US Looks the Other Way While Iran Engineers Destruction

B"H


Israel has now supplied the US government with soil samples from Iran to prove that Iran is building secret reactors.


No go. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta continues to claim that an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities could "consume the Middle East in a confrontation and a conflict that we would regret."

This begs the question:  Would Panetta "regret" a nuclear attack on Israel?

Refusing to make a choice IS a choice.  The longer the US waits and quakes in it's boots, the more sure we can all be that Khomeini will near his goal nuclear holocaust in the name of "the 12th Imam."

We all know that the US government doesn't have the B'Z to attack Iran, and that they will wait in the wings and watch as Israel does it.  "After all," they are probably thinking, "All the arabs hate Israel anyways, so nothing will change if they attack!"

What they don't realize is that things will change.  America will become an even better target for the terrorist forces of the world because arabs don't respect weakness, they respect strength.  

Israel already understands that it is more important to be respected than loved.  The US may learn that lesson the hard way--led by weak-kneed patsies like Leon Panetta.

M

Rabbi Elyashiv Condemns Hareidim to Poverty, Ignorance . . . Again

B"H

It is so sad that Rabbi Elyashiv has so little trust in the strength of Torah that he thinks that those who study secular subjects will become "tainted" by those subjects and turn away from Torah.

Did Maimonides turn away from Torah when he studied medicine?  Did he stop being a man of learning?

How can a rabbi who has no formal education in History, Art, Technology, or Science render a p'sak about those areas?  A rabbi NEEDS to know a lot more than Gemmorah and the collected works of Rabbi Elyashiv!

Even more pertinent, is Torah something divorced from everyday life, or a guide to it?

Back to my blogging . . .

B"H

I have been so quiet lately!

Mostly it is the result of a tremendous amount of work that was completely unexpected and overwhelming.  Most of my work is done on the computer, so taking a moment to blog after a full day of computer stuff was almost more than I could face.

However, I need to write, and I will continue now.  The three-month hiatus was a nice break.  Thank you for standing by.

Michelle

Some customs for the holiday of Hanoukah by Joseph Mosseri

1) The custom in Egypt was not to say Sidouq HaDin all 8 days of Hanoukah.

2) The custom amongst all Middle Eastern and North African Jewish communities is to only use pure olive oil for the Hanoukah lights. The reason being that this is considered to be the best way to fulfill the commandment and because the holiday miracle occurred through olive oil.

3) When lighting, the custom as brought down by Maran, Hakham Yosef Karo, in his Shoulhan 'Aroukh, is to start with the light on the right. Meaning that on the first night when you are going to light, you begin with the wick closest to your right hand.

On the second night, you begin with the wick adjacent to the one you lit on the first night, them you light the one of the first night.

On the 3rd night, you begin with the newest wick, and work your way back to the right. And such is the manner on each night.

By the last night you'll be lighting that closest to your left hand first and moving to your right. In the same manner that we write English or any Western language. Since the custom is to use oil wicks and not candles, we light with a candle and after the obligatory lights are kindled, the Shamash, or extra wick is kindled with the candle. The candle is then extinguished.

4) If you can safely light near your entranceway in order to publicize the Hanoukah miracle to those who pass by in the street that is great. If not you can feel comfortable knowing that you can follow the custom to light inside the house where it will be publicized to the family members. This is based upon MaHaRYQaSh ,in his gloss to the Shoulhan 'Aroukh, chapter 671.

The Laws of the Sukkah, According to Dr. Seuss

B"H

To me this is a favorite
I post it for every Sukkot.

These laws are very real, you'll see
They all have a helpful footnote!

M
-----
Rabbi Arthur E. Gould, Sukkot 1999 - 2001
Rules of the Succah (with numbered footnotes)
(For more about the Laws of the Succah seehttp://www.yeshiva.org.il/midrash/shiur.asp?id=958.)


You can build it very small (1)
You can build it very tall (2)
You can build it very large (3)
You can build it on a barge

You can build it on a ship (4)
Or on a roof but please don't slip (5)
You can build it in an alley (6)
You shouldn't build it in a valley (7)

You can build it on a wagon (8)
You can build it on a dragon (9)
You can make the s'chach of wood (10)
Would you, could you, yes you should

Make the s'chach from leaves of tree
You shouldn't bend it at the knee (11)
Build your Succah tall or short
No Succah is built in the Temple Court

Personal Memories of 9/11

B"H

Everyone has a story of where they were at 9/11, just like everyone in the generation before us had a story about Pearl Harbor.  They are moments where time stands still for everyone.

That day, I was standing in my kitchen in Minden, Nevada, looking out the window as I rinsed dishes. I was listening to NPR.

The announcer said, "A small private plane has slammed into the World Trade Center."  It didn't seem much at first.  I didn't really react.  The announcer went to to chat with the reporter about how small planes have hit tall buildings in the past, for example, the Empire State Building.

Then the report turned more ominous.  There was a fire burning out of control.

I yelled to the living-room where my children--who were five, seven, and eleven--were watching morning cartoons before school and said, "turn on CNN."

Finally! Bibi has found his BZ! EVERY terrorist who took part in the raid against innocent Israeli citizens in Eilat have been ELIMINATED. That includes the lookouts and the scouts--E*V*E*R*Y*O*N*E.

B"H

For once, Bibi didn't act like someone's vassal, asking for "permission" to strike.  He acted like he should act:  like the Prime Minister of the INDEPENDENT State of Israel.

Bully for you, Bibi!  That's 20 down . . . and about 20,000 to go.

According to this article, EVERY terrorist who took part in the raid against innocent Israeli citizens in Eilat have been ELIMINATED.  That includes the lookouts and the scouts E*V*E*R*Y*O*N*E.

I hope he is right.  I hope that every single one of them is dead.  

I hope we bury every single one of them upside down, in an unmarked grave, under a pig farm . . . but I doubt Bibi will do that.  

He will have to show "diplomacy," lest our enemies actually believe that we are as tough as Bibi says we are.

Still, it is a very nice feeling knowing that, not only did we kill the active members, we also killed the mastermind.  

Now, where do we go to kill the "imam" that gave this his blessing?  I think that guy should be unable to sleep well in his bed for however long it takes to send him to hell.

Keep it up, Bibi!  Don't take prisoners to be exchanged!  Don't give in!  

M

Please, Israel! Block Your Ears! Gird Your Loins! ATTACK!! ATTACK!! Don't Listen to the EU and US Weenies! DESTROY AMALEK!

B"H

Again, the scum of the earth, the most despicable vermin to walk the earth, have attacked my beloved Israel. 

May Israel learn that Hashm was not kidding when HE said to "clear the land before you." This is our land, a heritage given by Hashm, which cannot be traded away for fictional promises of "peace." 

We must retake every inch of Israel from these heathen scum and make no excuses for doing so. Then there will be Peace!

I am SO angry right now. 

Please, Israel! 

Please! 

Block your ears! Gird your loins! 

ATTACK!! ATTACK!! 

Don't listen to the EU or US weenies! They have no idea what our role in the world is, they don't understand what it is to be attacked because you are a Jew.  

They are Amalek.  Destroy them.

 

M

Rockets from Gaza, Hezbullah Gearing Up, and Egyptian Troops Taking on al Qaeda in the Sinai . . . Maybe G-d wasn't Bluffing When HE Said We Should "Drive Out the Inhabitants of the Land Before You."

B"H

"The L-rd spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying:

'Speak to the children of Israel and say to them: When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, destroy all their temples, destroy their molten idols, and demolish their high places.  You shall clear out the Land and settle in it, for I have given you the Land to occupy it.

'You shall give the Land as an inheritance to your families by lot; to the large, you shall give a larger inheritance and to the small you shall give a smaller inheritance; wherever the lot falls shall be his; according to the tribes of your fathers, you shall inherit.

'But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the Land from before you, then those whom you leave over will be as spikes in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they will harass you in the land in which you settle.

'And it will be that what I had intended to do to them, I will do to you.'"

Bamidbar/Numbers 33:50-56

 I don't suppose that G-d could have been much clearer here.  We are COMMANDED to rid the land of Israel of our enemies.  

The command is especially harsh and clear because G-d knows that this will be very hard for us to do.  

Not hard as in "we are not a strong military force," but hard as in "all the other nations will despise us."  

Peer pressure, it seems, is just as difficult for nations as it is for adolescents.

Nancy Wake, "The White Mouse," and Hero of World War II, Passes Away at 98 (May G-d Bless Her Soul)

B"H

According to an article by Carolyn McDowel, when Nancy Wake was 16 she ran away from home.  She had no prospects, she had to choose between becoming a journalist or a prostitute.  

"Nancy said that in her mind both professions were basically the same and that she had found it hard to choose. However in the end she decided to become a journalist because it offered her opportunities for travel, which she was always very keen on doing."

Nancy Wake worked for Hearst Newspapers as a European correspondent based in Paris.  In Vienna, she saw Nazi brutality at its worst as she witnessed the torture of Jews in the streets.

This was back in the days when journalists had ethics and supported their countries in war for the cause of freedom, and Nancy Wake decided to do something to stop the Nazis.

As a journalist of uncommon character and startling beauty, she became a courier for the French Resistance, and established communication and supply routes.  

McDowel writes, "When parachuting into France from England she put on her best dress, made sure her make up was intact and took her stilettos. Once she reached the outskirts of the village nearby where they landed she could put them on. That way if the Germans encountered her tottering down a country lane they would think she was a prostitute offering her services nearby. She operated on the notion that you cannot see sometimes what is right in front of your nose. And, she added naughtily with a twinkle in her eye, in that way I did get to embrace both professions after all."

Sheba Medical Center Finds Key to Slowing Pancreatic Cancer

B"H It's not a cure . . . yet, but it is a very good start at finding the cure for this horrible illness. I had a dear friend, Chuck, who found out he had this cancer.  He had only three weeks before he died--but Thank G-d he had those weeks.  He set his affairs in order, said goodbye to his beautiful wife and his amazing son, and passed. Many who come down with this cancer don't have even that long.  It is a horrible fate for too many people and their families. These researchers may not have cured this cancer, but they may have bought some very valuable time for those who are diagnosed. Every second of life counts. M

US Holocaust Museum Lanches "Do You Remember Me?" Exhibit to Locate Lost Children of Holocaust.

B"H

I visited the website and was surprised to see so few children represented there.  I wondered where the 1, 100 pictures taken by social services went.  I wondered why the US Holocaust Memorial Museum hasn't featured all of them.

Also, the saddest thing is that most of the kids who have been identified were older kids. 

The babies remain unidentified.  (They probably also remain clueless to the fact that they are Jewish.)

Sadly, the lost ones are the second Holocaust--the one of assimilation.  

Many Jews who did survive became "reform" or "secular" or members of socialist/communist parties, believing G-d had forgotten them.  They married non-Jews, and their children married non-Jews.  

They eliminated themselves from the Jewish people--and they allowed Hitler to win in the end. 

Then, of course, there are the thousands upon thousands of Jews raised by Catholics.

The guy who currently sits in the pope's chair, the former Nazi Youth, could release the names of the Catholic families who took in Jewish children during the Holocaust.  

He could, but he won't.  

His loyalties to Her Hitler haven't changed, and he continues to help Hitler win.

Then, there are thousands upon thousands of anusim -- the "hidden Jews" who lived in Catholic countries after the Inquisition -- who are desperately trying to learn anything they can about their past, about their hidden Jewish heritage, and who are being taken advantage of by fake "Jews for Jesus" soul snatchers who call themselves "rabbis" and lead those anusim away from Torah and their people.

If you keep Shabbat, keep Kosher, and educate your children in Torah, you are a fighter, every day, against the second Holocaust.  

Religious Jews face job discrimination, high education costs, high food costs, and antisemitism on a daily basis.  When we walk down the street, we fear being accosted or worse--especially in Europe and the Middle East.  We go to synagogues guarded by security, and we pay the extra cost to live near that synagogue so we can keep G-D's LAW.

If you don't do at least the basics--like keeping Shabbat and keeping Kosher . . . well, don't expect your grandchildren to be Jewish.  You can do your great-great grandchildren a favor, though.  I know you don't care about being Jewish, but in a few generations, the nishamah of one of your great-great-grandchildren may call out to them, and they might want to become observant.  

When they do, it would be nice for them to know where they can find your mother's ketubah.  Keep it safe.  Pass it down.  Make sure everyone knows where it is.  It's the one thing that might help them come back from the abyss.

M

Der Spiegel Reports Mossad Killed Iranian Nuclear Scientist

B”H

Yes . . . because if I were an Israeli super-spy, the first place I would go to tell my story would be a German newspaper that has a rabid hatred of Israel. 

Riiiiight.

Well, I hope Der Spiegel sells a lot of papers because that is the only thing that will come from this story.

Sure, I want to believe, wholeheartedly, that the Mossad took out the Iranian scientists . . . but that is just wish fulfillment, isn’t it?  I want to believe it because it gives me the “I want to read the next Tom Clancy novel about it”  tingle.

However, I am greatly doubting both the veracity of the reporter and the veracity of his source (for those of you who believe this story, “veracity” means “truth,” OK?  Now, go take your pill.).

M

Yeshivah of Flatbush Adapts to Needs of Syrian Community

B"H

It is gratifying to know that some Syrian Jewish kids are getting the advantage of being educated in their own traditions, and that Ashkenazi kids are getting exposure to broader Jewish traditions.

As a Sephardi myself, I know that the Ashkenazi brothers and sisters don't mean to offend or discourage, but they are often quite ignorant of the fact that Judaism has a huge range of religious approaches and that one is not "less religious" just because he or she doesn't follow Ashkenazi minhag or adopt a particular set of chumrot.  

The tolerance and understanding of Ashkenazim is welcome and it is as badly needed for Sephardim in America as educational options.  Sephardim are often educated in Ashkenazi schools with administrators, rabbis, and teachers who are well-meaning, but ignorant of our traditions and customs.

A good example of this is when a well-meaning rabbi in primary school insisted to my sons that a "Sepharad" Siddur was Sephardic!  My children clearly knew the difference, but they didn't want to embarrass the rabbi; so they used the Siddur until my husband could gently explain the difference to the good-hearted rabbi who was trying so hard to accommodate them.

I am hoping that some other schools might think about what they are doing for their Sephardic (and Ashkenazi) students as well.  We are all one people, and we need to show respect and kindness to one another so that all may grow.

M

Social Scientists Discover Only 10% "Committed Minority" Required to Change Majority

B"H

These social scientists have discovered that when at least ten percent of the population of a social group are "a committed minority" (i.e. they are stubbornly in favor of something that the majority doesn't agree with), that the minority will serve as "agents of change" and will turn the majority to their way of thinking.

This makes a lot of sense, but it hasn't been tested in the "real world."  It has only been done through computer models.

I would think that ten percent would have to be pretty convincing to start turning over the majority opinion on some issue, but I am also thinking that in certain areas--such as political philosophy, religious devotion, nationalism, and loyalty to close friends, family, and business relationships--this concept would fall flat.  

I think that the more personally important those beliefs are, the less likely that you will change those beliefs when challenged.  

I think the model will end up being tweaked a bit, as it is my firm belief that there are some areas where people will not budge because we are culturally reinforced not to budge through stories of righteous people, martyrs, and refuseniks.

We are not entirely cattle, thank G-d, waiting to be lead in a particular direction.  There will always be those who do not change, will not change.  

For example, Jews have been flourishing since the time of Abraham and no matter what happened--expulsion, slavery, inquisitions, pogroms, laws against religion, Holocaust, socialism, assimilation--we are still here and we refuse to be anything but Jews.

However, in the case of less important matters--style, political choice, consumer choice, educational philosophy, etc.--I think this theory will hold up.

My hypothesis?  I believe the theory will come to read:  Ten percent committed minority will change majority views on issues the majority does not perceive as "personal core beliefs."  However, when the minority challenges the majority's perceived personal core beliefs, the majority with either hold fast to those beliefs or influence the minority, however committed, to adopt majority beliefs or remain silently neutral.

If you want to test your own hypothesis relating to this study, they are looking for social scientists willing to research historical models to test the theory.

M

Amy Winehouse to have Private Jewish Funeral Today

B"H

 It is nice to know that this exceptionally talented and equally troubled soul will find a resting place among her people.

May Hashm comfort her family, friends, and fans.  May her music continue in the hearts of all who heard her.

May her death warn those among us who have contemplated the use of drugs, and may her memory serve to encourage people to develop better access to drug and alcohol treatment facilities for all of the youth of the world.

No parent of a 27-year-old should have to bury their child.

When one is faced with a child who has lost their way and needs help fast, too often the facilities are overcrowded, there are waiting lists, the care is sub-par, and only the most ill are admitted.  

This must stop.  We must be able to offer help when help is needed.  We need to research these problems in more depth, and we need to find a solution to the plague of alcohol and drugs.

M

Gourmet Food . . . Oh! . . .and it's Kosher too . . .

 

B"H

 I have never understood why we are willing to spend huge amounts of money on quality everything--and then eat in some dive with no atmosphere or poor quality food.  

Seriously, I cringe when I have to go out for dinner with my husband or friends.  I would prefer cooking myself--the quality is much better and I am not only aware of such exotic ingredients as salt, pepper, garlic, and onions (spices that seem beyond most kosher establishments), I am also proficient at using jalapeños, cinnamon, and even saffron!

It is good to know that Kosher is growing up, at least in New York and L.A. (although I have eaten in some pretty wonderful Kosher places in Miami too!  Why aren't they listed here?).

Now, can we work on those terrible containers at the Bar Mitzvahs and weddings--you know the containers . . . the ones that take a blow-torch to get open and make the food taste like plastic?  

Can someone please design a kosher food catering container that doesn't change the taste of the food? 

(It is the containers that make it the food taste that bad, right?)

Sigh.

M

Scientist was Working on Detonators for Iranian Nuclear Program

An M-STAT detonator used in a nuclear warhead, this tamper-proof precision device imitates the chain reaction that causes a nuclear blast.

Read more: http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/episode/explosive-force-2614/Photos/02181_05#tab-Photos/1#ixzz1T5KpDJhV

 B"H

The most important part of this story is not the professional hit on Razaee-Nejad, it is the fact that Iran is so far along in their "peaceful" nuclear project, that they have begun building detonators.

I am praying that he didn't keep careful notes, and that there are few in Iran who can replace him.  

Unfortunately, I know that most Iranians are carefully educated, incredibly detail-oriented people.  It is a cultural characteristic left over from a civilization that created Chess.

I am sure there are many brilliant, well educated (probably American educated) Iranian scientists who will take over this work.  It is only the complete destruction of the nuclear program in Iran that will stop them.  

Stuxnex hasn't stopped them.  Elimination of their scientists hasn't stopped them.

Iran is obsessed with the idea of wielding enough power to destroy Israel.  After that, who knows who else is on their crazy list?  Saudi Arabia?  Europe?

They have the rockets, they are working on the nuclear payload, and they are developing the detonators.

So, what is Obama waiting for?  Why is BiBi sitting on his hands?  Where is the "peaceful" EU?  Can the UN do anything but exercise their gums?

This insanity needs to be brought to an end.

M

"May Leiby’s soul live on as a blessing inside each and every one of you."

B"H

 I have been away on vacation with my children, and while I was away, this horrible story took place.  I can't say how many prayers I said, how many prayers my family and friends said, all I can say is that our hearts went out to this family.

I kept thinking, "There but for the grace of G-d, go I."

Several family members called to make sure my children were well, to be assured that I was not letting them out of my sight, and to make sure that I gave them all a hug for them.

Although we couldn't save Leiby Kletzky, we all learned from him and from the strength of his family.

May Hashm bring the Kletzky family the strength to carry on each day.  May we all  keep these beautiful words in our hearts.

It is a beautiful thing for the Kletzky family to reach out to help others even as their own pain must be overwhelming. 

G-d bless them.

M

Rabbi Yosef Arrested, Thousands Protest. Bibi makes speech saying "No one is Above the Law!" Really, Bibi? Really?

B"H

Strange that Bibi would say that "no one is above the law," even though there are numerous Imam's preaching hate and incitement in Israel every week, but they are very unlikely to be arrested.  

However, a rabbi who endorses a book about the halacha of war, who doesn't actually incite or preach violence, is arrested.  Hmmm.

I guess some people in Israel are just "more equal" than others?

Frankly, I'm really sick of the bias against Jews that Israel shows on a daily basis.  

Thousands of illegal arab structures are peppered all over Israel, but only the Jewish structures are raised.  Illegal mosques are built but never touched, but synagogues are raized.  

I think we would all be a little better about not laughing right in Bibi's face if what he was saying was actually true.  

It's not.

We know it.

M
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Thousands march in J'lem in protest of Rabbi Yosef arrest   MKs Ben Ari and Katz address crowds; two Arab youths pepper sprayed by demonstrators; police try to disperse crowds using water cannons; Netanyahu on Rabbi Yosef detainment: "No one is above the law."
By JONAH MANDEL AND MELANIE LIDMAN  
http://www.jpost.com/VideoArticles/Video/Article.aspx?id=227690

Over  a thousand haredi supporters of Rabbi Yaakov Yosef gathered outside his  house on Sunday, to protest his detainment by police earlier in the day. MKs Michael Ben Ari and Yaakov Katz both addressed the crowds.

Two Arab youths were sprayed with pepper spray by some of the demonstrators.

Many protesters also tried to march to the Shimon Hatsadik grave in east Jerusalem in order to pray.

Police arrested several people and tried to disperse the crowds using water cannons.

Rabbi Angel on Parasha Hukkat

Published on Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals (http://www.jewishideas.org)

Home > Maintaining Purity and Integrity: Thoughts on Parashat Hukkat

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Maintaining Purity and Integrity: Thoughts on Parashat Hukkat

By Rabbi Marc D. Angel 

 

The laws of the Red Heifer are considered to be among the inscrutable commandments of the Torah. The elaborate ritual was ordained for the purpose of purifying those who had become ritually unclean through contact with a dead body.

One of the strange features of this procedure was that while it purified the impure, it defiled all those who were connected with the preparation of the ashes and water of purification “It purifies the impure, and simultaneously defiles the pure.” How could the exact same ingredients lead to opposite results? I suggest a possible explanation.

Those engaged in purifying others might naturally come to think of themselves as being highly important individuals. The impure people must turn to them for help. Being in this position of spiritual power could easily lead the “purifiers” to aggrandize themselves, to subtly (or not so subtly) adopt feelings of superiority. To prevent this eventuality, the Torah declares that the purifiers must themselves be rendered impure. Thus, they will not develop an inflated sense of self-importance, because they will realize that they must become ritually defiled while they purify others. The process does not raise them above those they serve, but actually lowers their status of ritual purity.

The ancient Red Heifer ceremony relates to a deeply significant aspect of religious psychology. Its message continues to be relevant today.

Some years ago I attended a meeting of Orthodox rabbis to discuss policies relating to conversion to Judaism. One of the rabbis unabashedly proclaimed: “We have the power! We can demand prospective converts to do everything our way. We do not need to make any concessions because we have total control. They need us, we don’t need them. We have the power!” 

Iran Carries Out Secret Missile Tests for Nuclear Payload; Putin Enforced Silence from Obama, Netanyahu--British Foreign Secretary William Hague Alleges

Area of Iranian Nuclear Reach

B"H

This is an exclusive report from debka.com, a blog closely tied to intelligence sources.  

What is alleged here is extremely serious.  According to Debka, British Foreign Secretary, William Hague, has disclosed that Iran has been testing missiles capable of carrying nuclear payload a maximum range of 2,510 kilometers (1,560 miles).  

Calculating Approximately 1500 miles from the Iranian boarder (see my illustration above), it would appear that Iran would be able to control all of the gulf of the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, Yemen, Djibouti, Eritrea, most of the Mediterranean Sea, Cypress, Greece, Serbia, Albania, Macedonia, Turkey, Moldova, Romania, Ukraine, Armenia, Iraq, Armenia, Georgia, Khzakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkministan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Oman, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and most of India.  

It will also reach parts of Italy, Egypt (including Cairo), Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Russia (including Moscow), Nepal (including Mt. Everest), and China (including Tibet).

So, to recap, Iran would be able to eliminate Israel, control most of the oil in the world (and all of the major oil ports) along with major economic centers in India, Russia, and the UAE.

Wow, that's not much to worry about, is it?  

I'm sure that Iran is beholding to Russia for its cooperation in developing its nuclear missile program.  I wonder if Putin has enough time to count his bribe money before Iran points that missile at him!

Now the cat's out of the bag, I am hoping Obama and Bibi might find their BZm and eliminate the problem.

I don't count on it, though.  Nuclear conflagration is so out of vogue. 

M

The New IDF Warrior: Cyber-Comander Sasha Dratwa

B"H

It is about time Israel caught up with the rest of the world and realized that public relations is a war-front.  Hopefully we don't have to catch up too much (especially with the short memory of today's youth!)

We need to tweet, facebook, and blog for Israel, and show our perspective to the world so that they can understand that they are being manipulated by the haters of Israel.

I hope his plan is sound, and that he includes the rest of us out here when he makes a release of information.

M

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IDF’s Cyber-Commander Prepares Internet Assault  

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/145247
by Gil Ronen

"Computers and keyboards are the weapons, Facebook and Twitter are the  battlefields. It is there that we fight, each and every day." The fighting words come from First Lieutenant Sasha Dratwa, 25, who heads IDF’s elite “new media” unit. Dratwa, who replaced Lt. Aliza Landes, was interviewed by Jonatan Urich in the IDF’s website.

University Hillels Often Do Not Support Israel

B"H

Sigh.

Hillel said, "If I am not for myself, who am I for?"  Unfortunately, not every University Hillel has remembered that admonition.

Almost universally, Hillel directors also serve as the Jewish clergy for university.  The Hillels say that they promote and respect ALL types of Judaism . . . but would I, as a religious Jew, feel comfortable being lead by a reform rabbi (many of them women), who would read Torah or include women in the minyan?  Would such leadership be inclusive and respectful of ALL streams of Judaism???

Then, of course, is the problem with politics. 

A lot of the Hillels, led by their local Board of Directors, have been taking the left track for  while now.  I don't know why the national office has been unable to see what is obvious to anyone perusing their job announcements.

Here's an example of a Hillel gone obviously awry at the Hillel of San Diego in the North County announcement for executive director, under "responsibilities: student engagement and programming":

• Develop creative and innovative ways to engage new students, including one-on-one interactions and group activities, particularly in the dorms.
• Develop a well rounded Israel agenda that is faithful to Hillel of San Diego’s Israel Programming Guidelines, including education from a variety of political perspectives, advocacy, and the development and implementation of Birthright Israel recruitment and follow-up.
• Implement transformative programs such as Project Change.
• Oversee the maintenance, staffing and use of the Hillel of San Diego, North County facility.

A "well rounded Israel agenda"???  What the heck is that?? It seems there is an awful lot of play there.

Contrast this with the job announcement for the executive director of Syracuse University's Hillel:

• Facilitate pluralistic Jewish programming on campus, engaging with and encouraging students to develop meaningful Jewish journeys and experiences
• Work cross-denominationally to encourage and promote an inclusive approach to religious expression through holiday and Shabbat observances, Jewish learning. Israel and alternative break opportunities and other related experiences. 
• Act as an authentic Jewish role model for students. 
• Advance and support the efforts of student led-Jewish and Zionist groups.

Those are VERY different agendas.

If I were the national office of Hillel, I think I would be investigating the type of Hillel that Hillel of San Diego, North County is promoting, and what type of leadership is going on at UCSD Hillel, the office that oversees that position.

Meanwhile, don't be shy--check out the Hillel at your own local college and/or university.  See whether it is pulling its weight in the fight to protect Israel, or if it is pretending to be "unbiased" and, therefore, creating a vacuum where our students are sucked into the anti-Israel leftist environment of current campus life.

M

Medieval Jews Victims of Persecution in Norwich, England

B"H

Even after centuries, this story makes me cry.  It doesn't matter how long ago it was, when the people look like you, share your genes, share your traditions and your ways.  

I can hear the screams of the mothers as they are parted from their children.  I can hear the crying of the children, especially the two-year-old, who was probably picked up by one of the teens as a last act of comfort before death.

There is a good reason people were thrown into wells.  It was to poison the well, so that no one could ever use it again.  The story says that the community lived around this well, so it was probably the main source of water.

I wonder why those who attacked the family didn't kidnap the children and force them into a convent, which was common at the time.  My only answer comes from the well.

I imagine that the family is that of the rabbi or other important leader of the community.  I imagine that the whole community was gathered to watch the horror in order to force them to leave.  I imagine the adults were probably tortured by hanging them upside-down, putting them in the water, pulling them up, then, finally, when they lost consciousness, dropped.  

I imagine that the community was forced to leave them in the well, and that it was guarded to make sure no one removed the bodies for a proper burial.

I wonder, after centuries and centuries, why the BBC has to talk about money-lending, trying to find a "reason" for the persecution, attempting to excuse the persecutors--even after all these years.  

Disgusting.

Finally, and most importantly, I wonder when this poor family will be buried in a proper Jewish grave, when we can lay them to rest.  

I think the bones have been "studied" enough, don't you?  Must the pain and anguish of their last moments be on display forever?  

These are not "archeological relics," they are the bones of Jewish people who now, after so many centuries, deserve the respect of a grave.

M

Orthodox Converts Finally Get Citizenship, Despite Rabbinate

B"H

This is such an absurd situation!  Reform and Conservative converts were granted Israeli citizenship, but not orthodox converts because the Rabbinate has decided to recognize only a certain number of Beit Dinim.  

Finally, the Interior Ministry has decided to approve those converts . . . but now what will happen to these Olim?  Will they be accepted for marriage?  Burial?  Will their children be considered Jewish by the Rabbinate--or will they languish in some sort of sub-Jewish hell?

I will pray for them.  We are most vicious to our own.  They will need love and support.

M

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 In shift, 'refusenik' Orthodox converts granted ID cards

Interior Ministry changes policy after Rabbinate's  rulings on overseas conversions prompt lawsuit

By Raphael Ahren
http://www.haaretz.com/weekend/anglo-file/in-shift-refusenik-orthodox-converts-granted-id-cards-1.369328


 At least four of the 19 Orthodox converts whom the Interior Ministry had previously denied citizenship this week received their Israeli identity cards, mere days after the ministry announced a change in its policy regarding whom to consult about the validity of Orthodox conversions.    
                                                                                                                                          
Thomas Dohlan, 24, an Orthodox convert from Canada whose battles with the Interior Ministry over the past few months had been highly publicized, was one of the four to receive an identity card this week.