Searching for Chometz??

Open your eyes and look within:
Are we satisfied with the life we're living?
We know where were going...We know where were from.
We're leaving...We're going to our father land.
Wipe away transgression...Set the captives free...


Classic Pesach Cleaning Tunes:
Passover Theme Song (sung by Klal Yisrael as they crossed the Sea of Reeds)

Rebbe Shlomo: Kriyat Yam Suf (Track 9)

An Oldie but a "goodie"

Some beautiful teachings for the Seder night, from Rebbe Shlomo Carlebach zy"a HERE

Chag Sameach!

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Pre-Pesach Preparations Israel-style!

Malkah shops for Kosher-for-Pesach food - here is some Holy Mama Chicken


...and there is all kinds of Matza


For those who still don't eat Kitniyot - it is marked well on packages


And all kinds of sweet cakes to supplement the Matza


and of course...


Now it's time for the traditional Arutz-7 Matza bake - here Baruch is manning the oven


Ezra cuts the dough into workable pieces


Boaz takes out his aggession on innocent dough


Binyamin is wild with the Pesach bat


Kumah wishes you a happy Pesach - the holiday of EXODUS!

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Ariel Zilbers Sings of Homesh, Kumah and Returning Home

Israeli pop icon turned radical Land of Israel activist Ariel Zilber nailed the emotion surrounding the return to Homesh with his latest anthem (includes a Kumah shout-out)

Click here to check it out.

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We Return To Homesh!!!

See more CHOMESH ACTION in this all-in-one article: audio, video, pics, and story.

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Finally, some hard core media coverage...

Hey all, life has been a little hectic, jet blue and FedEx lost my luggage, but that's for another post. Now about the Truth of Radical Muslims ( which we all KNOW already, but now its on CBS so Woo Hoo!!!)





I just read this, which can also be WATCHED, and I am amazed that it is getting such nice media coverage.

The gist is about a look into the inner workings of the global jihad system, especially in London and how they used the British Government to enhance their terrorist training and activities. 60 Minutes correspondent Bob Simon interviews Hassan Butt who states "There is a violent streak within Islam. We need to be able to discuss and counter these arguments so that we don't have any more Mohammad Sadique Khans." Its quite informative, and semi reassuring that some people might be coming to their senses ( but I'm not getting all jumpy yet)

Anyhow enjoy, have a good one and DFTSS :-)

~ Shulamit

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Kumah Does Facebook

By popular demand: The Kumah Facebook Group.

(I think the way facebook is built, you can only see it if you join Facebook)

Viva la Alia Revolucion!

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The Good Arab Rapists

Yisrael Medad sees the light. How much more damage will Gal-On and Yechimovich do to Israel before everyone does?

And amazingly, Maariv/NRG goes to the rapists' defense with a "their side" piece: turns out the good Arab rapist cried with his victim!

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The Best That American Jewry Has To Offer...

Manischewitzville is no substitute for a homeland with Jewish substance.

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Arabic Language Academy

This is from today's news:

The establishment of an official Academy for the Arabic Language received final approval on Wednesday as the "High Institute for the Arabic Language 2007" bill passed its second and third readings in the Knesset plenum and became law.

"This is the first time an Academy for the Arabic Language is established in a country outside the Arab world..." said Knesset Education Committee Chairman Michael Melchior (Labor-Meimad), who cosponsored the bill with MK Nadia Hilu (Labor).

The new Academy will also coordinate its work with the long-established Academy for the Hebrew Language, contributing to the study of the similarities, differences and connections between the two languages.

How does one say "Get the hell outa my Country" in Arabic?

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Things That Make Ya' go Kumah

As a news writer, I wade through hundreds of articles, press releases, email forwards and anthrax-laden pieces of snail mail a day. Below, I offer you the most interesting stuff I saw in a 24 hour period sometime last week (or so. It got put aside, but remains riveting):


Birthright B'Aliyah (B'Taoot?)

Flora B'Aliyah

Columbia U Prof On the Teaneck First-step-on-Aliyah-to-Yesha fair (He much prefers Haim Yavin at the JCC)

If the face of Israel to American Jews is the face of settlement beyond the separation barrier deep into the West Bank - not settlement in the Negev or Galilee, which could enjoy across-the-board support - then the prophecy indeed will fulfill itself. Zionism will become the province of only those who define it most stridently and most controversially. Zionism will become tantamount to Eretz Yisrael rather than Medinat Yisrael. And that is a dilemma for America Jewry just as surely as for its Israel brethren.

I guess he prefers expropriating land from Arab Bedouin in the Negev and invading the Galilee (from the perspective of the Arab residents). I can't wait for Haim Yavin's documentary on that. Then these folks will start only donating toward building taller and taller skyscrapers in Tel Aviv. We really may see a day when "pragmatic" voices will suggest that we use modern technology to really allow the Arabs to drive us into the sea, where we can live comfortably on man-made landmasses and cruise-ships. ("It is the only way to allow the Muslim world to save face," they will explain. "They were promised by their leaders that they would drive us into the sea and once we are all there, their hatred will subside and we can totally visit mainland, including Hevron and Jerusalem, until nightfall, when we must return to our dingies.")

Why does The LA Times recognize Israel's 'right to exist'? Excellent question. It is just a matter of consistency and justice.

Benny Morris, the Christ-turned-Anti-Christ of Post-Zionism and the New Historians explains to the Washington Post why transfer is the way it has got to be.

If you will it Dude, it is no dream - Im Tirtzu. A neighbor's project (Hebrew only)

And the grand finale! The Machlises finally have their own web site

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Hogan Knows Best... About the Exile and Keeping Kosher

It seems like everyone has their own reality TV show these days.

Even... Hulk Hogan.

Believe it or not, but VH1 has started a reality series about everyone's favorite professional wrestler, Hulk Hogan, entitled, Hogan Knows Best, featuring the exploits of Hulk Hogan and his family. The show has even devoted a number of episodes to Hulk Hogan (and family) learning about what it means to keep Kosher.

While the episodes are quite funny, I really don't know which is sadder - Hogan's attempts at keeping Kosher - or the many observant Jews who seem to be so at home in the Exile known as Miami Beach, enjoying their chance to be Hulkamaniacs (kind of like the Jews who had such a great time at Achashveirosh's party - of Purim fame - celebrating the end of Am Yisra'el, content to live merely as Persians of the Mosaic persuasion.)

Check it out for yourself here.

Each episode is about two minutes in length. If you can't watch them all, I recommend episodes 3 - 6, and 8.

WARNING: There are some immodestly dressed women in these episodes (namely, Hogan's wife and daughter.)

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Jewish Sell-Outs and Israel's Arab Problem: The Glass Half - Full Approach

Over the last year, it seems that the most popular cause being championed by the Jewish Establishment organizations, both in Israel and abroad, is the cause of equality for Israel's Arabs (and here.)

While I have no doubt as to the harmfulness of these actions to both the Jewish People and State, I do believe that many of the Jews donating money to this cause (knowingly or not), are convinced that through providing financial assistance to Israel's Arab community they are strengthening the Jewish State of Israel. Well, perhaps, with a little creativity, we can help them do just that.

The Jewish Establishment has already displayed its willingness to turn to Jewish communities throughout the world and raise millions upon millions of dollars for Israel's Arabs. However, instead of this money being used to strengthen Israel's Arab communities, the money can be used to help Israel's Arabs relocate, under favorable financial terms, to a place where they can feel more at home.

In this way, the money being raised by the Jewish Establishment will not only be helping Israel's Arabs live a better life, but at the same time will be strengthening Israel as a Jewish State.

Of course, not all of Israel's Arabs will be interested in such an initiative, but I suspect that there will be many that will jump at the opportunity. Those Arabs that are hell-bent on remaining as a bone in the throat of the Jewish State need not look for handouts from the Jewish People - and for which other solutions will need to be developed.

As I see it, this is a win-win situation for everyone involved.

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Media Round-Up: Israeli Arab Edition

Consider the following recent headlines about Israel's Arab citizens:

MK Sarsour calls Muslims to free J'lem

MK Ibrahim Sarsour (UAL-TA'AL), Speaking at the "Jerusalem First" conference in Ramallah, the lawmaker emphasized the importance of Jerusalem to Islam, and called on participants to "act together to become a torrent on the road to liberation."

"Just as the Muslims once liberated Jerusalem from the Crusaders, so must we today believe that we can liberate Jerusalem. It is not an impossible dream," he said.

Poll: Over 25% of Israeli Arabs say Holocaust never happened

In its most dramatic finding, the poll showed that 28 percent of Israeli Arabs did not believe the Holocaust happened, and that among high school and college graduates the figure was even higher - 33 percent...

While 89 percent said they view Israel's bombing of Lebanon as a war crime, only 44 percent said they see Hezbollah's attacks on Israel as such. Hezbollah pelted northern Israel with nearly 4,000 rockets.

Half of Israeli Arab respondents said Hezbollah's capture of Israel Defense Forces reserves soldiers Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev in a cross-border raid was justified.

Majadele refuses to sing national anthem

Israel's first Arab minister said in newspaper interview he would not sing anthem, because song was written 'only for Jews'...

In the interview, Majadele said, "Of course I would not sing the anthem in its current form. But before we talk about symbols, I want to talk about equal education for my children. It's more important that my son would be able to buy a house, live with dignity… the Arabs are not in a mood to sing right now."

The articles speak for themselves... (and no, the solution is not to promote co-existence programming!)

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Peretz: Let's Discuss Final Solution

Bethlehem - Ma'an - The Israeli minister of defence Amir Peretz, during the government session on Sunday, demanded the immediate opening of talks with Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, regarding the final solution.

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Sderot - Kassam Battered, But Still Blossoming - Photo Essay

Two Fridays ago, I spent the day in Sderot as part of a Yavneh Olami Shabbaton (our group was made up young olim and post-high school students studying in Israel for the year, and we were in Kibbutz Ein Tzurim for Shabbat - IY"H I'll post pictures from there within the next few days). We saw different parts of the city, including the police station which has remains of hundreds of Kassam rockets, the center shopping area where rocket damage can still be seen, and school buildings with special protective coverings. It seems like a Cabinet Committee should be calling what's going on now a war instead of debating last summer's war title.

But we also saw the Yeshivah, which is prospering, and even building a new Beit Medrash building, and we saw people on the street, shops and restaurants open (I had a good shwarma),and we saw some beautiful flowers and trees blossoming as Rosh Chodesh Nisan is now upon us.

Rabbi Yehoshua says in Gemara Rosh HaShanah 11A, "In Nisan we were redeemed [from Egypt], in Nisan in the future, we will be redeemed." Let's hope we see the redemption this year and can focus on the blossoming and see an end to the war!
Now here's Sderot:

The police station


The Kassam remains behind it



Life goes on - a basketball rolls by the Kassam remains


Damage around the city center




Protective covering for parts of school buildings






Trees and flowers blossoming in Sderot
















Sderot, the city:
Our Yavneh Olami Group




Smoke from Ashkelon power plant in the background






The Yeshivah, some parts under construction:





The view from the edge of Sderot:
Ashkelon's Power Plant
Ashkelon
Gaza with a security blimp flying above it
Our group enjoying the view
Panorama looking back toward Sderot from the lookout

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Kotel is the Place to be Tuesday

Two awesome Rosh Chodesh prayers tomorrow at the western retaining wall of the Temple Mount:

6:45 AM - Nusach Eretz Yisrael minyan with Rabbi Bar Hayim, the man who has revived the original unifying tradition of prayer in Israel.

8:00 AM - Joyous Reb Shlomo/Rebbe Nachman Rosh Chodesh Minyan led by Master of Prayer Rabbi Ezra Amichai (nee Friedland-Wechsler), known for hosting scores of Jews for Shabbat meals and elevating hundreds each time he leads prayers at the Wall.

My hope is that folks turn up for both minyanim - a double-header of holistic indigenous Jewish prayer to ring in Nissan, Redemption Month according to our sages.

As for the Nusach Eretz Yisrael minyan - this is truly a historic event. Though there are weekly Nusach Eretz Yisrael (NEY) prayers in Givat Sha'ul at the Machon Shilo Beit Midrash (and last year, mincha on Purim at Sde Boaz) - this is the first time it is being returned to such close proximity of the Temple Mount.

For Rav Bar Hayim's (the spiritual leader and inspiration of the not-militant-enough Kitniyot Liberation Front)main mission statement in essay form click here. I recommend his essays on Mordechai's reception by the 'gedoilim' of his time, lulav on shabbat, shofar on shabbat and especially his examination of the blue Techeilet as representative of the deep-seated problem that affects many in our people's God-fearing rabbinate.

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Are Male Earrings Sexy?

From Rabbi Hershel Schacter's "The Mitzvah of Yishuv Eretz Yisrael"

If we persist in staying in Galut even when our punishment is over, we will be following the dangerous precedent set by the Eved Nirtza. A Hebrew slave who grows to enjoy the conditions of his servitude and refuses to go free at the end of his six­ year term is made to undergo a retziah ceremony involving the piercing of his upper ear, after which he remains a slave until the Jubilee year.

One interpretation given to explain the symbolism of piercing the ear is based upon the assumption that the slave was originally sold as a thief, who, when apprehended, had no money with which to pay back his victim. "The ear which heard at Sinai 'Thou shall not steal.' and yet (its owner) went out and stole deserves to be pierced." On this explanation Rabbi Yehoshua Leib Diskin asks why, if the piercing is a punishment for the theft, is it not carried out immediately, but only after six years of servitude? He answers that the true punishment for the theft is being sold into servitude for six years; no other punishment is ordinarily called for. But this particular thief, by displaying reluctance to go free after the six years are up, demonstrates that for him the servitude never constituted a punishment in the first place. On the contrary, he revels in his new surroundings: "I love my master, my wile and children; I shall not go free." For such a man, to whom the punishment of the Torah means nothing, the Torah prescribes an additional punishment - the piercing of the ear.

One can argue that our presence in exile was a punishment and that with our renewed access to Israel, that punishment is over. God forbid that we should sit back and willingly accept surroundings that are, essentially, meant as a punishment. God forbid that, by refusing to recognize the nature of one punishment, we bring upon ourselves another.

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Green Israel! (Breathtaking Photos!)

No, this has nothing to do with today's date. Why would it? Israel is a Jewish State, remember?

Ever wonder where all these North American and British Olim end up living? Well a whole lot of them move to Ramat Beit Shemesh (RBS) - and after you see the photos in this post it's easy to understand why...

At the very end of the rainy season RBS is surrounded by lush green hills. We are taught that there is no clearer sign that Hashem is calling us back Home than seeing the Land blooming.I often find myself in RBS for Shabbos wishing that I was there on a weekday so I could take pictures and share the breathtaking views with our readers.

So this past Friday I arrived in RBS extra early armed with my camera. B"H it was raining part of the time though I still managed to get these 20 photos between cracks in the clouds.

Enjoy!



Besides the green hills there are loads of playgrounds for loads of kids...




There are still apartments being built in RBS for more Olim that are coming Home soon!











If you lived here you'd be home now.

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Back Home

Well, we're back home.

Malkah and I had a great trip to the USA - short and sweet. We started at the Manhigut Yehudit annual dinner where we got an award and I spoke. That went very well, and set the tone for the rest of the trip. The whole time I was praying to find the Nitzotzot - the the hidden holy sparks - of America and the Jewish diaspora there. (I was going to write Exile instead of Diaspora, but you know what? Its not an exile because the Jews choose to remain there. It is therefore a diaspora, that is, simply a Jewish community outside its land.)

One of the pleasurable things about the diaspora was surprisingly food

Here is our classic NY-style pastrami sandwich at Mr. Broadway's


Another fun thing was the Hershey's store


We had a serious meeting with Josh Danziger, a Kumah friend, and soon-to-be-Oleh


Another aspect of our trip was the advent of a new Kumah pin!!! The message is simple: "got home?" Yes, I am very excited about this new campaign (details soon)


We handed out pins at Yeshiva U and Teaneck and gave more pins to Shulamit and Jeff Cohen to hand out in Brooklyn and NJ. End the Exile!


Amazingly, we found out that Nefeshb'Nefesh was having small Aliyah flight on the same day we were flying back. At first the travel agent told us it would cost $450 to change the tickets, but the next day she said that she could do it for free. Awesome - once again it was go time!



Here are two INCREDIBLE interviews I did with new olim:
Hear Oleh Nathan Mintz and hear Oleh Mike Wein and also, check out Ezra's very good article.

It's good to be back home, even though my car is smaller and doesn't start when its wet, even though my caravan is nothing but a glorified tin can. This is the Promised Land, and if G-d has held up His promise, I'm going to take Him up on it.

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Shocked!!!

Ok, so I still have to pack for my flight that is in an hour, but when I read this, I just had to share, sorry I can't comment too much on it, but after you read it... DO SOMTHING...

To contact the UJA Federation of New York: contact@ujafedny.org

the Long Island office: ujali@ujafedny.org

the Westchester office: ujawestchester@ujafedny.org


Have a good ShAbbaT all :-)

~ Shulamit ( dftss, ttfn)

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Snow Day!!!

After years of Jerusalem fake-out snow days (You know. You wake up and there is snow and everyone is all excited and there are some good pictures to be taken but then it turns to rain, melts and life goes on) it takes living on a hilltop above 3,000 feet to have a true snow day. We are truly snowed in here.

The only problem is that the rest of the world has no idea and thinks you are joking when you tell them why you aren't coming to work/a meeting/an appointment.

Enjoying our personal Sde Boaz snow-day nonetheless.

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Olmert, Beware of the Ides of March!

"Et tu, Tzipporahtus?"

These signs went up all over the country this week. They say "Tzippi Livni For Prime Minister" and boast about her clean, non-corrupt record.

Now Livni, for those of you that don't know, is Foreign Minister and Vice PM and basically number two to Olmert in the Kadima party. (Peres is actually number two on the slate, Livni is three.)
But you know you're having a bad day when your own number two is already campaigning as if the early elections caused by your impeachment are in full swing.

That's loyalty - which always was the hallmark of Kadima.

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Interesting Graffiti Around Jerusalem

Before I go to the pictures, I just want to mention that my Purim photo essay is part of the 3rd JPix Photo Carnival, Part 1. There is also a Part 2.
One of my favorite pastimes is to walk around Jerusalem and take pictures of random graffiti. Growing up in America, I always remember graffiti as being a very bad thing, but in Jerusalem, very often it is creative, and it reflects on the culture of the residents of this special city. Here are a few pictures that I took recently:

This is across the street from the Shuk:

The next 3 are from a pedestrian tunnel at the end of Gan Sacker:

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So much for being a hardcore settler...

Back in November 2006, Peace Now came out with a report which claimed, among other things, that Ma'aleh Adumim, the largest Jewish community in Judea and Samaria - just east of Jerusalem, with a population of 30,000+ (and growing), and where I happen to live, was in fact built (86%) on private "Palestinian" land.

In all honesty, I was elated.

Why, you might ask?

Simply put, even though Ma'aleh Adumim is techinically over the "Green Line", as far as "settlements" go, it's kind of lame, as Ma'aleh Adumim is unquestionably a part of the Israeli consensus regarding the future borders of the State of Israel.

However, that all changed once the Peace Now report came out, and overnight Ma'aleh Adumim went from being this nice, quiet city just outside of Jerusalem, in the hillside of the Judean desert, to being a bastion of ultra-nationalist, hardcore settlers, building their homes on the stolen land of peace-loving, innocent "Palestinians".

Finally!

Once and for all, I was able to walk with my head held high amongst my peers, many of whom are living in "outposts", caravans, and "settlements" far more "provocative" than Ma'aleh Adumim.

Until today, that is.

Unsurprisingly, the aforementioned Peace Now report has been debunked.

IDF data show flaws in Peace Now report

In November, Peace Now claimed that 86 percent of Ma'aleh Adumim was built on private Palestinian land. After successfully petitioning the court to see the database, the group reported Wednesday that data show that only 0.5% of the settlement is built on private land.

"The first report they released had major mistakes," said Capt. Zidki Maman, spokesman for the Civil Administration in the West Bank.

Well, it was fun while it lasted, but it seems like I must return to being the mild-mannered, "just outside of Jerusalem," consensus Ze'ev.

Eizeh basa!

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A Ride to the Cemetery

You read about traffic accidents almost daily in Israel. They kill more Israelis each year than Arabs do. Today alone there were 97 traffic accidents. This past weekend 15 Israelis were killed on the road, 21 in the past week.



Two especially unique Jews, killed in the car above were, have left me grieving heavily, along with the rest of the nation of Israel.

Yocheved Chein, of blessed memory, died well before her time. She was 44, a devoted wife and mother of six. Well, maybe mother of eight, if I would count my wife and I. Yocheved was like a second mother to us.



This was one of the truly genuine women of our time. She was selfless, and righteous. She gave every last resource she could scrape to help others. It didn't matter if Yocheved knew you or not. If you needed something, and she heard, she was going to help. Convenience was not one of her considerations.

As the wife of a Chabad Shaliach, Yocheved's home was open 24-7. Their door was open all the time. Literally, even if they weren't home. And in Queens, that's not always advisable. I entered through their door on hundreds of occasions.

The Rabbi and Rebbitzin worked non-stop with the community of Georgian immigrants they devoted their life to. They taught them Judaism from scratch. The Georgians always knew that they were Jewish. The Chein's taught them how to be Jewish.

The Cheins were literally readying the world for Moshiach, one mitzvah at a time, and believe me, that is not an easy task.

I cannot tell you how many times the Chein family came to our assistance. Handing us a car, and giving me a second income from their community for two years--which I later found out sometimes came from their own pockets--are just a few of the memorable kindnesses they offered. We were regulars at their Shabbos table.



The Rabbi survived the crash with several broken ribs. Rabbi Chein is a Rav, mentor, and friend, in addition to a father-figure to me. How he escaped the car alive is a miracle that is overlooked amidst tragedy. The Rebbitzen and her mother passed away.



The Rebbitzen's mother, Rachel Tzedek Schneerson, of blessed memory, was a true matriarch figure. Her husband had passed away many years ago, and she raised the family. I'm not sure how many grandchildren she had, but it is in the dozens. Rachel was known to me, and the rest of the family as Bebby, or grandma in Georgian.

Bebby had a comforting smile. A glance in her eye told you that she knew something you didn't. I didn't get the chance to find out what it was.

Yocheved was a fireball. I have never seen a woman with so much energy. She was a perpetual optimist. Even when the cards didn't seem to line up aces, the Rebbitzin had no fear. She put all her trust in G-d, and didn't worry about the rest.

She had a loud voice, and was not afraid to let anyone hear her opinion. Yet, since she really was righteous, she never really offended anyone.

She cooked up a storm, Georgian-style. I am going to miss her spicy sauces, despite the fact that I am an Ashkenazi Jew who prefers that sweet European-style cooking.

Yocheved was a great wife and mother, and was without a doubt the glue that kept her fast-moving family together.

Though they were living in New York, sent there on Shlichut by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, they were Israeli at their core, and loved the Holy Land. The Rabbi and Rebbitzen came to Israel at least a few times a year to visit their family, including the Rebbitzen's mother Rachel, who lived in Kiryat Malachi.

On this trip, as they did every year, the Rebbitzen came to honor the passing of her father. On the yahretzeit (memorial day), this past Friday, the Rabbi, Rebbitzen, and her mother were on route to the cemetery to pay their respects.

They eventually made it to the gravesite, but not in the condition they had envisioned.

You can read about the accident, and see pictures from the site.

My wife and I, and two friends were supposed to meet the Cheins for breakfast in Jerusalem Friday morning. An hour before the rendez-vous we got a call from their daughters saying that for some reason breakfast was off. An hour later, we got the news.

I was at Yocheved's funeral Sunday night at Har HaZeitim (Mt. of Olives) cemetery. That is a spooky place at night. It is perhaps the oldest Jewish cemetery in the World, and it shows. Her grave stares straight across to the Temple Mount. It has been a while since I was at the funeral of a loved one. It is an uncomfortable feeling.

The Rabbi made it to the funeral despite the severe pain in his ribs. I know his physical pain is nothing compared to his emotional suffering. Their children flew in from NY to attend their mother's funeral. I can't imagine what that plane ride was like.

Funerals in Israel are not the same as in the states, particularly in Jerusalem.

I had never been to a funeral at night, and here in Israel, bodies are brought to the grave in just a sheet. No coffin. A member of the Chevra Kadisha (burial society) literally jumps into the grave, and lays the body down to rest.

And then it is over. Yocheved and her mother were returned to the earth and returned to their maker.

We are left to grieve in their wake. May they merit all the rewards of the righteous in the world to come, and may their memories be a blessing for the Jewish people.

May the Chein and Schneerson families be comforted among mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.

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Reasons Why Not to Make Aliyah

The French have their reasons for not making Aliyah, this guy has his own reasons, and who can forget this classic...

What are yours?

Hat Tip: Cosmic X and Sweet Rose

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Internal Post-Disengagement (or Pre-the next one) Struggles in Gush Etzion

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Galut - Lovers Anonymous

There are many people in this world who are caught within the tangled web of harmful addictions.

Some are addicted to drugs, others to alcohol, and yet others, it seems, are addicted to living in Galut - The Exile.

The lucky ones recognize their addiction early on and begin taking the necessary steps to fight and overcome it, while others live their lives ignorantly unaware of their addiction, bringing untold suffering upon themselves and their loved ones.

It seems as if some French Jews fall into the latter category.

French Jews flock to area: South Florida is experiencing an influx of Jews who fear persecution in France

Rod Kukurudz decided to uproot his family from a comfortable life in France to Surfside when his then 16-year-old daughter, Audrey, came home one night in 2005 -- upset and fearful.

''Dad,'' she told him, ''now even if it's hot I have to wear a scarf to hide my Star of David,'' while riding the Paris Metro...

In their hearts, many of the French Jews arriving in South Florida feel they are refugees, and there's a movement to press the U.S. government for such status. A group has posted a petition on the Internet -- www.petitiononline.com/ID22206/petition.html -- urging the U.S. Congress to approve a refugee program for French Jews.

Both Cohen and Kukurudz miss life in France, but they have no regrets about leaving. They did it for their children.

''So they can have a future,'' Cohen said.

Sad...

For them, their children, and for us here in Israel.

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Street Justice in Lizhensk

Neturei Karta Beatdown!!

At the annual Hilulah / Yahrtzeit honoring Rebbe Elimelech of Lizhensk in Poland, Yehuda Meshi-Zahav, (chairman of ZAKA) hit Moshe Aryeh Freedman, the Neturei Karta rep. who kissed Iranian President Ahmadinejad...

Details from "The Yeshiva World" and Jerusalem Post on the beatdown HERE

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Kahonies!!!

(I saw someone spell the term that way in a talkback to an Arutz7 article.)

It is becoming clearer and clearer to people in Israel that something is wrong with our kahonies.

Not with our weapons (unlike, say, 1948).

Not with our economy (unlike any previous era in Israel's history).

Not with the world stage - to paraphrase the Muslims, there is no Superpower but the USA and Israel is the USA's Number One Ally (King David would have killed for a world stage like this. Never ever has there been anything like it. It's what we've always wanted!).

Just with one thing that can make or break everything we've been working for for three or four thousand years. Kahonies.

The Left has gone for our kahonies.

Let me remind you what kahonies do in nature. They make you aggressive and territorial. They make you proud. They make you fight. Think about it.

We are back in Bereisheet: Adam, Eve and the snake. The snake is using Eve's weaknesses to rob us of paradise.

Let's bring back kahonies. The rest will come naturally.

PS: there was an interesting TV show last night about sexual harrassment. Limor Livnat and others spoke of unpleasant episodes in which they were harrassed. What made the show different was that the panel was not composed of seven rabid feminist extremists and one bumbling male, but of one male feminist extremist (an advertising guy called Zarmon), one female feminist non-extremist (Orna Angel, an Ehud Barak protege/confidante, married to the Angel bakery family), and Shulamit Aloni on the anti-extremist side, along with Yakov Perry, ex head of the Shabak, who actually came out and said the word "castration."

There was also an interview with some lifeguards who spoke of the hardship of chatting up women - and they weren't made to look like fools, as you would expect. Video could be available soon for viewing on the Kumah uberblog.

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Just be GraTefuL...

When life gets a little tough, just be grateful your not INSIDE this army tank thingy, which is stuck,,,, in yeh, you got it, sewer...



Remember the little things in life... they get bigger that way ;-)

Nighty night... Shulamis

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Learn Hebrew The Jacob Richman Way

I'm hoping this is the first of many YouTube videos from Jacob Richman. This video will help you learn many important restaurant words. You'll need to know these words, of course, if you want to date Israeli girls in restaurants. You can also check out Jacob's full hebrew site called www.learn-hebrew.co.il.

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On Being an Extremist: Revisited

About a year-and-a-half ago, in response to feedback I had received to a number of articles I had written, I decided to layout many of my core beliefs as they related to Israel and the Jewish People, under the heading: On Being an Extremist, leaving it up to my readers to decide, if my beliefs, were, in fact, extreme.

Well, Bradley Burston of Ha'aretz, whose lone claim to fame is his now defunct "Talkback Policy" of forbidding the use of the phrase: "There are no Palestinians," has decided to pen a list of his own, which he entitles: Far-right and wrong, or how to ruin Judaism.

Burston lists 13 principles, to my 10, of which, 5 +/- made Burston's list. I am ashamed to note that #'s 12 & 13 on Burston's list, which relate to the Jewish People's yearning for the Temple Mount and the rebuilding of the Holy Temple, do not appear on my list, as I have only begun to fully appreciate the notion of "Temple Consciousness" over the last year+, and which I would include on my list today, in one variation or another.

Lastly, before re-revealing my list of beliefs, I found it rather ironic that when it comes to opposing Jews ascending to the Temple Mount (#12), Burston becomes an ardent follower of Rav Kook - who, in regards to many of the other points listed, would likely be viewed as an extremist by Burston and his ilk.

Without further ado...

The Top 10 Reasons... as to why people believe I am an extremist: (Nov. 30, 2005)

1) I believe that the borders of the Jewish State of Israel should encompass the entire area west of the Jordan River (I am not relinquishing the right of the Jewish People to other parts of its Homeland, namely: Jordan, Syria, Lebanon & the Sinai - I just do not believe that we should press our claim to them right now - so long as our neighbors behave).

2) I am against the creation of a "Palestinian State" anywhere west of the Jordan River, as I do not believe that anyone aside from the Jewish People has any right to sovereignty in the Land of Israel.

3) I am opposed to the "Peace Process" (as it is understood today - although I am very much in favor of peace), as I recognize that peace will not come through releasing terrorists from prison, arming these very terrorists, and making other "goodwill gestures" that all lead to the murder of innocent Jews.

4) I believe that Israel must come to the (painful) recognition that she is at war with the Arab world, and she must be committed to taking the required steps necessary to win that war (and not to suffice with defensive half-measures like the security fence and shelling open fields).

5) I believe that all Jews should live in the Land of Israel , as this is the only place that the Jew, both on an individual and national level, can live a complete Jewish life and it is the only place where the destiny and mission of the Jewish People can be actualized.

6) I believe that the State of Israel should be a Jewish State and not a State of the Jews (simply having a Jewish majority). I believe that the State of Israel should not strive to "fit-in" with the nations of the world and be a nation like all others, but should act to create a society that will be strongly rooted in Jewish tradition, history, identity and culture.

7) I believe that every Jewish child in Israel (and in the world) should receive a intensive Jewish education that will instill within them a sense of pride in their knowing what it means to be a Jew, where they have come from and where they are going, the reason for having a Jewish State in the Land of Israel, and a commitment to taking an active role in helping to fulfill the collective destiny of the Jewish People.

8) I believe that the ultimate values in the Jewish State of Israel should not be liberalism, pluralism and democracy (although each may have it's place within the Jewish State, under certain situations / conditions), rather values that are consistent with authentic Jewish tradition and beliefs should be given primacy above all others.

9) I believe that the Jewish State of Israel can create an exemplary society, one that is moral and just in all areas of private and public life, all while staying true to Jewish teachings and tradition, and not selling our birthright for a bowl of western, secular values.

10) I believe that if the Jewish State of Israel does all of the above, then Israel and her neighbors will be blessed with true and lasting peace, and the Jewish People and the Jewish State of Israel will earn the respect and admiration of the nations of the world, by serving as a true "Light unto the Nations" and on that day the world will recognize the Oneness of the G-d of Israel and His dominion over all.

So, you tell me... Does all that make me an extremist?

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Being a Jew, and choosing System Restore

So I was suppose to go to the Manhighut Yehudit annual dinner in NY Last weekend. I was all dressed up, and prepared to go and be part of one of the most amazing groups around today. I even brought a little note pad in my little purse, to take notes, so I could write a really cool post about how Moshe Feiglin and Manhighut Yehudit is the best hope Israel politics have today.

However, Life happens...



While driving on the belt parkway toward the dinner, running a bit late, but still on time according to Jewish clocks. I got a call from my friend. She was hit by a car, and Thank G-d she was fine, but the Hatzolah guys wanted her to go to the emergency room just in case. Even though she was fine, its quite traumatic to get hit, and have to go to an emergency room by yourself. So although I was all ready to be inspired and have a blast at the conference, I did some illegal u turns, and went zooming to the hospital.

Now, although I was unable to make the conference, I realized, that by turning around, I was walking in the Manhigut Yehudit leadership footsteps; being a good Jew, and doing what is right. The right thing was to turn around and be there for my friend, and not to go to a conference that I have been looking forward to for a month, because, this is being a Jew. Taking a step forward, and doing not necessarily want we want, but what is right and what we know we should in our gut.

Every Jew, somewhere inside, maybe way deep down, but somewhere in there, we all know that the Land of Israel is ours. We come from generations of believers. We have a spark, that when ignited, can defy reality and overcome any odds that exist in this worlds reality. We are the chosen people, and we are meant to be a light onto the nations. Its part of our internal hardrive. Many of us override it with ideas that the UN and EU make the rules, and we are obligated to follow them, and not ourselves. But like any computer, when too much has been overridden, it crashes, and needs a system restore (like what happened to my dell). Which means, we go back to the manufactures default programs.

By default, we can overcome anything this world throws at us.
By default, we have the courage to conquer any fears we have.
By defalt we have the G-d that created this world on our side.
By default, the land of Israel belongs to US and if we back proper leaders, that have faith in the Torah and G-d, by default Israel will be secure, will prosper, and will be a real light onto the nations, and become our everlasting home.
By default, this will happen, eventually, but its our choice when. The leadership of Manhigut Yehudit, I feel is our system restore button, and I encourage everyone to come and press it.

( As a side note: I am not really into politics. I don't follow the lasts scams, and newest elections. But I am sure some people have issues with Moshe Feiglin's views. To this I will give a very simple answer, "please remember, that he is not perfect. He does not have all the right answers. He is human, just like you and me. But know, that he is the best out there right now. He may make mistakes with some of his views, but that makes him human. If he did everything the way everyone liked, we should all get scared, because being perfect is not a human trait. Working on yourself, through trial and error, is. Give someone room to be human. Accept the things you don't agree with, as part of his human trait. And really notice all the things he is so on track with, that he is causing quite a stir in the lefties groups.

So please, don't expect a leader to be perfect, and do everything YOU feel he should, just expect him to be honest, follow Torah values, and have the desire to turn the state of Jews, into the JEWISH STATE!!!")

Aight!!!

~Shulamit

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NYT: Choosing Israel, Not the Hamptons

The following excellent piece appeared in yesterday's The New York Times. (You won't see me typing a sentance like that often!) It appears online here and a slideshow is posted here.

Now because articles on the NYT website have the habit of disappearing after a few days we cut and pasted the whole thing here.

The nutshell version is that American Jews are starting to opt to buy their second homes in Israel instead of traditional US vacation spots. And, it gets better, many of those Jews eventually move here for good!

Full text follows...

March 9, 2007
Choosing Israel, Not the Hamptons
By DAVID KAUFMAN

AS an associate professor of clinical surgery and chief of high risk programs at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Dr. Freya Schnabel is an unlikely international real estate pioneer. But as one of the first buyers in Eden Hills - a planned community 15 minutes southwest of Jerusalem - Dr. Schnabel, who is 49, is emblematic of a new breed of visitor to Israel: the foreign vacation-home buyer.

Indeed, from downtown Tel Aviv to the heart of Jerusalem, foreigners - especially Americans - searching for second homes are redefining Israel's high-end real estate market. Part of Tel Aviv is, in fact, in the midst of a mini-Manhattan makeover with the recent arrival of New York-style residential projects designed by the likes of Philippe Starck and Richard Meier. Even Donald Trump has entered the Tel Aviv marketplace with plans for a 70-story residential and commercial tower - Israel's highest - in the suburb of Ramat Gan.

Real estate analysts estimate that while foreigners made up less than 5 percent of total home buyers in Israel last year, they snapped up a third of the luxury properties - roughly defined as those priced above $500 a square foot. Taking advantage of a decrease in terrorism and property prices still far below Western levels, foreigners bought over $1.2 billion in Israeli real estate in 2006, according to the Israel Central Bank, more than double the $445 million in sales just three years earlier.

While deals like the $13 million purchase of a Tel Aviv triplex by Shari Arison, the Carnival Cruise Lines heiress, illustrate the upper end of the market, most foreign buyers are far more modest. But their desire for larger properties appears to be growing.

"The Americans have shifted from buying one- to two-bedroom to four- to five-bedroom apartments over the past half decade," said Werner M. Loval, managing director of the Jerusalem office of Anglo-Saxon Real Estate in Jerusalem, one of Israel's largest real estate agencies. "But they're still usually spending from about $400,000 to $1 million."

Davyd Tal, the Welsh-born owner of the real estate agency Jerusalem Homes, said that about 65 percent of all foreign buyers are Americans, most of whom are in their 40s and 50s. In Jerusalem, a quarter of all homes sold in 2006 went to foreigners.

Such statistics are credited with helping to boost average per-room prices throughout the capital by 27 percent last year - to just over $88,000 - even though the majority of foreigners remain concentrated in several city-center neighborhoods. These include Rehavia, the German Colony, old Katmon, Kiryat Shmuel, Mamilla and Talibeh, areas where roughly half of last year's home sales were to foreigners.

These areas are mostly within walking distance of major religious sites - the Old City, the Western Wall and the Great Synagogue - fulfilling the needs of the mostly religious Americans who are increasingly calling the neighborhoods home for at least part of the year.

"They want to be here because Jerusalem is the holy city and they are prepared to pay for this privilege," said Yaron Tzuberi, marketing and sales director for Africa Israel, one of Israel's top residential real estate developers.

Mr. Tzuberi notes that almost none of his American buyers live in Jerusalem full time, visiting instead during major Jewish holidays like Passover and Sukkot and perhaps for a few weeks each summer. Such buyers may eventually retire in Israel, but for now, he adds, "the apartments are just empty the rest of the time."

Nonetheless, along with their personal reinforced-concrete bomb shelters, Mr. Tzuberi's clients demand amenities like parking and central air-conditioning and heating - still premium services in much of Israel.

Some buyers are even opting for American-style gated communities - like the 600-unit Eden Hills - to further cushion their landing in the Levant.

"I hate sounding like an ugly American," said Dr. Allen Josephs, a 56-year-old New Jersey neurologist and future Eden Hills resident. "But I want my creature comforts while still being in Israel."

American buyers also covet the sights and sounds of Jerusalem itself. "Views of the Old City and of the Dome of the Rock are a must," Mr. Tzuberi said, "even though they can add hundreds of thousands of dollars to the cost of a home."

Properties within the walls of the Old City itself, meanwhile, are so rare that they regularly come with multimillion-dollar price tags, including one historic gem near the Western Wall that real estate agents said was shown to Madonna in 2004, though she did not buy it.

IT'S a simple case of supply and demand," says Mr. Tal of Jerusalem Homes. "When homes enter this market, they move fast."

Mr. Tal cited a $650,000 property in the Old City that sold within weeks. Another there was recently resold after just a year, with a markup of $450,000, to $1.45 million.

Views of the Mediterranean - rather than of historic sites - are among the key selling points in Tel Aviv, Israel's second-strongest market for foreign sales. Barely 90 years old, Tel Aviv's skyline is dotted with boxy, 1950s-era apartment blocks, along with an increasing number of sleek new luxury residential towers. They're a far cry from Jerusalem's low-rise, stone-clad houses.

"While Jewish, Tel Aviv buyers are almost never religious, and tend to visit far more often than their Jerusalem counterparts," said Mr. Tzuberi, adding that second-home buyers there are mostly American, British, Russian, French and ex-patriate Israelis looking for a part-time residence back home.

Spas, swimming pools, doormen and heavy security are standard offerings in Tel Aviv's newest developments, which include Mr. Starck's Yoo Tel Aviv - twin 40-floor cylinders opening later this year - and Mr. Meier's 30-story residential tower on posh Rothschild Avenue, which will open in 2010.

Such perks are expensive, however. Prime homes have risen roughly 30 percent over the last year to at least $650 a square foot at benchmark projects like the Akirov Towers - also called the Treetop Towers - in northern Tel Aviv; the 168-unit Rova Lev Ha'ir complex in the city center; and the beachfront Opera Tower. They go up to $1,000 a square foot by the sea.

Ms. Arison's $13 million downtown triplex is in Project G, a 31-floor tower still on the drawing boards.

"We were surprised by these prices, but we actually just purchased a second, larger apartment in the same building," said Margaret Amouyal, who bought into Rova Lev Ha'ir three years ago and visits Tel Aviv six times a year from Brussels.

For many foreigners in Tel Aviv, such standards increasingly include elements of the city's Bauhaus past. Known as the White City and declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco in 2003, Tel Aviv's historic core includes 4,000 Bauhaus buildings - the largest single concentration in the world - many now the target of design-minded American and European second-home seekers. Designated for conservation, Bauhaus apartments usually cover entire floors and offer the feel of a private home in a city that conspicuously lacks detached housing.

As a recent $26 million deal for five historic Tel Aviv Bauhaus buildings suggests, buying into this unique architectural heritage is not for the meek. Landmarked buildings command at least 30-percent premiums over conventional structures from the same era, according to Itzik Ben-Shoam, chief executive of White City Buildings, a real estate agency specializing in Bauhaus residences.

Whether purchasing along Israel's coast or in its spiritual heartland, one thing has been common among almost all foreign home buyers in Israel. They are generally not investment purchases.

"They're intended to be true second homes and not sold or rented for a quick profit," said the developer Alfred Akirov, whose eponymous trio of towers helped start Tel Aviv's luxury skyscraper boom in the late 1990s.

WHILE foreign sales are providing a much-needed boost to Israel's overall economy - battered earlier this decade by almost five years of bomb attacks on civilians - Israelis themselves have not necessarily been so welcoming.

Secular, middle-class Jerusalemites who can no longer afford to live in many areas of their city have been the most vocal in their anti-outsider sentiment. What's more, with foreign buyers often absent for months on end, some areas of the city can seem like luxury ghost towns.

In response, developers have broadened their marketing strategies to include local buyers, as well as voluntarily capping foreign ownership, as in a 30 percent limit at a new seafront tower in the resort city Netanya. While government-mandated restrictions remain unlikely, urban development organizations like the Futura Institute have suggested supplemental property taxes for non-Israeli owners or incentives for developers to include affordable housing aimed at local residents in luxury projects.

One firm, Nam5, is constructing a 120-unit residence offering free housing to recently discharged soldiers in a Tel Aviv suburb, as well as a new luxury tower in Tel Aviv.

For buyers like Dr. Schnabel and Dr. Josephs - who expect to move to Eden Hills by 2009 - rising prices and edged-out locals seem a world away from their still-pristine slice of ancient Judea. With homes ranging from $400,000 to well over a million, Eden Hills is priced to appeal to buyers accustomed to living among the parks, tennis courts, artificial lakes, bike trails and tree-lined pedestrian malls typical of high-end American subdivisions. Such attributes, along with numerous synagogues, are designed to lure Eden Hills's wealthy, Orthodox American target audience - and keep them there.

Dr. Schnabel is already practicing for her new, part-time life in Israel with monthlong stays in Jerusalem apartments to gain a sense of the country off the typical tourist track. And Dr. Josephs is so bullish on Israel that he has bought four separate Eden Hills lots for himself and his children.

"I am actually thinking of Eden Hills as my primary residence," Dr. Josephs said, adding that, eventually, "I will live in Israel, and then visit my second home - in New Jersey."

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Unfinished Business

Haman and his sons were hanged, their estate taken over by Mordechai. Even though we read Parshat Zachor last week, the evil of Amalek still lurks.


Check out a great article on the continuous Purim Struggle (in Hebrew) HERE

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Huge 2 Day, 3 City, Purim Photo Essay including Eclipse!

This is a really long photo essay. Here are 60 pictures from: a few days before Purim around Yerushalayim, Purim night in Ramat Beit Shemesh, a concert in Yerushalayim, the total lunar eclipse, Purim day Seudah by a friend near Bar Ilan University, Purim night in Yerushalayim at Machon Lev, and Purim day in Givat Mordechai and Har Nof. Enjoy!

Yerushalayim on Wednesday, 10 Adar, Feb 28
Girls in costumes even before Purim, 1 was dressed as a laundry machine

Stores all around the Shuk were selling costumes



A candy store in the Shuk was selling packaged Mishloach Manot


Colored hair even a few days early

Angels Bakery across the street from the Shuk was in the Purim spirit

Israelis tend to like America, even when choosing Purim costumes

Kohen Gadol costumes for sale

Dressed up, running toward the bus...

... which they took to Sha'arei Tzedek Hospital to bring some pre-Purim joy!

Purim Night in Ramat Beit Shemesh







My friend dressed as a terrorist, his French wife as an American, and his daughter as a butterfly.

Kids were throwing fire crackers, and other such really loud noise makers, in the street.





A concert in Yerushalayim that featured Naftali Abramson and his band, among others





During the night, there was a total lunar eclipse

Full moon before eclipse

Full moon during eclipse


Seudat Purim at an apartment near Bar Ilan University




L'Chaim!

My friend, Ilya, who hosted the seudah

Waldo, from "Where's Waldo?", was a popular costume (above and below)


Purim night in Yerushalayim at Machon Lev - Jerusalem College of Technology







Purim Day around my neighborhood, Givat Mordechai

I'm on the left, next to my friend Moshe (thanks to his wife for taking this picture)










First Seudah - at my friend's house


The baby really wanted the wine


My friends who made the seudah

On and From the Bus to Har Nof






Har Nof, where I went for my 2nd Seudah



Dressed up kids watch the craziness on the street from their window

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Dell, and being A Jew

So I got a new dell computer, and my luck, with in 24 hours, I had a list of problems. So I called tech support, and even used my "daytime" minutes on my cell, in case they closed early or something, and you know when you get something new, you want it to work perfectly, like immediately.

Dell reps are really sweet, and after 20 min, I was directed to the right place. A lovely lady got on the phone, and I told her all my problems. She notified me that she would have to log into my computer to get a hands on look.


Now, why would I mind if she logged into my computer, I have nothing to hide. So I logged off AIM and let her in.

The first thing she did was open Internet Explorer. Even though I had the computer for less then 24 hours, my home page was already set to www.Arutzsheva.com. And then, the weirdest thing happened, when the site loaded, and I knew that at that moment this lovely dell person knew I was a Jew, I felt embarrassed. I wanted to close the screen, or at least put a different website on. I actually felt bad that she now knew, that I was a Jew, and a political, right wing one; since the main topics were, well... about Livni not kissing up to the EU...

Why should I feel ashamed to be a Jew? To someone I never met, and never will? I wanted her to think i was just an average American, But I'm NOT, I'm a Jew, and should not have to feel bad, when others find out. I couldn't believe that I was getting all uptight and nervous that she wont fix my computer properly, or she will add a virus or something ABSURD like that. Then I thought, well if I felt it, other people do also, but why?

Sometimes I feel like its a secret that we are Jews. Like we are the big green elephant in the corner, that no one talks about, but we all know is there. I don't want to have to hide who I am, to a DELL TECHNICIAN!!! Its my right and my heritage to be proud being a Jew.

So after the 2.5 hour convo, with Fahara, from Asia, I am getting a new Dell shipped over to me, and made myself promise that I will not become embarrassed or ashamed next time someone finds out I am a Jew. In fact, I told her how much I loved Israel, and that one day I will be living there, and then as a good Jew, I invited her over if she ever came to Israel to visit :-)

The funny thing was, I felt so much better after. I felt that she knew I was a proud Jew and even if she was a Muslim, she now knows that there is a Dell customer that Loves Israel so much that within 24 hours, made her home page relate to it.

So all of you out there... go tell someone that might not know your Jewish, that you ARE and your one of those PROUD ones, that doesn't hide, but lets themselves shine, in every aspect!!!

Good night, dftss, ttfn.

~ Shulamit

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Media Round-Up - The Jewish Suicidal Urge (Take 2)

"Then the Devil Said"

- Natan Alterman, Jewish / Israeli Poet (1910 - 1970)

"Satan then said:
How do I overcome
This besieged one?
He has courage
And talent,
And implements of war
And resourcefulness.
Only this I shall do,
I'll dull his mind
And cause him to forget
The justice of his cause."

Simply put, we have lost our way; lost sight of what it is that we are doing here, in the Land of Israel, and if we are not able to restore our belief in the justice of our cause, the Jewish people will not have a future here, in the State of Israel.

Consider the following recent news stories from the Israeli press:

Israeli Arabs to get greater school funding, settlements less

"The new budget formula will change the political-education map from A to Z," a senior ministry officials said, "and transfer money to the most disadvantaged communities, most of which are Arab... At the end of the process, a lot of money will be directed toward schools... mainly in the Arab sector."

In short, Israel's Supreme Court, then headed by Aharon Barak, ruled a year ago, that the current criteria used by the Ministry of Education used to determine the allocation of resources was racist and discriminatory, as it gave preference (higher allocations) to Jewish communities (some in Judea and Samaria) over their Arab counterparts.

Abolish Law of Return - Yaron London - Yediot Achronot

In my opinion the State should first and foremost act for the benefit of Israeli society and this involves accepting immigrants who wish to and are able to successfully become integrated. Their Jewishness – be what it may – is only one of the variables assuring their integration, and it is not necessarily the most important one.

Sadly, this is the natural conclusion that one must come to once they no longer believe in the right of the Jewish People to a Jewish State in the Land of Israel. Without that fundamental belief, simply put, the Law of Return is an anachronism, and seemingly racist.

Left-Wing Activists, Arabs Plan to Build Unauthorized Outposts

Israeli left-wing activists, together with foreign PLO supporters, plan to build outpost settlements and plant trees on behalf of Arab residents in Judea and Samaria... One of the latest projects of several left-wing organizations, led by Rabbis for Human Rights, is to rebuild demolished illegal homes for Arabs on state-owned lands in the southern Hevron Hills... As part of their ongoing campaign, left-wing activists have encouraged local Arabs to bring claims against Jewish or state ownership to selected lands before Israeli courts.

One of the principles that Jews have always cherished is social justice. It is natural, once a Jew no longer believes in the right of the Jewish People to a Jewish State in the Land of Israel, to fight for the rights of those who the land does belong to...

Arab students will no longer be tested on Zionism

As for the Zionism section, the official said: "The concepts that were selected aren't suited for the needs of Arab students. Not only did the Arab students not learn about their own heritage, but the section on Zionism generated a great deal of criticism. It was therefore decided to reinforce the shared basis - that is, the section on democracy - and cut down on what separates the sectors."

Why teach Arabs students in Israel about Zionism, which is all about the struggle of the Jewish People to re-establish a Jewish State in their ancestral homeland - something that will naturally lead to a sense of inequality amongst the Arabs - particularly when one no longer believes that the State of Israel should exist as a Jewish State?

It is my hope and belief that it is not too late; that this post can have a happy ending; that we can once again restore a sense of the justice of our cause to our brothers and sisters, through Israel, and the world, but we have our work cut out for us.

Full post and comments...

Rockin in the USA

Soon after we got off the El Al "Jerusalem", I went to the Walfish house, and there I saw the "Mitzva Project" of their 9-year old - an Aliyah Plane!


Malkah and I got invited to recieve an award and speak at the Manhigut Yehudit Dinner in Long Island.


I hope I can stay connected to the spirituality while I'm here...


I hope to bring in the smell of the Land and the spirit of Israel to the Exile...

To remind our family where we belong.

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Shin is for Shushan

I was spotted and snapshotted by Mobius of Jewschool whilst on the prowl for the mother of all Shushan Purim photo essays (to be posted on A7 tomorrow, hopefully). A prize for whoever can explain exactly what my costume is.

Good Purim everybody. I don't remember saying havdala, do you? OK then. Still Purim, since there is a safek - at least until seder night.

In that spirit, check out my story on the Old Winemaker. He is the real deal.

In other news, little kids everywhere, as well is bigger kids who like candy, have begun pesach cleaning - by that I mean they have been eating copious amounts of leavened junk food they received in mishloach manot from their friends and neighbors.

I leave you with my top ten items received in mishloach manot and invite readers to post their own lists in the comments section:

10: Mekupelet (who knew chocolate became so good when you ran it through a pasta machine)
9: A giant tub of assorted Marzipan bakery stuff (with the rugs on the bottom)
8: Pancakes al haboker
7: Pumpkin Pie Hamentashen (oznei Haman, for those of you with contempt for any remnant of yiddish)
6: Pickled veggies
5: Reese's PB cups
4: Homemade apple butter
3: Smirnoff Apple something-or-other Vodka in a super cool bottle
2: Homemade granola (actually given to someone else who then left it at our place)
1: Dudaim (Mandrakes)

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The Last Boy Scout

Leading up to the Purim Holiday, there was much to be done at the last moment. Two days before the holiday, there was work to be done, a lecture to give, an important dinner take-out order to fill, and costumes to get for the little ones.

As I got to Jerusalem to lecture a bunch of (what's a nice word for spoiled?) Yeshiva kids on the ins and outs of Israel advocacy, from the neo-Zionist perspective, I passed by a bunch of hooligan-looking Israelis dressed in what looked to me like boy scout uniforms.



In Israel, you'll see these types of uniforms on teenagers of the various youth movements--each movement occupying their own special niche within the vast religious-political culture which of course must also include innocent and non-innocent young children.

Let's just say these boy scouts didn't look like the helpful kind. Want a smoke?

Following the lecture which I thought was inspirational, and I am sure that some of the yawns were also out of appreciation for my time and energy, I went to go take care of some of those other last minute errands.

(By the way, I know that I give a great lecture).

I got to Pisgat Ze'ev, the largest community in what is now Jerusalem, although used to be the """"West Bank"""". It is a lovely part of the city built by the Prime Minister who could both build and take away, Ariel Sharon. It is really a beautiful large neighborhood.

We like it, because it is on the way home to Bet El from Jerusalem, and has some of the infrastructure missing from a smaller yishuv, like a shopping mall, and of course Burger's Bar.



The Burger's Bar is located at this intersection at the end of Rechov Moshe Dayan. I'm not sure what that tall red thing is supposed to be.



This is a good opportunity to talk about traffic safety in Israel.

When you are coming from Jerusalem, the best thing to do is park across the intersection in one of 8 or so parking spots facing in the direction you need to drive later. Now the road you need to cross on foot has 2 lanes in each direction--a 4 lane road in total. Not so big. But here in Israel, that means that the road takes about 5 minutes to cross, stopping on 2 seperate half-meter-wide islands in between green lights.

Now I was born in NY, so I am no fool. I look both ways and cross against the light if the coast is clear. For some reason, Israelis who will break just about every rule on the road, don't really jaywalk.

I got across the road pretty fast, when all of a sudden, I hear a 35-40 year-old blind lady holding a cane and 3 young kids in Purim costumes shouting, "Selicha, Selicha."

Now she didn't know it, but she was apparently talking to me.

She told me that it was unsafe to cross such a difficult intersection, and needed some help. She was right. Whichever engineer designed the traffic pattern here, they did not have this type of scenario in mind.

Of course, I helped her and her cute, decked-out kids back across the street.

After finishing my good deed for the day, I went back across that street, to get my take-out. The owner of the Burger's Bar, who knows me quite well from my wife's 9 months of pregnancy cravings that made me a regular at this establishment, invited our family to his child's upcoming birthday party at the restaurant. What a real, yet surreal night.

And how good it all made me feel. It was at that moment that I realized, it is simple good deeds like these that make this country what it is, and what it is supposed to be.

You don't have to be dressed like a boy scout to behave like one. But if you are dressed like a boy scout in Israel, it certainly wouldn't hurt to try.

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Purim NY style

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So May This Happen to All the Enemies of the Jewish People (Photos)

It's so good to be Home for the Holiday Season... you know, the holiday season! The time people dress up, give out candy, (get drunk) and decorate the front of their homes. Yep... sure you know what I mean. They decorate them with beautiful biblical scenes. You know what I mean. The scenes that sort of look like this:


Ahh, it's so good to be Home. So what biblical scenes did your neighbor set up?

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For Purim: 100 Dancing Ninja Tutles

What? You mean you don't get what 100 dancing tutles have got to do with Purim or Israel?






























HAPPY PURIM FROM KUMAH!

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Israel Sends Sderot Band to Eurovision to Stick it to the (Ha)Man

The people of Israel - and I'm talking the TV watching, Eurovision-caring majority everyone is always trying to pander to and mind-read - have sent the world a Purim message: We are fixing to hang Hamanadinejad from a pole and are sick of slicing up our tiny birthright.

Well, after having the Defense Minister as a resident and after the government enacted a one-sided treaty over the heads of their young, most had given up hope in the people of Sderot rising up and taking to the streets. It turns out, a few of them have: Tipex - the band (who insist on spelling their name Teapacks, which they explained in their famous interview with Jewish music radio guru Ben Bresky.)

Teapacks, representing Israel in this years Eurovision (a competition usually consisting of annoyingly messageless songs that cross borders due to the common meaninglessness of pop music in most countries) submitted songs for the approval of their fellow countryman.

The song that won is called "Push the button" and ridicules Jihadists worldwide, starting with Hamanadinejad. The Scandinavian Nazi (the great thing about blogging is you can call whoever you want a Nazi!) organizers are already himming and hawing about the song - but the funny part is that should they disqualify it - an even better one is waiting in second place.

Salaam Salami is that song. It is a hilarious, yet dead focused indictment of the Oslo Accords and their Land-for-Peace successor the Road Map. It is also all in Hebrew, unlike Push the Button, which is in English and French as well.

In honor of Purim, a song representing Queen Esther has been chosen to enter Europe's pathetic kings' court. Instead of sending a Yemenite Jewish she-male to sing an ode to Cleopatra and Aphrodite (in 1998, when Israel had its third and last Eurovision victory) - Israel is sending a band of good-humored dudes from Sderot with a message to the world: The nation not only lives, but will no longer bow down.

Salaam Salami comes straight out and calls for en and to the policies of shaving off salami slices of the Jewish homeland, ending: לא כולם רוצים שלום - אז אולי מספיק


Teapacks's Koby Oz also always acknowledges the Most High.

(Thanks to Kikar Israel for the streaming songs linked above)

Here are the live versions voted upon by Israelis:


After seeing this video of Salaam Salami, I am hoping the Eurovision folks ban the first one - this one rocks!:


And here is Tipex, back in the day expressing the non-Sabbath observant Israeli's affinity for the restful nature of Sabbath in Israel and giving a shout-out to Arutz-7:

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"Amalek's Little Secret"

In the end of Beshalach we read: "War is to Hashem with Amalek from generation to generation."

But who is Amalek? Why does this nation deserve so much attention?

Amalek is the anti-good, anti-G-d force in this world. They hate the Jewish people for no other reason then Israel's goodness and spirituality. Hitler once said that he hates the Jews because they are the "conscience of the world." Amalek's qualities include the ability to cause people to doubt G-d, to cool off the excitement of G-d's miracles, to replace the faith in G-d with a belief in chance and happenstance. Amalek's every quality is meant to counteract the force of the Jewish people in this world.

But what is Amalek's weakness?

The Baal Haturim uncovers this mystery by asking an interesting question: What is the connection between the commandment to destroy Amalek and the commandment to bring Bikkurim, the first fruits to be eaten in Jerusalem? These two Mitzvot are seemingly connected only by their proximity in the Torah - the destruction of Amalek comes in the end of Ki Teze, and the First Fruits comes right on its heals in the beginning of the next parasha, Ki Tavo.

However, the Baal Haturim asserts that there is a reason why these two topics are put side by side.

The Torah tells us: "Therefore it shall come about when the L-RD your G-d has given you rest from all your surrounding enemies, in the land which the L-RD your G-d gives you as an inheritance to possess, you shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven; you must not forget." (Dvarim 25;19)

The Ba'al HaTurim lets us in to Amalek's little secret. The commandment to destroy Amalek only reaches its full potential when "the L-RD your G-d has given you rest from all your surrounding enemies, in the land which the L-RD your G-d gives you as an inheritance to possess ." Only when the Jews are in the Land of Israel do they have the power to fully destroy Amalek.

This idea is further buttressed by the proximity of the mitzva of Bikkurim, bringing the first fruits to Jerusalem. This commandment can only be fulfilled when the Jewish people are on their land: "Then it shall be, when you enter the land which the LORD your God gives you as an inheritance, and you possess it and live in it; that you shall take some of the first of all the produce of the ground which you bring in from your land that the LORD your God gives you, and you shall put it in a basket and go to the place where the LORD your God chooses to establish His name."

Amalalek wants to destroy the Jewish people, and he always attacks us when we are at our weakest, when we are tired, hungry, and separated. The contrast, of course, is to the Jewish people when they are on their own soil, united, strong, and eating of the fruit of the land – then the Jewish people are in position to turn the tables, to destroy Amalek, and to create a society built in G-d's image. Amalek's greatest fear is the Jewish life in the Land of Israel because that spells his doom!

So what does Amalek do? Everything in his power to stop us from reaching our goal – to stop us from reaching the Land of Israel.

"The king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, then Pharaoh and his servants had a change of heart toward the people, and they said, "What is this we have done, that we have let Israel go from serving us?"

Who told Pharaoh that the Jews fled? According to the Baal Haturim, the culprit is Amalek. Amalalek sees the Jews fleeing Egypt and heading towards Israel and he must stop them. First Amalek dispatches Pharoah and the whole Egyptian army, and when that doesn't work Amalek goes out against the Am Yisrael himself: "Then Amalek came and fought against Israel at Rephidim."

Even today, Amalek is hard at work trying to stop us Jewish people from taking up our eternal inheritance. Terror, political ostracizion, economic hardships, and most of all fear - this is the handiwork of Amalek. Iran's Mahmud Ahmadinijad is today's reincarnation of Hitler, Haman, and Amalek. Ahmadinjad is set on destroying us because he knows that the Jewish people's redemption is at hand, and he will do anything he can to stop us.

Fearlessness, faith, a constant commitment to bring all the Jewish people home are our greatest weapons against Amalek. When we unite in Eretz Yisrael, with joy and love, living by the Book, there is nothing that can stop us. May we merit G-d's blessings to fulfill our mission to destroy our enemies and build His dwelling place in Yerushalayim!

By the way, compare these two verses in light of the above:

Bamidbar 13;30

Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, "We should by all means go up and take possession of it, for we will surely overcome it."

and Ester 6;13

Haman recounted to Zeresh his wife and all his friends everything that had happened to him. Then his wise men and Zeresh his wife said to him, "If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is of Jewish origin, you will not overcome him, but will surely fall before him."

See it? Our faith in the return of the Jewish people to the land of Israel is the death of Amalek.

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Warner Brothers Can't Spell "Israel"

Yes, I admit it. This is how I learned my geography growing up. But back in my day we didn't have YouTube where you could easy pause stuff and realize that they completely misspelled our homeland's name! (Pause it at 56 second left or 50 seconds in.) Spielberg (or should I spell it incorrectly "Speilberg") should be ashamed! And I never noticed how they squeezed in a "Palestine" at the end (though Yakko doesn't point to anything when he says it... hmm...)

In any case it's loads of fun! Enjoy!

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Mahmoud Hamandinejad's House Gets Nuked, All Within Die.

Mahmud Hamandinajad was killed today along with all his household when his house dissipated in a mushroom cloud, putting all of Teheran in a decidedly bad mood.

The mystery surrounding the explosion has yet to be unearthed, but some facts have come to the surface: A few weeks ago, Hamandinajad had become tenser then usual when Iran's secret police informed him that the seed of Yigal Amir, Israel's most famous prisoner, was to be transferred over to his new bride. This piece of news created great anxiety in Hamadinajad's heart, for it corroborated the message of an ancient scroll dating to the time of Daniel the Prophet which was in Hamandinajad's possession. The scroll states that in the end of times a man who wields a fire-stick will attempt to save the Jewish people, but will instead be imprisoned and unable to procreate. But a new magic will arise which will enable him to have a child without union. It is this seed which will bring about the redemption of the Jews and the destruction of their enemies. Concerned with his fate, and the fate of his people, Hamandinajad embarked on a plan to nuke the Israeli prison which holds Yigal Amir.

Ahamandinajad was planning to fire a nuclear-tipped Jihad3 missiles at Israel on March 4th - a date randomly selected by computer. In the weeks beforehand, however, a delegation of American Reform Rabbis for Homosexual Marriage were touring Iran on a goodwill mission. This delegation was headed by a certain Dr. Trimbobler who curried the favor of Iran's top echelons, and though she wore a burka throughout the trip, she generally found favor in all who saw her. In fact, she was shown many of Iran's secret installations, including the silo sites for the Jihad 3.

Unbeknownst to her fellow travelers, and certainly to Iranian officials, Trimbobler was on a secret mission code named "Nahafochu" for the underground organization "Jews For Jihad," whose mission is to turn Muslim Jihad in on itself. (She once famously quipped "If they want to commit suicide, let them really commit suicide.") Upon entrance to the Jihad 3 installation, Trimbobler faked a broken heel, and proceeded to access the coordinates of the missile target. "I had only seconds to do it," Trimbobler said, "and my life was in danger, but then I heard Ilan Ramon's voice talking to me as if from the heavens, and he said to me 'Use the force, Larrisa, and as G-d guided me to Osirak, so too, He will guide you. Fear not, for the force will be with you - always!" Trimbobler was able to change the coordinates without being detected.

In the days prior to the launch date, Hamandinajad was noticeably perturbed, awaiting anxiously to fire the deadly arsenal. His only solace was listening to Wagner on his specially designed Triangular earphones, and drawing anti-Semitic cartoons for a local daily. Hamandinjad dreamt of the day when he would be paraded on the main streets of the world and heralded as "Master of the Universe." If he could kill the Messiah, then he would rule the world, and become even more powerful then his heros Hitler, Khomeini, and Gargamel.

When the fateful day came, it began badly when a metal bucket came crashing on Hamandinajad's head. A household servant named Cherbona, who was not in the house when it exploded, told reporters that the bucket was filled with manure from the sheep that the Hamandinajads kept on the second floor. "Muhmud's wife, Ichsa, was cleaning the stalls of Mahmud's favorite sheep, and the bucket simply fell on his head" said Cherbona.

Hamandinajad was not to be dissuaded, though, and was readying to depress the Red Button which he had installed in his own house so that he could watch the whole thing on CNN from his own couch. He gathered all his ten children around himself and prayed out loud, "Oh Allah, you know we are a backwards people, a people bent on violence and world domination, please help us destroy the Messiah!!!"

At 127 AM, a gigantic fiery explosion ripped through downtown Teheran with its epicenter being at Hamandinajad's home. It seems as though a certain Jihad 3 missile had gone off course. The light generated by the nuclear explosion was so great that it illuminated the night sky of Israel 2,000 kilometers away. The Jews had light and joy that night and great celebrations were held. The president of Israel, Baruch Marzel, issued pardons to many Jewish criminals who promised to do Teshuva. Yigal Amir was released and promptly held a massive chuppah at Kikar Malchai Yisrael (Rabin Square) for him and his bride Dr. Larissa Trimbobler.

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"Go and Gather All the Jews..."

Ta'anit Esther is above all, a day of Teshuva, fasting and prayer when our primary concern must be to follow Queen Esther's powerful directive: to strengthen Jewish Unity.

All too often we focus on what divides us, as opposed to what we share in common...
In 1933, Rav Avraham Yitzchok HaKohen Kook zy''a wrote:

"...it is incumbent upon us to draw near to the path of teshuvah which brings redemption and healing to the world.The Jewish people have become divided into two camps, through the categorization of Jews as Charedi and Chofshi.

These are new terms, which were not used in the past. Of course, not everyone is identical, especially in spiritual matters; but there was never a specific term to describe each faction and group...Emphasizing this categorization obstructs the way towards improvement for both camps. One who feels that he belongs to the Charedi camp looks down upon the secular camp. If he thinks about teshuvah and improvement, he immediately casts his eyes in the direction of the Chofshi camp, devoid of Torah and mitzvot. He is confident that full repentance is required by the irreligious, not by him.The secular Jew, on the other hand, is convinced that any notion of penitence is a Charedi concept, completely irrelevant to him.

It would be better if each person would concentrate on discerning his own defects, and judge others generously. It could very well be that others have treasure-troves of merits, hidden from sight. We must recognize that there exists in all of the camps a latent force leading towards goodness. Each camp has much to improve upon, and is capable of learning much from the light and goodness of the other camp.Let us be known to each other by one name: "Klal Yisrael"{Adapted from Moadei HaRe'iyah, by Rav Chanan Morrison of Mitzpeh Yericho}

This Taanit Esther, let's try to respect and care for each other - at least as much as Haman (and Hitler, Arafat, Ahmadinejad etc.) desire(d) to destroy us!

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Smokers Beware: Torah Still In Effect On Purim (Graphic Photos)

So here's the story. I remember back in tenth grade we were invited to our high school rebbe's house on Purim. And it was loads of fun. One guy even had a pack of cigarettes because after all on Purim you don't have to keep the Torah. A few of my classmates snuck outside to smoke including "A" (we'll leave his full name out.)

That was "A's" first cigarette but not nearly his last. He started smoking regularly and then even became a heavy chain smoker. Later he developed severe respiratory problems. Last August my friend "A" passed away at the ripe old age of 27.

Smoking Kills. The Torah demands one to "heed to yourself and guard your life strongly" (Devarim 4:9). Remember all Torah laws, both positive and negative, remain in effect for both Purim and Shushan Purim. You don't have to break Torah laws to celebrate on Purim!

Have fun! Be jolly! Stay safe!

Now for the graphic photos if you smokers are not convinced. (Warning: if you get queasy easily don't continue viewing the rest of this post...)

This is what a healthy lung looks like:


And this is what smoking does to it:


Let's review. Healthy:


And the smoker's:


Still not convinced:


Here's more:


Think about it!


Chag Samayach!

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