articles in the media.

The Good

There is a good summary of what Shechita is and the implications of the ban available here.
The New Zealand Herald ran an informative article on Shechita and how the ban may hurt the future of the New Zealand Jewish community.
The issue was also covered in J-Wire and The Jewish Journal,
And for those on Facebook, there is a group that you can join.

The Bad

Arutz 7 reported that a major English Supplier of Kosher Meat is discontinuing Shechita, lets hope that this isn’t the next stage in a world trend.

The Ugly

The New Zealand Animal Welfare group SAFE has launched a campaign to have the ban on Shechita reinstated in New Zealand.

That isn’t by itself surprising. What is surprising is that they didn’t take the time to do even basic research into what Shechita is, the short article on Shechita is so full of basic errors it is amazing that they put it on the Internet (Errors on The Internet – hard to believe but true).

Following is a short letter that I just sent them asking them to publish a clarification. I’ll let you know if there is a response.

To: safe@safe.org.nz

Subject: Kosher Slaughter

Dear Sir / Madam,

Your article on Kosher Slaughter (http://www.safe.org.nz/Campaigns/Religious-slaughter/) completely mis-represents Kosher Slaughter and has several errors.

The knives in the pictures are not at all similar to a Shechita knife which is extremely sharp (and sharpened between each animal) to make sure that the animal cannot feel the cut. If the knife was not 100% smooth, there is a chance that the animal would feel pain of the cut and the animal is not kosher.

An animal slaughtered through Shechita does not “bleed to death”, as your article claims, rather oxygen is cut off to the brain so that the animal is rendered unconscious immediately. The Animal feels no pain. If there is any indication that the animal did not die instantaneously (for example the cut did not go completely through the wind-pipe) the animal would not be kosher.

Your claim that “Another method is a stab to the chest which severs the major arteries and veins.” is completely false, such a method of slaughter would not be kosher.

Many scientific studies have found that Kosher slaughter is in fact more humane than stunning (which does not always render the animal unconscious immediately). The studies carried out by the Animal Welfare Board in New Zealand did not accurately investigate Shechita as the tests were carried out with a different type of knife using a different type of slaughter.

The Jewish religion requires humane treatment of animals before, during, and after slaughter. This includes the way that animals are raised, how they are slaughtered, and symbolically the blood of some animals is buried to show respect for the life that was lost.

Wikipedia has a short article on the treatment of animals in Jewish Law:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tza%27ar_ba%27alei_chayim

The US Humane Society also has an article on the Jewish treatment of animals:

http://www.humanesociety.org/about/departments/faith/facts/statements/orthodox_judaism.html

I appreciate that you have animal welfare at heart, but I believe that you owe it to your readers to provide accurate information about Shechita.

I hope that you will consider publishing a correction to the misrepresentations in your article.

Sincerely,

Michael Sedley

Update

The only response that I received from SAFE was a short note saying that they would investigate the matter, however upon checking the link above I see that they have completely re-written the article on Shechita. They are still calling for the ban to be enforced, however they have removed the incorrect information about the Shechita process.

Cute Video – They Spoke Hebrew

2010-10-25T08:43:00.001+02:00

Jacob Richman just put together a short (less than 5 minutes) video of Hebrew being used in popular TV shows (Everything from MASH to House), it opens with a great scene of a Brit being supervised by Father Mulcahy with the Hebrew words being to him via Morse Code (with Radar’s Help).

You should definitely check it out:

http://www.jr.co.il/hebrew.htm

Can anyone help me out with this Rashi

2010-10-12T12:38:00.001+02:00

Can anyone explain the last Rashi in Parshat Noach:

בראשית י”א ל”ב

וַיִּהְיוּ יְמֵי תֶרַח חָמֵשׁ שָׁנִים וּמָאתַיִם שָׁנָה וַיָּמָת תֶּרַח בְּחָרָן

רש”י

בחרן - הנו"ן הפוכה לומר לך עד אברם חרון אף של מקום

The Nun is inverted to tell you that until the time of Abraham, the fierce anger (חרו) of the Omnipotent was kindled against the world

(Translation from Silberman)

I looked in a few commentaries on Rashi (Siftei Chachamim, Gur Ariyeh) but couldn’t find any explanation as to what Rashi means by נון הפוכה. In our Sifrei Torah there is nothing unusual about the Nun in that word.

Silberman has a footnote that on the word “Inverted” that “According to some authorities this should be so” – does he mean that there are opinions that the Nun at the end of חרן should be upside-down like the end of Bamidbar 10 ( ׆ )

Anyone else have any idea what Rashi may be referring to?

Amazing Photos of Jewish life in New Zealand

2010-10-07T13:30:00.002+02:00

HaChayim Hayehudim Jewish photo Library has just posted several collections of Jewish Life in Australia and New Zealand including a wonderful collection of photos of the shul where I grew up, a separate collection of photos of the Holocaust Education Center which was initiated by my father, and pictures of the Library/Beit Midrash in the shul in Wellington (the Van Staveren Room).

He also has many gravestones, I even found a pictures of the graves of my Paternal grandfather and grandmother and Maternal Grandfather and grandmother.

Amazing photos, well worth a visit.

Rashi in the News

2010-10-03T15:30:00.001+02:00

One of the strangest Rashis in Parshat Berashit is on 4:23 where he describes the death of Cain:

שמען קולי" - שהיו נשיו פורשות ממנו מתשמיש לפי שהרג את קין ואת תובל קין בנו שהיה למך סומא ותובל קין מושכו וראה את קין ונדמה לו כחיה ואמר לאביו למשוך בקשת והרגו וכיון שידע שהוא קין זקנו הכה כף אל כף וספק את בנו ביניהם והרגו והיו נשיו פורשות ממנו והוא מפייסן

For his [Lemech’s] wives separated from him because he killed Cain and Tuval-Cain, his own son. For Lemech was blind and Tuval-Cain used to lead him. [Tuvan-Cain] saw Cain and thought that he was an animal, and told his father to draw his bow, thus he [Lemech] killed him [Cain].

I had always hound this Rashi odd, to say the least – however yesterday The Gainsesville Sun reported a surprisingly similar story….

Hunter mistaken for deer shot with arrow

By Karen Voyles
Staff writer

A hunter is expected to survive after being shot in the back with an arrow. Investigators said the hunter's friend shot the arrow from a bow after mistaking the hunter for a deer.

"This is a good time to remind hunters — no matter what they are hunting with — to make sure they know what they are aiming at," said Karen Parker, a spokeswoman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The incident occurred around sunset Wednesday in Jennings State Forest, a popular North Florida hunting site east of U.S. 301 and north of Camp Blanding in Clay County.

The hunter, John Whigham, 22, of Fleming Island, was taken to Shands Jacksonville. Parker said Whigham's injury was not considered life-threatening.

Whigham said he was returning to a hunting stand when his friend, Randy Pritchard, 40, of Middleburg, shot him in the back.

Pritchard told investigators the shooting was accidental and happened when he mistook Whigham for a deer.

FWC investigators were continuing their investigation Thursday morning. The shooting has been preliminarily identified as an accident, and no charges had been filed.

No mention of whether the hunter was blind.

Selecting Arba Minim

2010-09-20T09:06:00.001+02:00

Arba Minim has always been a special Mitzva to me, partially because growing up in New Zealand, getting Arba Minim was extremely difficult.

I owe a big Hakarat HaTov to Rav Chaim Fischweicher who was in Wellington when I became Bar Mitzva and in the years following my Bar Mitzva made sure that I had access to Arba Minim, often at my home (which was a long distance from the shul), even if it meant that there would be one less set in the shul.

I could tell you interesting stories about acquiring arba minim in New Zealand, almost every year between my Bar Mitzva and my Aliyah 9 years later there was a complication getting kosher Arba Minim. On more than one occasion it was davka the Haddas that was the problem.

Anyway, because growing up Arba Minim required so much effort, I feel particularly lucky to now be living in a community where this Mitzva is relatively easy to perform (even if prices are excessive due to corrupt suppliers – but that’s a different story).

If you are planning to select your own Arba Minim (as opposed to buying a closed box from a reliable source), you should always review the Halachot before heading to the Arba Minim Shuk.

An excellent brief summary of Hilchot Arba Minim is available from Torah Live. There are 4 short videos, each summarizing the Halachot of one of the minim in a clear, concise, and entertaining method. You can also download a very practical source sheet.

Well worth taking a look.

Hat Tip: Gruntig

גמר חתימה טובה

2010-09-16T22:54:00.002+02:00

To all my readers - best wishes for an easy, meaningful, and successful fast and a גמר חתימה טובה

And to put you in the right mood, here is classic MBD from the early 90s singing Kol Nidrei

Have you seen this Headline Before?

2010-09-16T16:47:00.001+02:00

Newspapers are again showing headlines like "Leaders Call for Peace as Mideast Talks Begin" (headline, New York Times, Sept. 2)

Well to save yourself money, instead of buying a current newspaper, pick up any paper from 1978, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, or 2007.

You’ll see the same headlines, same issues being discussed, same hysterical “This is our last window of opportunity for peace”, same unrealistic demands, and same probable outcome: increase in violence.

Maybe we should take a break from peace talks for a while and let the violence subside.

Does Religious Activity make you happy?

2010-09-14T20:03:00.001+02:00

The New York Times has an interesting article on a research that suggests that as people shop on Sunday instead of attending religious services, happiness goes down.

It makes sense that people who take a day off every week for spiritual matters are likely to be happier, but interesting to see that research backs this up.

Wonder if the researchers from Ben Gurion university could do a follow up study in Israel to see whether attending shul on Shabbat (or having a family dinner on Friday night) leads to more happiness.

Source: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/sunday-shopping-linked-with-less-happiness/

Sunday Shopping Linked With Less Happiness
By TARA PARKER-POPE
Dan Gill for The New York Times Skipping church to go shopping meant feeling less happy for some.

How do you spend your Sunday? For many, this traditional day of rest and churchgoing has become a day to shop, but it may be taking a toll on happiness.

Researchers from DePaul University in Chicago and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel tracked church attendance and levels of happiness among Americans living in states that had repealed so-called blue laws, which once required most retailers to stay closed on Sundays.

The researchers found that allowing stores to open on Sundays was linked with a decline in church attendance among white women, which led to a subsequent decline in happiness. Among black women, the repeal of the blue laws had no measurable effect, although that may be because the sample size was too small to draw any statistically meaningful conclusions.

Notably, the finding was true only for women. For men, the repeal of blue laws didn’t seem to influence church attendance or levels of happiness.

Since the repeal of blue laws, women are about 17 percent less likely to report being “pretty happy,” and more likely to report being “not happy,” according to the study, which is still awaiting final publication.

“People know there is a correlation between religiosity and happiness, but there’s not conclusive evidence that there is a causal effect,’’ said William Sander, professor of economics at DePaul. “Our paper tends to provide more conclusive evidence that religiosity among women does affect happiness.’’

The researchers studied data collected from the General Social Survey, an ongoing sociological survey used to collect demographic information from United States residents. They compared respondents in 10 states where Sunday shopping had been banned and then allowed, compared with six states where there had been no change in rules for retailers. The study specifically focused on the behavior of Catholics and Protestants because they were most likely to attend church on Sundays.

So why would Sunday shopping make women less happy? Part of the reason may be that some of the women were required to work on Sundays after the repeal of blue laws. “People don’t like to work on Sundays,’’ Dr. Sander said.

Or the decline in women’s happiness once Sunday shopping is allowed may be linked to the behavior of their children, many of whom may start hanging out at shopping malls on Sundays. Earlier research has shown that the repeal of blue laws is linked with more risk-taking behavior by teens.

Or it may simply be that the lure of shopping is more powerful than the desire to attend church, even though it brings less happiness.

“Shopping is kind of addictive, and even though it doesn’t make people happy, they’re doing it and they don’t return to church as much because of that,’’ Dr. Sander said. “There is instant gratification from shopping compared to the benefits of church, which may occur over a longer period of time.’’

שנה טובה

2010-09-07T08:40:00.002+03:00

To all my readers, best wishes for a Shana Tova.

My the coming year be a year of peace, health and prosperity for all of Klal Yisrael and the entire world.

To put you in the right frame of mind before Yom HaDin, here is an old recording of ונתנה תוקף from Mordechai ben David, and a more recent one from Avraham Fried

Of peace and Peace Talks

2010-09-05T02:03:00.001+03:00

Well Bibi and Abbas are at it again. Last week they both flew to Washington to promote the illusion that there is some type of peace, or at least a peace process happening.

I don’t think that anyone actually believes that this process will lead to peace, or even an agreement; it seems pretty clear that the main reason for the latest round of negotiations is to help the Obama (well the Democrats) in the mid-term election in November.

In case this point wasn’t obvious by itself, did anyone else notice that even though Bibi and Abbas have offices about 25 minutes drive from each other (remember that Ramallah is a suburb of Jerusalem), they had to fly to Washington to meet each other.

No doubt there will be pressure on Bibi to extend the building freeze, which is to be expected, and is not even an unreasonable demand from the point-of-view of Abbas. However it is crucial that if Bibi is contemplating giving something tangible, like an extension of the freeze, it must be for something tangible in return.

Here are a few suggestions of things that Bibi could insist on before extending the freeze:

For the PA to live up to its commitment to allow full access to Kever Yosef in Shchem. This would be a great opportunity for the PA to prove that they are serious about Peace and that their US trained and armed “Police Force” are able to secure a single building so that Jews have free and unlimited access to the sight.
That the PA live up to its commitment to remove all incitement from schools. They could start by withdrawing all textbooks that deny Israel’s existence or deny the Holocaust.
If they cannot control their own schools (which are financed by the International community), hard to see how they could create and control a viable state.
That the PA conduct a full investigation into the terrorist shootings last week and that the perpetrators are caught and brought to trial. An important question is whether the guns or gunmen were supplied or trained by the US/Israel.
If it turns out that we are arming or training terrorists, it should be obvious that there be no future guns or training provided to the PA security forces until they are able to guarantee that these resources will not be misused again in the future.

If Abbas is unable to deliver on any of the above, Bibi should restate that Israel is prepared to make peace if and when their is a Palestinian leadership willing to prove that it is serious about peace, but in the mean time, given that there is no partner or possibility of peace, Israel will look at other unilateral options, such as full annexation of Judea and Samaria, as proposed my MK Tzipi Hotovely.

Oh – and take a look at Dershowitz’ Blog pointing out how unwarranted criticism of Israel, such as the Goldstone report, makes it almost impossible for Israel to take “risks for peace”, because it is clear that if the “risks” blow up in our face in the form of attacks against us, there will be no way do defend ourselves without Goldstone or his ilk raking us over the coals.

Who changed the uniform?

2010-09-02T12:54:00.003+03:00

Grunting posted a video of Slichot in 770 in 1965.

I thought that the video was interesting because it is rare to see pictures (let alone footage) of the Rebbe that were taken before the 1980s. Almost all the pictures that we see plastered over everything were taken in the last few years of his life.

What struck me as interesting is that no one in the video is wearing the wide brim hatmobile that we associate with Chabad today. Today the Chabad dress code is extremely rigid, A Fedora with a very wide brim often worn with a long “frock coat" and of course an un-trimmed beard.

In contrast in the video Most people (including the Rebbe) are wearing hats with much smaller brims, a few are wearing homburgs, and many are clean shaven.

I know that when Chabad moved to America they replaced their Chassidic Shtreimel with a more modern American Fedora. But at some point since the 60s they decided to codify their uniform with a much more distinctive look (although not as destinctive as the elaborate dress code worn by other Chassidim)

At what point in the last 30 years did Chabad adopt the hats and jackets that we see today? Who made the decision?

Traffic Jams and the Jewish problem

2010-08-29T18:30:00.001+03:00

Last week I reposted an article about the Monster Traffic Jam in China where cars were (and still are) stuck for several days.

While writing, I couldn’t help but wonder what a frum Jew would do in a similar situation, well as if on cue, Erev Shabbat there was a large traffic jam in the Shomron, leaving dozens of motorists stranded right before Shabbat.

In contrast to the situation in China where local residents sold supplies to the motorists at inflated prices, the residents of the town Adam came out to help the stranded motorists and provided food and accommodation for Shabbat.

Here’s the story as reported in Arutz 7:

This Shabbat, dozens of Jewish families were stranded in a traffic jam as Shabbat came in and were hosted in the town of Adam (Geva Binyamin).

The traffic jam was caused by an accident between an Israeli and Palestinian car between the Hizme and Adam junctions, northeast of Jerusalem. Several Jews and Arabs were injured in the accident, which occurred at 6 PM on Friday evening, and police forces arrived on the scene soon afterwards.

By 7 PM, when Shabbat was coming in, traffic was at a near standstill, catching many drivers on their way home before sundown. As driving on the Shabbat is forbidden by Torah law, many Jewish drivers parked their cars on the side of the road, took their belongings, and walked, some of them more than a kilometer, until they reached the Jewish town of Adam. Some even continued to the towns of Pesagot and Kochav Yaakov, which are several kilometers further down the road.
The first small groups arrived on foot as the Jews of Adam were beginning their Friday night prayers in the synagogue. "There was a giant traffic jam on the road," said the walkers, breathless. "The sun was setting. We realized we weren't going to make it," they explained, setting down their backpacks and belongings.
The word spread like wildfire. Once the townspeople understood the situation, they mobilized immediately, sending several runners to help the stragglers enter the town, alerting the security apparatus, and quickly allocating stranded families to the Adam residents for Shabbat meals and places to sleep.
…

(IsraelNationalNews.com)

Hat Tip: Life in Israel and Joe Settler

Interestingly enough, Heshy at Frum Satire also was stranded Erev Shabbat, but with a little Hashacha Pratit he managed to make it to a Beit Chabad minutes before Shkia.

Monster Traffic Jam

2010-08-26T09:28:00.001+03:00

Next time you’re complaining about heavy traffic, just be glad that you’re not in China where there is a traffic jam 100 km long, with some vehicles stuck for five days so far.

They hope to clear all the traffic within three weeks.

Here are extracts of the AP report as published in the Chicago Tribune:

BEIJING (AP) — China has just been declared the world's second biggest economy, and now it has a monster traffic jam to match.
Triggered by road construction, the snarl-up began 10 days ago and was 100 kilometers (60 miles) long at one point. Reaching almost to the outskirts of Beijing, traffic still creeps along in fits and starts, and the crisis could last for another three weeks, authorities say.

…

In the worst-hit stretches of the road in northern China, drivers pass the time sitting in the shade of their immobilized trucks, playing cards, sleeping on the asphalt or bargaining with price-gouging food vendors. Many of the trucks that carry fruit and vegetables are unrefrigerated, and the cargoes are assumed to be rotting.
On Sunday, the eighth day of the near-standstill, trucks moved just over a kilometer (less than a mile) on the worst section, said Zhang Minghai, a traffic director in Zhangjiakou, a city about 150 kilometers (90 miles) northwest of Beijing. China Central Television reported Tuesday that some vehicles had been stuck for five days.

בְּראשׁ הַשָּׁנָה יִכָּתֵבוּן וּבְיום צום כִּפּוּר יֵחָתֵמוּן

2010-08-23T12:21:00.001+03:00

As we approach Yom HaDin, we should all stop and appreciate what we have. And be thankful to HaShem for every living moment.

I found the following song very powerful…

The song was recorded by Yisrael Chaim in the days before his Bar Mitzva.
The Song was recorded between chemo sessions

May HaShem grant Yisrael Chaim a רפואה שלימה, together with all חולי ישראל

Hat tip: gruntig

2 Thoughts on Charedi Isolationism

2010-08-19T09:52:00.002+03:00

Saw 2 interesting comments today that I wanted to share.

One was a comment on a Jerusalem Post article about army exemptions for charedim.

Commenter Norma Gellman responded to the article as follows:

It's time the non-religious become 1st class citizens, the Haridi need to serve the country like everyone else. This may also help to bring them into the 21st century

That last line sums up exactly why many Charedim try to avoid the army, and why many secular feel that this is the most important issue in the county is the Charedi draft. It is nothing to do with defending the country, rather the main issue is whether the Charedi community should be ‘brought into the 21st century”?

Not sure exactly what Norma means by “21st Century”, but if it is a reference to many of the values we see coming out of Hollywood of off the Internet, I don’t want the army teaching those values to my kids.

I strongly believe that serving in the army is a Mitzva, and the Charedi community should join the rest of the nation in army of some other type of national service, but if the purpose of the draft is to get them to break from their values, and adopt “21st century” values, I understand completely (and support) the Charedi leadership opposition to military service.

For a totally different perspective, Hasidic-Feminist has a fascinating article about life in the Satmar World and how the entire lifestyle is geared towards separating Chasidm from the rest of society. A well written article and definitely worth a read.

Some highlights:

I davened every day. While my lips moved in futile prayer, the sexy little voices in my head never stopped talking, infringing on my relationship with God, luring me to earthly temptations. The more I tried to silence them, the more those voices clamored; spurring me onward in my dangerous quests for adventure…

…

Satmar is currently the largest and most extreme of the Hasidic sects; the thick beards and long side curls, as well as the traditional black hat and coat, are more than just a religious dress code. They are ways to mark Satmar Hasidim as separate in the most glaring way possible. Difference is what keeps Hasidic people on their narrow path.

…

Mostly though, Hasids keep to themselves; they prefer the safety of their home base and the spiritual protection it affords them. Once inside the community, Hasids close themselves off to the many opportunities and conveniences on the outside. They have no inkling of popular culture, and are ignorant about secular ideas. Most Hasidim have not received any education beyond religious schooling, and can barely speak English. Although I taught myself to speak and write English fluently, I was a conspicuous exception. All my life I felt drawn to the English language, because it allowed for much more freedom of emotion and expression than Yiddish. While Yiddish was my native tongue, somehow the words that were available never seemed right, and so the language stunted my thoughts, constricted my voice.

…

Hasidic people find interacting with the secular world a frightening ordeal; the struggle to speak English and fit in coupled with an eccentric demeanor results in an awkward encounter at best. I had to overcome those fears every time I left Williamsburg; at least when I blended in with the others around me I felt normal, but on the outside I felt exposed, an object of ridicule. It was impossible for me to de-emphasize my difference. The Grand Rabbi of Satmar, Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum, had intended these obstacles, designing a lifestyle that would separate us so completely that assimilation would be nearly impossible. Rabbi Teitelbaum had reinvented the Hasidic movement in the post war period of the 1950s; he claimed that assimilation had been the cause of the Holocaust, and that only by demonstrating true devotion to God could the Jewish people prevent another outpouring of His wrath. Only in America did the Hasidic lifestyle become such an intensely structured experience; every act and thought was accompanied by detailed rules and guidelines. For a Satmar Hasid, there was only one morally correct way in which to conduct one’s life, with no room for difference.

Of Tolerance and Intoloerance

2010-08-12T14:35:00.001+03:00

2 news articles really bothered me today:

Arutz7 is reporting that the Samaria Residents’ Council is complaining about instructions to soldiers not to eat in front of Muslims during Ramada, and to extend times that check points are open to accommodate Muslims observing Ramadan.
Jerusalem Post reports that Residents of Binyamin have launched a protest against the planned Arab city of Rawabi (which has been dubbed as the “Palestinian Modi’in”)

These articles bother not only because of the apparent intolerance within the National Jewish Community, but because I think that this type of attitude hurts not only mutual co-existence, but the cause of the Nationalist camp.

I believe that all possible plans for the future of this Land fall into one of 2 categories:

Either we decide that Jews and Arabs will never get on together, and we should put up a large wall or border between “Us” and ‘Them” and make sure that we have as little interaction as possible. This is the basis of the “2 State Solution” proposed by many on the left. It is also the basis of the proponents of Transfer, the only difference being where we put the border.

The only alternative that I can think of is that we agree that we have to live together and we work to encourage mutual tolerance and interaction. A good start to this would be to instil sensitivities to the cultural norms of each other. If Muslims are fasting this month, we should be sensitive to that when interacting with them. (A while ago I wrote about the importance of increased interaction between Jews and Arabs in a post on “My Peace Plan”)

Similarly, I think that the proposed new Arab city of Rawabi, which would be a few minutes drive from my house, is an excellent idea. I don’t believe that “Poverty Breeds Terrorism”, or that improving the Palestinian standard of living will eliminate radicals, it will however have many benefits to both the Jewish and Arab population:

For the Arabs, having quality affordable housing by itself is a great benefit
It’ll reduce overcrowding in Ramallah and Jerusalem, and hopefully discourage illegal Palestinian building within Jerusalem, as there will be cheaper alternatives.
It’ll boost the Palestinian economy, which in turn will support the Israeli economy, as Palestinians will spend their goods in Israel or to buy Israeli goods (the Israeli and Palestinians economies are really a single intertwined item)
Increasing the Palestinian Standard of living will probably decrease family sizes; statistically all over the World, as Standard of Living goes up, family size goes down (One of the very few exceptions is within the Religious Jewish community). Reduced Palestinian family size would offset the “demographic time bomb”, which was the justification for plans like the Gaza withdrawal or the creation of the PA, both of which increased terrorism and made the prospects of genuine peace more unattainable

Chickens for Yom Tov

2010-08-09T14:30:00.004+03:00

Recently when I spoke to my mother (who’s in New Zealand) she mentioned that she had two chickens left in the freezer which she was saving for Rosh Hashanah as she wasn’t sure whether there would be any more kosher meat available in the country by then.

Well the good news is that after the New Zealand Jewish Community launched legal proceedings against the Minister of Agriculture, the local court approved an interim agreement which would allow shechita until the case goes to trial.

Here is the official announcement from the shul in Wellington:

Dear Congregants,

As we informed the community last week, we filed legal proceedings against the Minister of Agriculture, seeking a restoration of the right to practise shechita in New Zealand.

We are pleased to report that an interim agreement has now been reached with the Minister, which will enable the continued practice of shechita in the period up to trial (which is likely to take place during 2011).

Court orders were made by consent in the Wellington High Court this morning, giving legal effect to that agreement. Every effort is being made to get chicken and local lamb "back on the table" as soon as possible.

The community would like to acknowledge the tremendous contribution the legal team at Russell McVeagh have made in putting together our case to achieve this positive outcome in such a short period.

Claire Massey
Chair, Board of Directors
WJCC

Additional information in this article from Voxy.co.nz and J-Wire.

So the good news is that if you’re in New Zealand for Yom Tov, there should be kosher meat available.

Hopefully the new Rabbi will be settled in Wellington by then.

Lets just hope that when the Shechita issue does get to trial in 2011, the court backs the basic right of the Jewish Community to eat meat in accordance with our religious requirements.

(If anyone wants to contribute to the court costs, details are available in this Facebook group)

Anyone know the end of this Joke

2010-08-08T17:58:00.001+03:00

There’s been a joke going around the Internet that starts something like this…

A Priest, A Rabbi, and the Daughter of a Former US President walk into a wedding..

Unfortunately I can’t work out how the joke ends.

Someone told me that it ends with the end of American Jewry.

Someone else said that it ends with the success of the American melting pot experiment.

Maybe they were both right, that Jews can’t survive in a melting pot.

As someone much cleverer than me once said:

“If we don’t make Kiddush, the non-Jews will make Havdalah”

Is it time to privatize the Rabbanut

2010-08-05T21:28:00.002+03:00

Earlier this week I wrote about the dismal service offered by the Rabbanut when people come to register their marriage. Instead of being happy and encouraging the couple, they are often rude and force the couple to jump through hoops to prove that they are Jewish, even if they could confirm their status with a few phone calls.

Two commenters recommended using alternative services to the Rabbanut, one to the right (Eida Charedit), the other to the left (Tzohar). To the best of my knowledge, it is technically not legal to marry through either of these services yet Misrad Hapnim will often accept documents from the Eida (not sure about Tzohar) and register a couple as married.

I’ve also heard of couples marrying with a Reform rabbi, and somehow getting Misrad Hapnim to register the marriage.

I think that there is a lot of benefit to having a single body in charge of weddings, conversions, and divorces, it removes doubts for future generations and avoids the problem of “my son can’t marry your daughter”. It also means that there is a single location where records are kept, making it easier for future generations to trace family records.

That said, given the terrible service provided by the Rabbanut in some cities, maybe there should be some level of recognized competition to the Rabbanut.

This could mean licensing other organizations like the Eida or Tzohar to do weddings, and make sure that they have the halachic knowledge, appropriate supervision/control, and a proper record keeping system.

Alternatively they could relax the requirement to register the marriage in the city where one of the couple live. Given that some offices of the Rabbanbut are more “user friendly” than others, travelling to a neighbouring town to register a wedding would be a good alternative for some couples, and would keep control in the hands of the Rabbanut (I believe that this is similar to the conversion system proposed in the Rotem Bill).

There is already competition in other services provided by the Rabbanut such as Kashrut, Mikvaot, and Eruvin. Maybe it’s time to let the power of the free market force the Rabbanut to improve their customer services/

(BTW – I am deliberately avoiding the question of non Orthodox or secular weddings, I do have an opinion on that question, and maybe I’ll address it in a separate post)

Are we helping the enemy

2010-08-04T08:53:00.001+03:00

Yesterday there was a flair-up on the Lebanese border.

the sequence of events was as follows:

Israel needed to do maintenance work (cutting down a tree) in the closed military zone between the Border fence and the International Border.
Even though Israeli troops would not be crossing the border, because this work was adjacent to the border they informed the UN Observers
The UN observers notified the Lebanese army, and then went to Observe (after all that’s what they’re there for)
The Lebanese army opened fire and killed an Israeli soldier who was working on the Israeli side of the border
The international press reported that Israel had invaded Lebanese territory or was working in a disputed area when Lebanese troops opened fire. (Yahoo, AP, MSNBC, and the NY Times all mis-represented the facts, when a simple call to the UN Observers would have eliminated the need for “he said – she said"” journalism)

A few obvious questions:

Why are we coordinating our activities with UNIFIL if the result is that the Lebanese army is notified in advance of where they should attack us?
Why do we need UN soldiers to confirm that we did not cross the border, if the result is that the World media blames Israel anyway, or at least assigns equal blame.

As Kurt Cobain said:
“Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't after you”

Hat tip: Barry Rubin.

The Ultimate Wasted Opportunity

2010-08-02T10:02:00.001+03:00

There have been several news articles recently about the impact of intermarriage. Many bloggers have written about the very public marriage between Princess Chelsea and some commoner who owns a Tallis. A former employer of mine, David Breakstone wrote about the challenge he faced when his son’s fiancé turned out to be not-Jewish according to Halacha.

As tragic as the challenge of Intermarriage is, one of the really frustrating things for me is when two Jewish people want to get married and are made to jump through hoops by the Rabbinate to prove their Judaism.

Ha’aretz ran one such story about Hillary Rubin who produced the necessary documentation to prove her Jewishness, but the Rabbanut still gave her problems, to the point that she is afraid to go to the Beit Din (there are additional details not mentioned in the article, you can see more about her background on her blog).

Unfortunately these types of stories are all to common in Israel. I remember when Debbie and I got engaged 15 years ago. When we went to the Rabbinate we had to wait several hours as the couple in front of us has some complications. I don’t know the details, but they were a Russian couple, and there was some issue (he may have been a Cohen). Lets just say that there were raised voices, and by the time the couple left the office I am sure that they would have been happy to never see another Rabbi again – ever.

The wait was so long, that it was getting close to Shkia. I had assumed that we would be finished in plenty of time for me to find a Minyan, but when I saw that it was getting late for Mincha, I went into a corner of the waiting room to Daven.

Of course as soon as I started Davening the couple in front of us left, and a very angry Rabbi stormed out of his office, saw Debbie by herself and demanded to know where the Chatan was. When she pointed to me davening in the corner his whole attitude changed. Suddenly he was very friendly and accommodating, he even went out of his way to find my brother’s file from when he got married several years earlier and photo-copied the letter of recognition of the Rabbi who had provided a letter confirming that I was Jewish and Single, and to top it off he offered us a discount.

I left the office very upset by the whole experience. I know many Rabbis and interact with them every day, I don’t care whether this Rabbi is rude to me; it will not effect my opinion of Judaism – however the couple in front of us, this may well have been the first time that they ever spoke to a Rabbi. By making the process difficult and unpleasant almost guarantees that they will go out of their way to avoid Rabbis or anything connected with Judaism in the future. Talk about a wasted opportunity.

Don’t get me wrong, I think that it is important the Jews in this country are married according to halacha (a separate arrangement should be made for people who aren’t Jewish, but that’s a separate story), however the whole way that the process is handled should be restructured.

One possible solution would be to work more with local neighbourhood Rabbis who already exist in big cities and are under the auspices of the Rabbinate. These Rabbis should have their roles increased and be trained more to work with local residents, particularly non-religious residents in their neighbourhood.

If there is a Brit, Bar Mitzva or R”L a death in the neighbourhood, the Rabbi should make it his responsibility to meet the family and offer his assistance as needed.

Similarly, if there is an engagement in the neighbourhood, instead of facing some bureaucrat at the Rabbanut, the couple should meet with their local Rabbi who hopefully would know their families personally.

It would be the Rabbi’s responsibility to fill in any paperwork and confirm that the couple are both Jewish. If there any questions, he should have resources to track down contacts in the cities that they come from, or their grandparents come from to see if there are records in the local communities or cemetery. Maybe he could call the Rabbi in the town that the couple grew up or speak to their grandparents.

In the vast majority of cases, with the required resources and a few phone calls, a trained Rabbi should be able to confirm that the happy couple of in fact Jewish.

If there really is a question, it should be the job of the local Rabbi to go with the couple to the Beit Din and try to resolve the issue together.

Unfortunately a proposal like this would decentralize the control of the Rabbanut and would face fierce opposition

On a more positive note, Tzhoar is an organization of Rabbis who are trying to set up services similar to what I described above. They are trying to get their Rabbis employed by local congregations so that they can have representatives in as many communities and neighbourhoods as possible. The already help people navigate the bureaucracy of the Rabbanut and provide support and assistance to engaged couples.

I am not sure whether Tzohar would be able to help Hillary, and others with similar cases, but I wish her success and hope that she is able to quickly resolve the issues with the Rabbanut, has a happy wedding and merits to build a Bayt Neeman BYisrael.

Conspiracy or coincidence?

2010-07-29T08:56:00.002+03:00

I’m not a big believer in conspiracy theories, but the way that the Shechita ban was implemented in New Zealand, rushed through parliament with little debate or forewarning against the advise of the parliamentary committee seems to imply that there is more to the story than has been made publically available.

My father just posted the following message on a New Zealand Jewish Email List. Not sure whether this was the motivating force behind the ban, but if it is, it would certainly explain a lot of unanswered questions. (My father’s comments in blue)

Is there a possible connection between the banning of schechita on 26 May and the problems with the free trade agreement with the Gulf States negotiated just shortly before that?

Ink not dry on FTA

Sources say New Zealand's refusal to resume live sheep exports could be a sticking point in a Free Trade Agreement with the Gulf States

New Zealand's much-heralded Free Trade Agreement with the Gulf States is faltering, even though the Government said three months ago that the ink was drying on the paperwork.
In May a delegation travelled on what turned out to be a disastrous trade mission to the region ahead of the agreement's expected signing.
Trade Minister Tim Grosser now admits the signing, which he said in May was simply a matter of translating Arabic into English, has run into obstacles. However he says it is not in the country's interests to negotiate through the media, and he is trying to get a discreet resolution.
Sources say one of the big obstacles is New Zealand's refusal to resume live sheep exports to the region.

http://home.nzcity.co.nz/news/article.aspx?id=117862&fm=newsmain,nrhl

Shipping live sheep to the Gulf is an inefficient way of sending meat over there. Could it be that the devout Islamic states want sheep killed according the uncompromising Hallal rites, without prior stunning, which they could not do in New Zealand and spotted the loop hole of the exception made for kosher schechita? Is it possible that The Hon David Carter, minister of agriculture, passed the regulation to stop schechita over night without further consultation, against the advice of his own staff, to help his colleague, Tim Grosser, Minister of Trade dig himself out of a difficult position?

Statement of Principles

2010-07-28T23:07:00.002+03:00

Jewish Blogesphere has been ubuzz with talk on the Statement of Principles on the Place of Jews with a Homosexual Orientation in Our Community.

Firstly, let me say that I fully support the statement and agree with the intent and details of the endeavour.

I don’t believe that there is anything controversial about this statement, and the fact that it has to be written out and signed and isn’t self-evident is a huge failing of the Orthodox community.This failing is compounded by the fact that there are several Rabbis who have refused to sign.

In a nutshell the Statement says that certain Homosexual acts are forbidden by Halacha, but we should not use this as an excuse to shun Jews who are struggling to deal with Homosexual tendencies.

I like the fact that the Statement points out that it doesn’t matter whether Homosexual tendencies are “Nature” or “Nurture”, certain acts are still forbidden. The Statement also does not endorse “Correction Therapy”.

It also points out that we should be particularly sensitive to members of our community who are unable to achieve sexual fulfilment within the confines of Halacha.

What the statement doesn’t mention, is that there are many people beyond those with Same-Sex attractions who are also unable to achieve sexual fulfilment within Halacha.

This would include people with other types of sexual attractions, for example people who are attracted to young children, animals, multiple partners, etc.

There are also people with regular sexual attractions who are restricted by Halacha, for example someone who’s spouse is missing or physically (or emotionally) unable to be intimate. There are also many older single people who have been unable to find their Beshert and have no permissible outlet for their sexuality; this issue is especially problematic for older Cohanim (especially Ba’alei Tshuva), who are very limited in who they are able to marry.

To be in one of the situations listed above is truly tragic, and we as a Torah Observant community should be sensitive and supportive of these people, especially those for whom there is no Halachic solution.

We should not encourage people to openly flaunt Halacha, for example by openly living in a forbidden relationship (which includes all sexual relationships outside of marriage, whether homo or hetero-sexual), however it is also important to keep out of other peoples private lives. If 2 people are living together, we shouldn’t automatically assume that they are engaging in forbidden activities.

As a believer in an All-Compassionate G-d, it pains me to think of people who are denied an important part of human existence as a result of their commitment to G-d’s Law, and it is beyond human understanding why an All-Compassionate G-d would create a universe in this manner, but as they say in the Mama Loshen פוהן אַ קאַשיאַ שטאַרבט מען נישט (You don’t die from a question), although tragically with the high suicide rate amongst people with Same-Sex attractions, there are some questions that people do die over.

Quote of the Day

2010-07-28T09:32:00.001+03:00

I know that the headline was borrowed from Life in Israel, but I couldn’t think of any other heading to put above this gem from The Wall Street Journal’s Best of the Web:

Cameron: Settlers Back to Gaza
Britain's rookie prime minister, David Cameron, is weighing in on the situation in Gaza, where Israel has been enforcing a blockade to prevent the re-arming of Hamas terrorists. London's Daily Telegraph quotes him:

Mr Cameron said: "The situation in Gaza has to change. Humanitarian goods and people must flow in both directions. . . ."

So apparently he wants Gazans to send humanitarian goods to Israel and Israeli settlers to return to Gaza.

Environmentalism as Idol Worship

2010-07-21T23:43:00.001+03:00

In a few weeks the Daf Yomi cycle will start Misechet Avoda Zara. In our day an age it is difficult to understand how people could worship idols that they themselves had made, however today there are other types of Idol Worship.

There are elements within the green environmental movement that strongly resemble idol worship. For example, This guy makes an argument for climate control which is almost identical to Pascal’s Wager, not sure whether he even realizes that he has drawn the same grid as used to explain Pascal’s wager, or that his argument has the same holes in it as Pascal’s wager has. (If you’re not sure of the logical problems in Pascal’s wager, or this environmental argument, please contact me, I wrote an essay on it in University)

Don’t get me wrong, I believe that it is important to respect and protect our planet, in fact Chapter 2 of Berashit (Genesis), immediately after HaShem creates Man, he commands Man as follows:

וַיִּקַּח יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים אֶת-הָאָדָם וַיַּנִּחֵהוּ בְגַן-עֵדֶן לְעָבְדָהּ וּלְשָׁמְרָהּ (בראשית ב’ ט”ו)

God took the man and placed him in the Garden of Eden to work it and watch it. (Genesis 2:16)

However, I believe that we should protect our planet for the benefit of future generations. Protecting the planet should not be a means unto itself.

I think that Rabbi Shmuley Boetach phrased it best in a recent column:

Saving a tree, however important, is never as significant as saving a human life. Stopping a rainforest from being decimated is still subordinate to stopping genocide.

Which brings me to the point of this article, there are environment-extremists who believe that saving the plant is more important than saving the human race, they are literarily campaigning for the extinction of the Human race. There is actually a Voluntary Human Extinction Movement (VHEMT).

In a recent interview, VHEMT founder, Les U. Knight (sounds like a pseudo-name to me) describes the logic behind his movement:

How did the whole VHEMT thing come about?

A. It came about for me the same way it's come about for millions of other people. You just start looking at the world and thinking about the problems and solutions to the problems, and eventually you come down to the fact that our excessive breeding has increased the population to the point where we're not taking care of everybody, and if there weren't any humans on the planet, everything would be fine. The biosphere would recover, species that we are driving to extinction would no longer be endangered and could flourish, and there'd be no more human suffering.

It's an idea that's probably been around for a very long time -- I just gave it a name.

Q. Definitely we humans have made a mess of things on this planet, but we've made some great stuff too -- music, art, literature. Wouldn't it be a shame to see all of that human culture disappear?

A. We wouldn't see it disappear.

Q. Because we wouldn't be here?

A. [Laughs.] All those things are fun for humans, and I hope we continue doing them right to the last day, but we haven't done anything that benefits the rest of the planet. The rest of creation could do just fine without us. Since even before we became Homo sapiens, we've been adversely impacting ecosystems that we inhabited.

In other words, as human beings are incapable of doing anything of benefit to the planet, and the “Planet” is all-important, we would best serve mother Earth by voluntary extinction.

Certainly sounds crazy, but also not unlike Idol Worship of yester-year that was prepared to sacrifice human lives for the perceived benefit of some manifestation of nature.

Lest there be any confusion, let me remind Mr Knight that although we are commanded to protect our planet in Chapter 2 of Genesis, Chapter 1 of Genesis says explicitly that we are here to enjoy and populate this World, as G-d phrased it:

כח וַיְבָרֶךְ אֹתָם אֱלֹהִים וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם אֱלֹהִים פְּרוּ וּרְבוּ וּמִלְאוּ אֶת-הָאָרֶץ וְכִבְשֻׁהָ וּרְדוּ בִּדְגַת הַיָּם וּבְעוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם וּבְכָל-חַיָּה הָרֹמֶשֶׂת עַל-הָאָרֶץ. כט וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים הִנֵּה נָתַתִּי לָכֶם אֶת-כָּל-עֵשֶׂב זֹרֵעַ זֶרַע אֲשֶׁר עַל-פְּנֵי כָל-הָאָרֶץ וְאֶת-כָּל-הָעֵץ אֲשֶׁר-בּוֹ פְרִי-עֵץ זֹרֵעַ זָרַע לָכֶם יִהְיֶה לְאָכְלָה. ל וּלְכָל-חַיַּת הָאָרֶץ וּלְכָל-עוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם וּלְכֹל רוֹמֵשׂ עַל-הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר-בּוֹ נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה אֶת-כָּל-יֶרֶק עֵשֶׂב לְאָכְלָה וַיְהִי-כֵן.
בראשית פרק א'

God blessed them [Man and Woman]. God said to them, 'Be fertile and become many. Fill the land and conquer it. Dominate the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and every beast that walks the land. God said, 'Behold, I have given you every seedbearing plant on the face of the earth, and every tree that has seedbearing fruit. It shall be to you for food. For every beast of the field, every bird of the sky, and everything that walks the land, that has in it a living soul, all plant vegetation shall be food.' It remained that way.
(Genesis 1 28-30)

I doubt that Mr Knight takes Genesis seriously, however for those of us who are “מאמינים בני מאמינים” (Believers, sons of believers), it is important to realize that there are absolute moral values in this world, and extinction of the human race is not amongst them.

Jews are here there and everywhere

2010-07-21T18:17:00.002+03:00

Frum Satire has a great link to MaNishtana, a black Jew (or as her calls himself, a Jew of Colour).

He has some cute videos, check out this explanation of Purim which includes flags of many countries with Jewish populations blended with the Flag of Israel – well I thought it was cute (Like the New Zealand Flag that he used?)

I wonder how common this question is….

2010-07-15T18:27:00.001+03:00

The New York Times has a weekly column by Randy Cohen where he addresses ethical questions submitted by readers.

A few times the questions have been specific to the Orthodox Jewish community, but I think that this week’s question takes the cake.

I am a straight woman, and I was set up on a date with a man. We got along well initially, but I grew concerned about how evasive he was about his past. I did some sophisticated checking online — I do research professionally — and discovered that he [sic] is a female-to-male transgender individual. I then ended our relationship. He and I live in Orthodox Jewish communities. (I believe he converted shortly after he became a man.) I think he continues to date women within our group. Should I urge our rabbi to out this person?
NAME WITHHELD, N.Y.

Makes me wonder how common these types of issues are.

I actually know of at least two transgender people who are (or at least were) Orthodox Jews, although both were male-to-female individuals, so they couldn’t be the person described in the letter.

Interesting question of Lashon Hara – if you knew of a transgender person “Shidduch Dating” (for want of a better term) without telling their date that they were once of a different gender, is their an obligation to make the situation known publically, or at least inform people who have been set up on dates with the person?

Transgender people also raise interesting questions of where they should sit in shul (which side of the Mechitza), Kol Isha, and whether they should be allowed to teach at YU, But I’ll leave those questions to the Halachic authorities.

Where the Supreme Court Has Failed

2010-06-20T14:42:00.001+03:00

I’ve been avoiding commenting on the Emanuel case, on one hand I am against any type of racism, particularly within the Jewish Community, on the other hand I think that it is the right of parents to set religious standards for their schools, and it seems that the sfardi girls who were being excluded from the school in Emanuel were excluded based on their religious standards, not their ethnic background.

That said, I think that the Supreme Court overplayed its hand by sending parents to prison. If they wanted to fine the school or close the school down, that would have been reasonable, but sending parents to jail sounds more like a power play than a reasonable way to enforce the law.

However, I think that there is a bigger problem with the Supreme Court and it has been a problem for many years, and that is that the Court is nor perceived as being neutral or fair.

Leaders of the religious community, the “Settler” community, the Arab community have all accused the Supreme Court of bias. If the only segment of Israeli society that regard the court as fair is the “Liberal Secular” then we have a real problem.

Again, the problem is one of appearance, even is bias is not really there.

If the leadership of the Black, or Mormon, or Asian community in the US claimed that the Supreme Court was biased against them, and were able to organize demonstrations across the country protesting against the Court, that would indicate that the court has a credibility issue within that community.

If the court did not address the issue, by meeting with leaders of minority communities, getting more minority representation on the court, or other methods, it would not matter whether there was real bias or not, the court would have lost all credibility within that community, making it almost impossible do make any ruling which effects that community that would be accepted willingly by the community.

In Israel the perception of bias has gone on for decades. This is not the first time that there have been massive Heredi demonstrations against the Supreme Court, and the court has done little, if anything to convince the Haredi, or religious Zionist community that they are not biased against them.

This perception of bias undermines the authority of the court, and contributes to the breakdown of law in the country as a whole.

Releasing the Slonim parents from jail, and meetings between the Supreme Court judges and leaders in the Slonim community would be a good step in restoring the credibility of the court. Unfortunately, I don’t see the court as regarding its own credibility as a worthwhile venture.

History of Opposition to Shechita in New Zealand

2010-06-18T11:27:00.002+03:00

Sorry to beat a dead horse (or at least a stunned chicken), but I found this brief history very interesting.

Opposition to Shechita in New Zealand is nothing new, according to the History of Jews in New Zealand, proposals to make stunning of animals mandatory date back to 1908:

As far back as 1908, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals attempted to ban Shehitah. It tried to introduce a Bill in Parliament requiring the stunning of animals before slaughter. When it realized its absurdity as far as the Jewish ritual was concerned, it dropped the proposals. Another campaign undertaken all over New Zealand about 1950 by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to prevent Shehitah, seemed to introduce an element of anti-semitism. Most of the previous objections to Shehitah concerned the manner of casting the animals in preparation for slaughter. When the Jewish communities bought casting pens which overcame this objection, the Society began to object to Shehitah itself, although it had incontrovertible evidence given by the greatest scientists in the world of the humaneness of the Shehitah method. Without notifying Rabbi Astor, the Society removed his name as vice-president, but it retained the name of Sir Ernest Davis as a patron.

Even earlier there was a bill before parliament in 1894 which was amended to explicitly allow Shechita:

Besides the problem of compulsory religious education in schools, another question which concerned all the New Zealand Jewish communities came before Parliament in 1894. The Government introduced a Bill which had as its purpose the improvement of conditions in the matter of the slaughter of animals. Fearful that the Bill would affect the Jewish method of Shehitah, the committee of the Dunedin Synagogue, its minister and the mayor of the city, telegraphed the mover of the motion, D. Pinkerton, to insert a clause allowing Jews to continue with their method of Kosher slaughtering. To their relief, Parliament agreed.

So for over a hundred years New Zealand parliament has backed the right of the Jewish Community to eat kosher meat in the face of opposition from various animal welfare organizations. Lets hope that the government gets itself back into track

The Christchurcher Rebbe

2010-06-18T09:26:00.001+03:00

When people hear that I’m from New Zealand, one of the most common questions that I get is whether I’m from Christchurch (I’m Not), and whether there is a Rov of Christchurch.

Christchurch is the biggest city in the South Island of New Zealand and has a small shul which has been operating for over a hundred years, in spite of the small size of the local Jewish Community. (I was only once there for a Shabbat, in the 90s, that Shabbat there was an exceptionally large crowd of maybe 13 people, since then the community has gotten much smaller).

In recent years there is a Chabadnik who has set up shop in Christchurch and caters mainly to Israeli tourists travelling the South Island.

Anyway, there is a story about one of the first rabbonim who went to New Zealand back in the 1870s, who wrote to his parents in Eretz Yisrael that he had been appointed “Minister of Christchurch” – they sat Shiva for him.

I just found the story online, as documented in “The History of the Jews in New Zealand (Chapter XIV)”

By 1870, the gold-rush on the West Coast had ended. Miners and their followers came back in droves to Christchurch, the first town they would touch in the east. Jews of Hokitika returned also, bringing with them their minister, the Rev. Isaac Zachariah. The Canterbury Hebrew Congregation immediately appointed him as its minister and Shohet, although he could not speak English well. A Baghdadi, Sephardi Jew, he had lived and studied in Jerusalem and liked nothing better than when, in the privacy of his own home, he could eat his oriental food and dress in the comfort of his oriental garb. When he wrote to his parents that he had accepted a post as a minister in Christchurch they ceased corresponding with him. They thought he had "shmud" himself and had converted to the Christian Church. Even on explanation they regarded his appointment with suspicion which he only dispelled when on a visit to the Holy Land.

More on Shechita in New Zealand

2010-06-17T15:01:00.002+03:00

Just saw this speech from Mr Carter, the NZ Minister of Agriculture, in which he is proud that he twice ignored the recommendations of National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee, and disregarded the concerns of a “relatively small religious minority”.

The Commercial Slaughter Code of Welfare came back from the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee and sat on the previous Minister's desk; he sent it back to the Committee because he wasn't completely happy with the recommended exemption for Shechita.

It came back again unchanged. When it came to my desk I decided it had to be dealt with.

And now I have issued it - there are no exemptions.

In doing so, we may have upset a relatively small religious minority, and I do appreciate their strong feelings for this issue but frankly I don't think any animal should suffer in the slaughter process.

At the end of the day, my responsibility is to make decisions and move forward, and that's what I've done.

Source: Beehive.govt.nz

Glad that the minister regards the feelings of animals during the last 12 seconds of their lives more important than the rights of a small religious community to observe their religion.

The frustrating thing about this case is that livestock bread for meat are terribly abused their entire lives, you only have to look at how cows or chickens are transported to slaughterhouses to realize that there is very little concern for their welfare.

Suddenly, the moment of slaughter arrives, and the minister suddenly feels that “no animal should suffer in the slaughter process” is of extreme importance. However there doesn’t seem to be legislation on how animals are housed or handled prior to slaughter (when they undoubtedly suffer), just the question of how the slaughter should take place.

Scientific studies have indicated that Shechita is painless to the animal, as it cuts the air supply to the brain, however in New Zealand and Australia the Jewish community has voluntarily agreed to stun the animals immediately after shechita as an added precaution. If there was any suffering after Shechita, it could not be for more than a few seconds.

This information is all in the report that the minister decided to disregard.

I’m awaiting the ban on hunting, a sport which is still licensed by the same New Zealand Government that is so concerned about the welfare of animals during the last few seconds of its life.

But at least he loved his mother

2010-06-09T09:46:00.001+03:00

One of the “Peace Activists” who died last week on the "Flotilla Aid Mission” was 19 year old Furkan Dogan, a US citizen because his Turkish parents were in Troy, NY when he was born.

Like many peace activists and humanitarians, he loved his mother. He even wrote about herin his final diary entry, as reported by Al-Jazeera (translated by MEMRI):

"One of the martyrs was 19 years old. We've just found his last diary in his suitcase. The last lines he wrote before the attack were: 'Only a short time left before martyrdom. This is the most important stage of my life. Nothing is more beautiful than martyrdom, except for one's love for one's mother. But I don't know what is sweeter – my mother or martyrdom.'

What a sweet young man, and what a shame that he had to die (or achieve “martyrdom”) in such tragic circumstances. I’m sure that his mother must be very proud of him.

Correction

2010-06-07T14:55:00.001+03:00

I just removed a post, I received a link from a reliable source, but on further investifation I realized that the video dates back to 2009, so cannot be related to recent events in Ashdod.

My aplogogies

If you can't beat 'em, mock 'em

2010-06-04T08:33:00.003+03:00

Given that the Hamas PR guys seem so much better at selling their (false) message than the Israelis, at least a group of creative people managed to put together this song...

Flotilla Choir presents: We Con the World

I love this quote...

2010-06-03T15:28:00.000+03:00

Life in Israel has this great quote from MK Eliezer Moses (UTJ) during yesterday's debate in the Knesset:

When Moses took his turn to speak, he said the following, "It is told that Shchem ben Chamor took Dina the daughter of Yaakov. The sons of Yaakov decided to fight them with trickery, and convinced them to circumcise themselves. On the third day after the circumcisions, at the height of their pain, the children of Yaakov killed them all to save their sister.

The question is asked why did they convert them to Jews?

The answer is that if the children of Yaakov had killed them when they were still non-Jews, the Security Council would have screamed out and the UN would have screamed "Gevald!" - but to kill Jews? nu nu, that can be let go without superfluous commissions of inquiry.

Letter to the Minister of Agriculture

2010-05-30T15:30:00.002+03:00

Below is a letter that I just sent to the New Zealand Minister of Agriculture.

I will keep you posted if I get a response…

Hon David Carter,
Minister of Agriculture,
d.carter@ministers.govt.nz

Dear Mr. Carter,

I read with dismay news reports of the new code of welfare for commercial slaughter which came into effect 28 May 2010.

According to the MAF web site (http://www.maf.govt.nz/mafnet/press/2010/270510-commercial-slaughter-welfare-code.htm ), all commercially slaughtered animals will require stunning before slaughtering.

As the minister is no-doubt aware, this will make Shechita (Kosher slaughtering) impossible in New Zealand, making New Zealand the only country in the world with a Jewish Community where kosher meat cannot be slaughtered locally or imported from neighbouring countries at a reasonable cost.

This issue has already received a lot of negative publicity globally, particularly in the Jewish and Israeli media.

As a New Zealand born Orthodox Jew who has elderly parents living in New Zealand who only eat kosher meat, I found it very distressing to hear that New Zealand, which has always prided itself on tolerance and acceptance of minorities, is now in effect making it practically impossible for people to observe the Jewish religion in the country. This will have a large impact on the daily life of my parents.

This is a sad break with the warm welcome that the New Zealand Jewish community has experienced in New Zealand for over 150 years, and is especially distressing in light of the high number of Jewish tourists or potential immigrants who will now feel unable to visit New Zealand without compromising their religious standards or being forced to adopt vegetarianism.

I realise that it is legal to import kosher beef (but not chicken) from Australia, but the Minister must be aware that the cost of imported meat is prohibitive and not a realistic option for many kosher-observant families in New Zealand.

As far as I am aware, there is no solution at all for Kosher poultry in New Zealand.

I hope that the minister will implement a clarification or solution which will safeguard the rights of the New Zealand Jewish community.

Yours sincerely,

Michael Sedley
Modi’in, Israel

Something’s not quite Kosher in New Zealand

2010-05-30T10:54:00.005+03:00

Growing up in New Zealand, from time to time I would work as a Mashgiach for the schichta of chickens.

Every few months I would drive up to a large industrial chicken processing plant together with the Shaliach (who was also a shochet) and a few other individuals, and in the course of the morning we would process about 1000 kosher chickens which would serve the needs of the Jewish community for the next several months.

There were a few times that I also watched cows being processed (although not shechted) when the regular mashgiach was unavailable.

There is only a small kosher community in New Zealand (which includes my parents), however according to news reports (and in the JPost) recent legislation that just went into effect will make kosher chickens completely unavailable in New Zealand and kosher beef or lamb would have to be imported from Australia, making it prohibitively expensive (details of legislation here).

According to the reports, Shcheta will be completely banned in New Zealand, and the import of chickens will continue to be banned. There will be no exceptions, in spite of the fact that page 45 of the new regulations notes that:

NAWAC (the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee) is obligated under s. 73 of the Animal Welfare Act 1999 to take into account "the requirements of religious practices or cultural practices or both."

It is also agains the2001 recommendations of the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (which is under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry).

There are currently very few Western countries that have banned Shechita, and the few countries with Jewish Communities where kosher meat is not available locally, such as Norway and Sweden, are able to import kosher meat from neighbouring countries at a reasonable cost.

Because of the geographic isolation of New Zealand, importing meat from Australia in the small quantities required for the Jewish community is unreasonably expensive. I cannot even imagine what the cost would be in running an event like a Bnei Akiva Shabbaton or camp, or a communal seder for the thousands of Israeli tourists who visit New Zealand each year.

That the New Zealand government would pass such legislation without considering the needs of a small minority of its citizens is nothing short of outrageous.

The New Zealand Jewish Council and the local rabbinate are currently appealing the law, I certainly hope that the government backtracks on this decision and an apology, or at least a clarification is forthcoming.

3000 Years New

2010-05-16T09:01:00.001+03:00

You’ve gotta hand it to Haaretz for continuing to lobby against Jewish history.

In a shocking editorial on Yom Yerushalayim, which criticizes Bibi for visiting Merkaz Harav on Yom Yerushalayim (but failed to mention that almost all senior politicians have been at Merkaz Harav every year on Yom Yerushalayim, including such radical right wing extremists as Yitzhak Rabin, Shimon Peres and Ehud Barak).

However the most shocking quote was the following which actually criticized the Minister of Education for encouraging schools to visit Yerushalayim (emphasis added):

… Education Minister Gideon Sa'ar, [has] doubled the number of schoolchildren visiting the Temple Mount and the City of David, from 200,000 two years ago to 400,000 since the start of the current school year. Under a new program drafted by the Education Ministry on the minister's orders, students are obligated to visit Jerusalem at least three times during their 12 years of school.

In theory, there is nothing wrong with this. Yet the visits tend to focus on sites like the Old City's Jewish Quarter, the Western Wall tunnels, Zion Gate and the archaeological excavations of the Temple Mount's southern wall - all disputed areas that are on the agenda during negotiations with the Palestinians, and are also associated with new Jewish settlement in East Jerusalem.

Got that – the Jewish Quarter of the Old City is associated with “New Jewish Settlement”.

In case Haaretz really have no clue of Jewish History, Jewish Settlement in the current Old City dates back to the Second Temple period (it is much older in Ir David [Silwan] just to the south which Haaretz didn’t mention).

With the exception of a few years after the destruction of the city in 70 CE, a brief period during the Crusader Period when non-Christians were barred from the city, and the 19 years from 1948-1967 when Jordanians forbade Jewish access to the city (in breech of the Ceasefire agreement) there has been a continual Jewish presence in the city for over 3000 years.

If Haaretz was to describe the American presence in Washington or even the British presence in London as “New Settlement”, this would be closer to the truth than to describe Jews as newcomers to Jerusalem.

Whether the city should be divided is a political question that can be debated (although until recently there was a consensus in Israel on the topic), however to deny basic History can only lead to hardened positions by those who wish us harm, and makes any chance of a negotiated peace deal even more remote.

A tribute to my Grandmother

2010-05-13T14:31:00.004+03:00

Tonight my niece is celebrating her Bat Mitzvah.

She is named after my paternal grandmother, Susan (Zsuzsa) Jane Cegledy, better known to my siblings and me as “Anya”. My brother asked me to say a few words about her at the dinner tonight.

I was always close to Anya. As a teenager I often walked over to her place on Shabbat afternoons, just to talk. Towards the end of her life, when she was interviewed by the Hungarian Consul he asked her about the Best memory of her life, she replied:

One of my best memories was when my second grandson just dropped in on a Saturday afternoon, just to talk to his grandmother. He might have been about 15, and he just dropped in. When they were little they liked to come and stay here. He doesn't travel on Saturday, but they don't live far, so he just dropped in.

Q: What do you talk about?

This particular grandson loves to hear about my memories, about old times. This was such a lovely experience.

One of my regrets is that I didn’t spend more time with both my grandmothers, recording their recollections of history.

Anyway – here is the tribute that I plan to share with my niece at the Bat Mitzvah in a few hours….

Shani,

Anya, your father’s grandmother, your great-grandmother, whose name you carry was a very special person.

Anya was born December 12, 1905 at the beginning of the 20th century in Budapest Hungary. One of four sisters Anya was to see worlds destroyed and rebuilt within her lifetime.

Anya’s family were almost pioneers in women’s education. Her older sister Ella was one of the first Jewish women to be accepted to the Gymnasium, (High school that teaches Latin and Greek). Five years later when Anya was high school age it was already more acceptable for Jewish girls to go to high school.

Anya married Apa in 1930, but soon after their marriage their world was turned upside down. When they married, Anya and Apa lived what could be described as a middle class life. They lived in a respectable neighbourhood and had access to Anya’s parent’s summer house just outside the city in Matyasfold (not to be confused with Mattesdorf), however the Great Depression, combined with war reparations after World War One destroyed the Hungarian economy. Soon after they got married, Apa lost his job, and went through a series of less prestigious jobs until the anti-Semitic laws of the late 1930s made it illegal to employ Jews. At that time Apa set up a small business selling household products, like toothpaste, soap, and cleaning products, selling these to little corner stores who would not be big enough to have an account in their own directly with the manufacturers

During the NAZI occupation of Budapest, when Apa was taken away to a labour battalion and later to Mauthausen Concentration camp, Anya had to watch over her two young sons (your Grandpa and Uncle Janos) as well as care for her parents.

In the final months of the War, Eichmann made it a personal priority to destroy the last remnants of Hungarian Jewry. At that time Anya was called to report to a brick factory in Obuda (October). From there they rounded up the Jewish women who reported for work and marched them Eastwards in the general direction of Auschwitz.

By that late stage in the war, the trains were no longer running, but Eichmann’s plan was to march as many Jews as he could in the direction of Auschwitz until they died of exhaustion.

Anya and her friend Malvin (my Godmother) survived this death march together. For a few nights they were billeted in a barn or pig sty of a peasant in the town of Kophaza, some 200 km outside Budapest. One of Anya’s few memories that she shared with us of those years is that the peasant woman on whose property they were staying risked her life to sneak them food in the middle of the night. Had she been caught, she would almost certainly have been executed. What impressed Anya was not that this woman risked her life to bring them food, which probably saved their lives, but the fact that she made a point of brining the food a new bucket, one that had never been used to feed the pigs and treated them with respect and dignity. It was this act of humanity that impressed Anya and she stayed in touch with the woman for many decades after the war.

From Kophaza they were marched to the town of Lichtenwörth in Austria, about 40 km away, where the NAZIs had set up a temporary camp in a warehouse. It was in this concentration camp that Anya spent the remainder of the war until her liberation by Soviet soldiers on April 2, 1945. Over 2000 Jewish women were taken to Lichtenwörth Concentration Camp, only about 400 survived.

Anya and Malvin were amongst the survivors (Your grandma’s aunts, Liza and Klari, Helen’s mother were also there. Liza survived emotionally damaged, Klari died of typhus after liberation). Anya and Malvin gradually made their way back to Budapest where they found that both her children and her parents had survived. Later she was to find out that Apa was amongst a handful of survivors of Mauthausen. An entire Jewish family surviving the war was almost unheard of in Hungary, or anywhere else in Eastern or Central Europe.

After the war, Anya and her family left Europe behind to start a new life in New Zealand, the furthest corner of the World.

They arrived in New Zealand with almost no money and Anya was the only one in the family who spoke English. However it was Anya’s optimism and determination that helped them re-establish themselves in this strange land. When their belongings were held up in Antwerp because of the currency restrictions, Anya personally called the office of the Minister of Finance, Walter Nash, to get him to intercede on behalf of their belongings (which he did, on the condition that the belongings were shipped to New Zealand on a New Zealand ship).

Anya and Apa began their new lives in Palmerston North where they established a large circle of friends and often hosted guests in their home.

As the boys grew and your Grandpa went to university, they moved to Wellington in 1954.

In 1976 Apa departed this world and left Anya on her own. After his death Anya took up travelling, making a trip to Janos in Japan almost every year and also visiting her sisters in New Jersey and Budapest. After Janos settled in Japan, Anya started learning Japanese through the Correspondence School, making her the oldest high school student in the country.

In spite of the difficult times that she lived through, Anya was the ultimate optimist. In an interview in 1990 she summarized her life as follows:

It seems like boasting if I say I'm lucky, but I'm lucky. My children married well, I have lovely grandchildren. My husband was 75 years old when he died. I was only 70, but people were left on their own as widows at a younger age. I've had a fortunate life. I never expected much, but I had a fortunate life. I have always appreciated what I had. I had a lovely childhood. I had this positive outlook; you have to be born that way. But my sisters are also like that. We had a good childhood, and we are still alive.

On February 11, 1993, כ׳ בְּשְׁבָט תשנ״ג a few weeks after her eldest grandson, your Aba got married, Anya returned her soul to her Creator. She will always be remembered fondly.

May Her Soul Be Bound in the Bonds of Eternal Life.

Mezuzot? Not in our school!

2010-05-13T08:49:00.001+03:00

In recent weeks there has been a lot of discussion in the media about lack of secular education in Charedi schools, and the (in my mind legitimate) arguments that if a school is funded by the government, the government should be able to dictate what the school teaches.

While I believe that every school should be required to teach basic life skills (at least English and Maths), schools should also be required to teach basic Jewish and Zionist values and history.

If Israel is to continue as a Democratic Jewish State, democratic Jewish values must be part of every publically-funded school in the country. (How Zionist ad Jewish values should be taught in the Arab Public schools is an interesting topic for a separate post).

This morning I was amazed to see an article on Page 2 of Yediot Achronot about a school in the North that catered to secular Kibbutzim in the area which until now did not have Mezuzot on the school buildings.

Recently, as they accepted students from other towns, they agreed to put Mezuzot on at least some classrooms, and even invited Chief Rabbi Metzger to fix the Mezuza on the door of a 7th grade classroom.

The response of some of the senior students was to circulate a petition to students, teachers, and parents that read in part;

“The school is identified with the “Hashomer Hatzair” movement, which is identified with secular culture and the left wing. Affixing a Mezuza in our school symbolizes the victory of Religion.”

To me it is shocking that the question of whether to affix a Mezuza should be up to the school. Just like every school should teach English, Science, and Math, it should teach Tenach, Jewish history, Israeli history, and Jewish Values and Practices.

There are many Jewish customs that are observed by almost all Israeli Jews. Brit Mila, Matzah on Pessach, Chanukah Candles, and Mezuzot to name a few of the Mitzvot observed in one way or other by over 90% of Jewish Israelis. These aren’t always practiced as a Religious statement, often they are seen as cultural symbols or as a way of identifying with the Jewish People.

Almost all businesses and public buildings in this country have a Mezuza, including army basis and government offices.

If the Ministry of Education feels that these values should be left to the discretion of the individual school, than as a nation we are failing our children.

Happy Yom Yerushalayim

2010-05-11T17:57:00.001+03:00

Tonight, the 28th of Iyar is Yom Yerushalayim, marking 43 years since the city of Jerusalem was reunified, Jews were again able to access our Holy sites, and for the first time in Jerusalem’s history, all religious groups were given control over their own holy sites.

The date of 28 Iyar appears a few times in Jewish History:

It is the date that we fought the war with Amalek in the Dessert, it is fitting that our first military victory as a nation was the same date that we had one of the biggest military victories in the modern era.
It is the Yhartzeit of Shmuel HaNavi, and it is fitting that it is also the day that we liberated his burial site and were able to return to Nabi Samuel.
It is the date that Rav Kook made Aliya, and 28 Iyar was always celebrated as a full holiday by Rav Kook and his family, little did he know that within a generation the entire Nation would join his family in celebrating this date.

According to the Rabbanut, Yom Yerushalayim is a full holiday and should be celebrated by dressing in Holiday clothes and full Halel and other special Tfilot.

Just as we merited to whiteness the beginning of our redemption, may we soon see the completion of the Redemption, with true Peace and Unity in the Land.

Happy Monty Python Day

2010-05-10T13:47:00.002+03:00

Apparently today is International Monty Python Status Day.

In honour of this momentous occasion, and Lag B’Omer a few days ago, I give you the following interpretation of Shabbat 33b where Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai give his opinion of the Romans (with a little help from John Cleese).

For those who wanted to see the original, as only Soncino could translate it:

For R. Judah, R. Jose, and R. Simeon were sitting, and Judah, a son of proselytes, was sitting near them. R. Judah commenced [the discussion] by observing, 'How fine are the works of this people! [The Romans] They have made streets, they have built bridges, they have erected baths.' R. Jose was silent. R. Simeon b. Yohai answered and said, 'All that they made they made for themselves; they built market-places, to set harlots in them; baths, to rejuvenate themselves; bridges, to levy tolls for them.'

Or for those who prefer the real original:

רבי יהודה ורבי יוסי ורבי שמעון ויתיב יהודה בן גרים גבייהו פתח ר' יהודה ואמר כמה נאים מעשיהן של אומה זו תקנו שווקים תקנו גשרים תקנו מרחצאות ר' יוסי שתק נענה רשב"י ואמר כל מה שתקנו לא תקנו אלא לצורך עצמן תקנו שווקין להושיב בהן זונות מרחצאות לעדן בהן עצמן גשרים ליטול מהן מכס

What you can learn from children

2010-05-06T12:25:00.001+03:00

Thought for the day:

You can learn a lot from spending, time around small children – assuming that you don't already know what a cow says or what the wheels on the bus do all day long.

(With thanks to Ruminations)

Still Waiting for you Ron Arad

2010-05-05T17:44:00.001+03:00

When I made Aliya in 1992 I remember that that when you got off the plane, right before you reached passport control the airport had a large banner saying “Waiting For You Ron Arad”. Since then, not only is the sign gone, but the airport terminal has been replaced, yet the fate of Ron is still unknown.

Life in Israel and Lion of Zion posted a reminder that today is Ron’s 52nd Birthday. It is also 8603 days since he was captured.

May this be his last Birthday in captivity, and may we soon welcome Ron back home, together with our other brothers who are still missing in action,

Rabbi David Forman ז”ל

2010-05-05T11:09:00.001+03:00

I just read with great sorrow that David Forman passed away.

I worked for David many for several summers when I was a Mecahnech for NFTY’s Israel Summer Tours.

I had many ideological disagreements with David, but always regarded him as an outstanding educator and as a passionate committed Jew.

I have many fond memories of those Summers I spent working with Reform American Teenagers, and my interaction with the NFTY Staff, particularly David was an exposure to a whole segment of the Jewish World that I as an Orthodox Jew I would not normally interact with.

May his wife Judy and daughters Tamar, Liat, Shira and Orly be comforted amongst the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem, and may they know no more sorrow.

What is a Jew

2010-05-05T10:32:00.001+03:00

I just listened to an interview with Anti-Zionist Jewish Australian Antony Loewenstein with Radio New Zealand.

He makes a number of predictable statements, that Israel and a Jewish State should be dismantled and replaced with a bi-national state; that Israel’s “Occupation” is immoral and illegal; and that “Resistance” to occupation is legitimate or at least legal in international law.

The interviewer, Kim Hill asked a lot of good questions, including a question about the following quote from DR. PHILIP MENDES:

Most Jewish anti-Zionists do not positively identify as Jews in terms of any connection with other Jews. Rather, their Jewish identity Jewish identity is solely negative based on a fanatical rejection of Zionism and Israel, and their sympathies and loyalties lie with the Palestinians whom they see as defenseless victims.

“Can you see yourself in that at all”

Mr Loewenstein replies that he doesn’t feel that the quote represents him, but does admit that:

He is an “Atheist-Jew” and doesn’t have any Religious belief in G-d or Jewish Texts.
He regards himself as “Jewish Culturally”, that he enjoys Jewish “Culture” and “Jewish Food”.
That he does not have a “great many” Jewish friends, but has Jewish family, some of whom he gets on with better than others
Philip Mendes is wrong that there are only a “handful of definitions as to what being a Jew is”

He then goes on to say that many Jews have little connection to Israel or Judaism and have inter-married and therefore, you can make up any definition that you want for being Jewish.

Well guess what, it seems that Philip Mendes has exactly described Lowenstein and many other Anti-Zionist Jews. There seems to be nothing Jewish about Lowenstein’s self-identity.

Lowenstein basically says that no one has the right to determine what the meaning of the word “Jewish” is. I.e., the word ‘Jew” is quite literally meaningless – the word has absolutely no definitive meaning whatsoever.

Mormons, “Jews for Jesus”, and other groups define themselves as “Jews” would he agree that their definition of “Jew” is equally valid to his definition?

He also seems to claim that words like ‘Self Defence” or ‘Resistance” can have any meaning that you want to apply.

The fundamental problem with this type of argument is that if words have no meaning, it is impossible to have any type of discussion.

I once asked a Reconstructionist Rabbinical student if she believed in G-d, her response was “Yes I do, but I believe that god is that inner voice within me”. In other words, “I reject your definition of G-d as ‘Creator’, or ‘Divine Being’, so I have applied a new definition of the word to mean something else”.

Be redefining terms, she was making any type of discussion impossible, as we are talking about two different things when we use common terms.

Mark Twain once said that if we decide to call a horse tail a “leg”, how many legs would a horse have? – FOUR, changing the way we use words does not change reality.

I wish Loewenstein well, and hope that his latest book is successful. But if he really wants to have a meaningful discussion about Israel and its right to exist, I think that he needs to take a long hard look at his own relationship with the Jewish People, or at the very least admit that liking Jewish Food and having some Jewish Family, does not necessarily make you a spokesperson for a the Jewish Nation.

אני יהודי – I am a Jew

2010-05-02T11:38:00.007+03:00

Given that today is Lag B’Omer and one of the themes of the day is Rabbi Akiva and ואהבת לרעך כמוך it was nice to see a new remake of Lenny Solomon’s song אני יהודי.

A translation of the original lyrics is as follows:

When they ask me who am I (I will say)
I am not Ashkenazi, Sefaradi, Taimani or Tzarfati (French)
I am not Morrocan, American, or Russian

Chorus: I am a Jew

When they ask me what am I (I will say)
I am not religious or secular, left wing or right wing,
Not an optimist nor a pessimist, naive, Chorus…

All of Israel are connected to each other
All of Israel are brothers
We live here together, we live with hope
And more important than anything is love

We are citizens, we are soldiers, people, yes we are human beings,
We stride and move ahead, we believe, we hope, and we do not lose hope
We are Jews

The remake is much more Israeli, with a whole spectrum of Israeli singers, and they completely rewrote the lyrics as follows:

When I ask myself "Who am I"?
I'm a little Sphardi, a little Ashkenazi
A little Israeli, a tiny drop of galuti (exile mentality),
maybe I’m religious, maybe secular
But between me and myself,
I am a Jew and that’s special.
Not better than anyone else, not worse,
Simply a Jew.

Sometimes a soldier, sometimes a student,
I have a lot of past and I see the future.
Sometimes a Mitnaged, and sometimes a Chasid,
Maybe materialistic, maybe spiritual, but always, always
I am a Jew and that is special.
Not worse, not better, a bit different,
Simply a Jew

Suddenly I came back from a afar, so that we can be here together.
I will be secure, I’ll return to laugh,
live comfortably without fear.
I am a Jew and that is special.
Not better than anyone else, not worse,
Just a Jew.

Nothing will break me my brother,
My soul is a part of Eternal Light Above.
To repair the world – that’s my motto,
I was born this way. I am a Jew.

Basically, Jews, just like other religions,
I have have festivals, Shabbatot, customs and Mitzvot.
Even though everyone says that they are right,
In the end we are all Jews before the Heavenly Throne.

I am very afraid of baseless hatred,
Love my land and love my nation.
I was here and there all over the world,
I have two opinions on what to ask and a third opinion,
Because I am a Jew and that is unique.
Not worse, not better, a bit different,

Simply a Jew

כששואל את עצמי "מי אני" ?
אני קצת ספרדי, קצת אשכנזי,
קצת ישראלי, טיפ טיפה גלותי,
אני אולי דתי ואולי חילוני אבל ביני לביני,
אני יהודי וזה ייחודי.
לא טוב יותר מהאחר לא רע יותר
פשוט יהודי.

לפעמים חייל, לפעמים תלמיד,
יש לי המון עבר וגם רואה עתיד.
לפעמים מתנגד, ולפעמים חסיד,
אולי גשמי, אולי רוחני, אבל תמיד תמיד
אני יהודי וזה ייחודי.
לא רע יותר, לא טוב יותר, טיפה אחר,
פשוט יהודי.

פתאום חזרתי מרחוק, שנוכל להיות כאן ביחד.
שיהיה לי בטוח, שאחזור לצחוק, שאוכל לחיות בנחת ללא פחד.
כי אני יהודי, וזה ייחודי.
לא טוב יותר מהאחר, לא רע יותר
פשוט יהודי.

שום דבר לא יצליח לשבור אותי אחי,
הנשמה שלי היא חלק מאור עליון נצחי.
לתקן את העולם - זוהי מהותי,
נולדתי ככה אני יהודי.

פשוט יהודי כמו בשאר הדתות
יש לי חגים, שבתות, מנהגים ומצוות.
למרות שכל אחד בטוח בצדקתו
בסוף כולנו יהודים, לפני כסא כבודו.

אני מאוד פוחד משנאת חינם,
אוהב את ארצי ואוהב את העם.
הייתי פה ושם ובכל העולם,
יש לי שתי דעות על מה שתשאל וגם דעה שלישית,
כי אני יהודי, וזה ייחודי.
לא רע יותר, לא טוב יותר, טיפה אחר,
פשוט יהודי.

It’s a Great song…

Hat Tip: Life in Israel

Thoughts on Lag B’Omer

2010-04-29T23:58:00.001+03:00

As anyone who lives in Israel knows, Lag B’Omer is only a few days away.

You can always tell when Lag B’Omer is coming as supermarkets lock down their trolleys and anyone with anything made out of wood makes sure that it’s bolted in place lest hoards of young teenagers “borrow” it for their bonfire and carry it off in a trolley that they “borrowed” from a supermarket.

Even the non-Jews in the area know that Lag B’Omer is just around the corner. My son has strict instructions to only take wood from construction sites with the permission of workers at the site. He told me that last week one of the Arab asked him מתי חג האש (when is the “Fire Festival”).

A few points about Lag B’Omer:

The Holiday is about Rabbi Akiva and ואהבת לרעך כמוך (Love you neighbour as yourself), damaging property, or stealing is certainly not an appropriate way to express this important principle.
Similarly, anyone with teenagers know that they become very “clicky”; who gets invited to which bonfire is a major social issue for both of my older kids – if you have teenagers, you should remind them that excluding people from a bonfire is also against the whole concept of ואהבת לרעך כמוך
Fire Safety and Road Safety are both more important than a large bonfire or travelling to Meron. I’ve been very pleased to hear ads on the Radio stressing the importance of driving safely, and I’m told that the Charedi neighbourhoods have Peshkevalim about Fire Safety. I don’t remember this in previous years, so it’s good to see that the education system is moving in the right direction.

If you’re looking for a tiyul on Lag B’omer, here are 2 suggestions which I probably wont get to this year, but would like to in the future:

Rachel, Wife of Rabbi Akiva

Just outside Tivireya is the Grave of Rachel, Rabbi Akiva’s wife. (Directions available here or here). This “grave” was only relatively recently discovered, but has an interesting story:

Until a few decades ago, this spot was neglected and full of litter. Then, one day, a hazy figure rescued a young man about to drown in Lake Kinneret. That night, Rahel appeared to him in a dream, told him that she had saved his life, and revealed the site of her grave. Armed with this new knowledge, the swimmer built this impressive monument.
Source: Jerusalem Post

With Kivrei Tzadikim, I always found the historical accuracy of the site less important than the story around the site, and as far as stories go, I love this one.

Mevasseret to Ramot (or Lifta)

The valley between Mevasseret Tzion and Yerushalayim is fascinating. I did it a many years ago with some guys from Yeshiva.

What is amazing is that right below the highway, there is a quiet peaceful valley with wildlife and caves to explore.

The connection to Lag B’Omer is that in several of the caves you can see water dripping onto rocks where the water has created a hole in the rock, just as described in the well known legend of Rabbi Akiva, definitely worth a visit.

A Jew and a Taliban Walk into a Tie shop

2010-04-27T09:46:00.001+03:00

The Internet is abuzz with a Joke about a Jewish merchant outsmarting a Taliban guy as told by told by the National Security Advisor, General James L. Jones at a pro-Israel think tank.

Many people have accused Jones of telling an Anti-Semitic joke (or worse, representing an Anti-Semitic president).

Ha’artetz quoted a “prominent think-tank source” as saying that the joke was "wrong in so many levels" and that it "demonstrated a lack of sensitivity."

YNet quotes Anti-Defamation League head Abe Foxman as calling the joke “inappropriate," saying, "It's stereotypic," he said. "Some people believe they need to start a speech with a joke; this was about the worst kind of joke the head of the National Security Council could have told."

I am bothered by prominent Jewish figures who look for anti-Semitism in places where it clearly doesn’t exist.

If as a community we scream “Anti-Semitism” every time someone tells a joke, makes a speech, directs a movie, or writes a magazine column that includes Jews or criticizes Israel, what are we supposed to do when we see real anti-Semitism (like attacks on Synagogues or Jewish schools, attacks on people dressed like Jews, or calls to attack or kill Jews).

We have got to the point where anti-Israeli columnists open columns with a statement like “‘Some Jewish groups go so far as claiming any criticism of Israel is fuelled by anti-Semitism”, and then feel free to say whatever they want about Israel or Jews, because if they are accused of being anti-Semitic, that just proves their point.

However, I think that DovBear accurately summed up the joke affair:

The joke isn't funny.
The joke is poorly told.
The joke isn't offensive to Jews. It merely depicts us as smarter than a Taliban warrior. I'd like to meet the Jew who does not consider himself brighter than any Taliban.
The fact that Jones told a joke starring a smart Jew is no proof that his boss, the president, hates our guts. My dear GOP Jews, I know its tempting to make this leap of logic but the conclusion doesn't follow.

But, if you really feel that the joke is in bad taste or reflects badly on Jews, you should contact the people that told it first, that known anti-Jewish website: Aish HaTorah.

(Hat Tip: DovBear Comment from JustAJew)

9 out of every thousand? And the Order of The Red Breast

2010-02-17T16:44:00.001+02:00

Scam Detectives has an interesting interview with a former Nigerian 419 Scammer.

You know the scam, if you have an email account you must have received many email offers promising millions of dollars if you help some poor Nigerian widow or Banker get rid of extra money that they don’t need.

I was always puzzled by these emails, maybe once upon a time people could be fooled, but today I would have thought that everyone has seen these types of scams hundreds of times and could see right through.

What amazed me in the interview is that the ex-scammer claims that almost 1% of emails get a response (he says 9-10 at of every thousand) and 5% of responses lead to a successful scam, averaging about $7500.

That means that if a scammer sends out 500,000 emails (which doesn’t sound unreasonable to me) he could make well over a million dollars with little or no cost to himself.

The interview was a very interesting read, here are some of the highlights:

John: I’m 23 years old and was released from prison in Nigeria in October last year where I served two years for fraud. I am now doing a business studies course at college and am in the UK on a student exchange programme. As part of my rehabilitation I am also working with the EFCC in Nigeria to help them understand more about scams and how the gangs work. I don’t do scams any more.

Scam-Detective: What kind of scams were you involved with?

John: Mainly advance fee fraud where we would tell people that someone has died and left millions in a bank or safety deposit box and that we needed help to get it out of the country.

…

Scam-Detective: But where do the “foot soldiers” find the email addresses?

John: Lots of people sign guestbooks online and leave their email addresses all over the internet on forums and websites. We would just visit the guestbooks, forums and websites and harvest the email addresses….

Scam-Detective: What percentage of emails would get a response?

John: Maybe 9 or 10 out of every thousand emails. Then maybe 1 out of every 20 replies would lead to us getting money out of the victim in the end.

Scam-Detective: And how much money would you expect to get from a victim?

John: On average, about $7,500 (£4,600) but the most I know about was $25,000 (£15,400)….

John: In the year before I was arrested I earned about $75,000 (£46,000) for my family. I bought my family a better house and drove a BMW. I had mobile phones and laptops and everything that comes with having lots of money.

Please, if you know someone who may have been taken in by this type of scam, please alert the police or appropriate authorities.

Ohh – and for people not familiar with Holy Church of The Order of The Red Breast, take a look at this great example of how to out scam the scammers:

http://www.419eater.com/html/joe_eboh.htm

Other interesting stories here:
http://www.419baiter.com/games.html

Avner Netanayhu - Tanach Champion

2010-02-03T11:29:00.000+02:00

When we were first married we lived in Givat Mordechai and had an older neighbour who personified the old world Secular-Labour-Zionist ideology.

He was very careful in his use of Hebrew and often corrected my use of language. To him the revival of the Hebrew language was one of the great achievements of the Zionist movement and it distressed him to hear the language abused, particularly in the media.

He was one of the first people I knew to get an Internet connection which he used to study Tanach, which was one of his hobbies. He was delighted when we named our first child Yehoshua a biblical name,

On Shabbat afternoons he used to drive to Har Herzl to meet with other like minded people and in the Shadow of Herzl's grave used to discuss and study Zionist text, poetry, and ideology.

To me he represented the world view of Ben Gurion and the other founders of the State who came here out of a firm sense of Jewish history, language, and geography based largely on the Tanach.

Unfortunately these values seemed difficult to pass onto future generations. Our neighbour's children all left Israel and grandchildren hardly spoke Hebrew. Similarly Ben Gurion and Chaim Weiztmann had children or grandchildren who left Israel.

It seems that this inability to pass on a love for Eretz Yisrael and Torat Yisrael was a big failing of the Labour Zionist movement.

This is why it was so refreshing to see the son of our current prime minister, who comes from several generations of prominent Zionists is continuing in his father's footsteps, not only in his love for Eretz Ysiarel, but he has won the Jerusalem Regional Bible competition and will go on to represent the region in the National Championships on Yom Haatzmaut.

Well done Avner Netanyah, may you continue in your father's footsteps in your commitment to the Jewish People and the Tanach.

(As an aside, the article uses the phrase "נתניהו ג'וניור" this abuse of the Hebrew language is a great example of what upset my former neighbour)

Hat Tip: Life in Israel

An Israeli, a Palestinian, and Peace Negotiator walk into a Bar

2010-02-01T16:51:00.002+02:00

Here are 2 cute jokes courtesy of Barry Rubin…

An Israeli, a Palestinian, and an American peacemaker walk into a bar. They each order a drink. The American turns to the Israeli and says: "You pay for everyone as a confidence-building measure."

……

The UN secretary-general announces the creation of a great UN world soccer team, including all the member countries.
But, asks his deputy, "Then who would we play against?"
"Well, Israel, of course," the secretary-general answers.

Did I just agree with Larry?

2010-01-28T14:29:00.002+02:00

About a year ago I outlined my idea of how we can move towards peace in this tiny land.

Basically my theory is that high-level peace talks only lead to distrust and friction as our leaders meet as adversaries across a negotiating table. Everyone is pushing for a better deal and in the process demonizing the “other”.

In additional, borders, fences, violence, and mistrust make it increasingly difficult for Jews and Arabs to interact on a personal level.

I believe that the best way forward is to leave the “political process” and instead invest in educational, medical, and social opportunities for Jews and Arabs to interact.

If a generation grows up that don’t think of the “other” as “the enemy” possibly they will be able to make peace (I’m talking about at least 20 years from now, not “Peace Now”). The exact details of the peace plan, whether a Palestinian State (with open borders and a Jewish minority), or a semi-autonomous state, or a bi-national state, or any other solution can only de discussed once we have learned to live together.

I’m not sure whether I should be glad or frustrated that today there was a column in the (new look) Jerusalem Post which agrees with me that we need to find ways for Jews and Arabs to interact.

Frustrated because the author, fellow Modi’in resident Larry Derfner is well known for his incoherent articles. Although presented as a left-wing columnist, he is not a good spokesman for the left as his columns normally make so sense other than whatever the problem, Israel (or “The Settlers”) are to blame.

I hope that the fact that in this instance I seem to be agreeing with him does not dis-prove the logic in my idea.

The Tefillin Bomber

2010-01-27T09:46:00.001+02:00

Many blogs and news sources have discussed the story about the plane that was diverted when a young man davened with Tefilin on flight.

If you haven’t heard the details, what basically happened was that 17 year old Calev Liebowitz bordered a 7:30 flight from New York to Kentuky with his sister. During the flight he davened with Tefillin. A flight attendant asked him what they were and he politely explained that they were Jewish religious prayer items.

The flight attendant who had never encountered Tefillin before told the pilot that there was a passenger with an object strapped to his head and praying. The pilot decided to be extra cautious and landed the plane in the nearest airport where Calev and his sister were briefly detained and questioned before establishing that it was a simple misunderstanding and they were released and put on the next flight to Kentuky.

Grunting has an interesting interview with Calev and his sister Dalia.

What was heartening about this story is that as far as I can tell, no one did anything wrong.

Calev davened on the plane but was polite and explained what he was doing when questioned.

The flight crew were understandably cautious, given recent events by religious extremists to blow up planes.

The ground crew quickly ascertained that this was a mis-understanding and released Calev and Dalia quickly without pressing charges (not sure whether they also apologised).

(This is in contrast to the Chasid flying out of Montreal last year who didn’t speak French or English, but decided to daven Mincha as the flight was preparing for take-off, he was quite correctly removed from the flight)

Many people have come out with guidelines on Davening on a plane, in particular I’d recommend Gil Student’s post on Praying on an Airplane, but the general guidelines are clear:

If at all possible, daven before or after the flight.
If appropriate, inform the cabin crew that you are going to pray, especially if it is on a route which probably does not regularly have religious Jews.
The flight crew may ask you to wait as they are about to give out meals or prepare for landing etc, follow their instructions.
Make sure that you do not disturb others, do not organize a minyan or obstruct the food cart or other passengers.
Daven in your seat, or if there is an available space, ask the cabin crew if it would be OK to pray there.
Most important, be friendly and polite, remember that other passengers or crew have probably never seen a Jew pray before and may be curious or concerned, especially in light of recent (non-Jewish) radicals who have carried out attacks in the name of religion.

An interesting side-note to the story is that with all the publicity many people have had a least a basic education on Tefillin, and there has been at least one individual who decided to put on Tefillin for the first time as a response to the story.

Iceberg in a Tallis

2010-01-24T10:00:00.003+02:00

Did you see the following picture posted on Snopes.com?

Is it just me, or does it really look like this is an iceberg wearing a Tallit.

Stranger things have happened...

The man who smuggled himself into Auschwitz

2009-12-13T11:23:00.001+02:00

A few weeks ago, the BBC had a remarkable story of Denis Avey, a British POW held in Auschwitz who twice traded places with a Jewish Prisoner to witness first hand what was happening in the Death factory adjacent to his POW camp.

I find the story chilling, although at some level unbelievable. The concept of willing breaking into a concentration camp sounds too similar to the fictional book/movie “Boy in the Striped Pyjamas”, which presents a totally implausible view of life in a Concentration Camp.

The other element in the story, that he successfully smuggled goods to Jewish prisoners sounds too similar to the story of “The Girl With the Apple” which also turned out to be fiction.

I tried to find other sources that covered Denis Avey’s story, but so far I have only found links to the same BBC article. If the article is true, it serves as an important testament to the goodness that is possible in the midst of the worst evil imaginable.

Here are some extracts from the article:

source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8382457.stm

When millions would have done anything to get out, one remarkable British soldier smuggled himself into Auschwitz to witness the horror so he could tell others the truth.

Denis Avey is a remarkable man by any measure. A courageous and determined soldier in World War II, he was captured by the Germans and imprisoned in a camp connected to the Germans' largest concentration camp, Auschwitz.

...

He describes Auschwitz as "hell on earth" and says he would lie awake at night listening to the ramblings and screams of prisoners.

"It was pretty ghastly at night, you got this terrible stench," he says.

He talked to Jewish prisoners but says they rarely spoke of their previous life. Instead they were focused on the hell they were living and the work they were forced to do in factories outside the camp.
...

He says he would ask where people he'd met previously had gone and he would be told they'd "gone up the chimney".

"It was so impersonal. Auschwitz was evil, everything about it was wrong."

He also witnessed the brutality meted out to the prisoners, saying people were shot daily. He was determined to help, especially when he met Jewish prisoner Ernst Lobethall.

...

Mr Lobethall told him he had a sister Susana who had escaped to England as a child, on the eve of war. Back in his own camp, Mr Avey contacted her via a coded letter to his mother.

He arranged for cigarettes, chocolate and a letter from Susana to be sent to him and smuggled them to his friend. Cigarettes were more valuable than gold in the camp and he hoped he would be able to trade them for favours to ease his plight - and he was right.
Advertisement

Mr Lobethall traded two packs of Players cigarettes in return for getting his shoes resoled. It helped save his life when thousands perished or were murdered on the notorious death marches out of the camps in winter in 1945.

...

But before he died Mr Lobethall recorded his survival story on video for the Shoah Foundation, which video the testimonies of Holocaust survivors and witnesses. In it he spoke of his friendship with a British soldier in Auschwitz who he simply called "Ginger". It was Denis.

He also recalled how the cigarettes, chocolate and a letter from his sister in England were smuggled to him in the midst of war.

"It was like being given the Rockefeller Centre," he says in the video.

Mr Avey traded places twice and slept overnight in Auschwitz. He tried a third time but he was almost caught and the plan was aborted.

He suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder when he came back from the war and has only recently been able to speak about what he did and what he saw.

He admits some may find it hard to believe and acknowledges it was "foolhardy".

"But that is how I was," he simply says.

WARNING: Jewish produce

2009-12-10T23:25:00.003+02:00

According to a report in the Jerusalem Post, the UK has decided to single out Israeli manufactured products in the “West bank” so the consumers won’t accidentally by from Jews.

According to the article:

… according to guidelines put out by the department [British Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs], "Traders and retailers may wish to indicate whether the product originated from an Israeli settlement or from Palestinian producers. This could take the form, for example, of 'Produce of the West Bank (Israeli settlement produce)' or 'Produce of the West Bank (Palestinian produce)', as appropriate."

In addition, the guidelines said that "traders would be misleading consumers, and would therefore almost be certainly committing an offence, if they were to declare produce from the OPT (including from the West Bank) as 'Produce of Israel'.

In other words, their could be two farmers growing tomatoes in adjacent fields. One of them of Jewish decent, the other not Jewish, and importers are encouraged to label each product differently so that consumers can decide whether to buy from Jews or not.

How would the British react if all imports from Northern Ireland were labelled as “Catholic'” or “Protestant”?

There were times in history when it was acceptable to place distinguishing marks on Jewish businesses, books, or products. I had thought that this type of behaviour was no longer acceptable in Western Countries, I was clearly wrong.

Of Minarets and Muezzins

2009-11-30T20:13:00.001+02:00

Two interesting news stories about the relationship between State and Religion in Western countries.

The news stories are abuzz with the Swiss Referendum which voted to ban construction of new Minarets in Switzerland.

At the same time there is a law being drafted here in Israel by MK Aryeh Bibi (Kadima) which would limit the Muezzin, the pre-dawn call to prayer which disrupts the sleep of many people who live near a Mosque (including in many mixed cities like Jerusalem, Haifa, or Chevron where many Jewish residents are also woken with the 4:00 call to prayer).

I found the results of the Swiss referendum alarming. To me it is amazing that there could be a restriction on religious buildings in a Western Democracy – although Switzerland has a strange relationship with religious minorities. Shchita has been banned in Switzerland for a long time, and many Cantons prohibit religious cemeteries (the Jewish Cemetery in Geneva is on the French border, and technically in France, not Switzerland).

But even with the limits on religion in Switzerland, I still find this blanket ban puzzling. I could understand if there were specific building codes that Minarets have to confirm to, just as I am sure that there are building codes for Church bell towers or other structures.

But a blanket ban on all new minarets seems to be pure and simply hostility to all Muslims, and this is the essence of the Problem.

Yes there have been many horrific acts carried out in the name of Islam. According to TheReligionOfPeace.com radical Islam has carried out more than 14,000 deadly terror attacks since 9-11. I don’t think that any other religious or political group has carried out even close to that number. I’m still trying to find a list of recent Lutheran or Unitarian terrorist attacks, but I’m reasonably certain that it’s less than 14,000.

But if almost all recent terrorist attacks have been carried out in the name of Islam, it does not follow that all Muslims are terrorists. In fact the opposite is true, the vast majority of Muslims are as repulsed by this abuse and mis-use of religion as anyone. In fact moderate Muslims are probably more upset as it reflects badly on them and their community (is there an Islamic equivalent of “Chillul HaShem”?)

And that is the problem with the proposed ban in Switzerland. It does not differentiate between moderate Muslims and radical Islamists. In fact it does the opposite, it lumps them all together in one basket.

To quote Daniel Pipes, "militant Islam is the problem, moderate Islam is the solution". if we want to identify potential terrorists, we can’t declare war on Islam, rather we should work with moderate Muslims to strengthen their influence within their own communities and at the same time try to identify and stop radical militant Islam.

Unfortunately the Swiss Referendum seems a giant step in the opposite direction.

If there is one silver lining in this vote, they have now clearly put the ball in the Muslim Community's court. The Muslim community can respond within the norms of democracy, to appeal the results in front of the courts, parliament, or in the media, or alternatively they can resort to violent protest.

Lets see what path the Muslim community adopt, and lets hope that their actions don’t prove that the ban was justified, or at least justifiable.