So God performs open miracles to clear you of group sex?

Israeli tourists, then suspected of raping a 19-year-old British girl in Ayia Napa, leave the court premises in the eastern Cypriot resort of Paralimni on July 26, 2019. The men have since been exonorated of rape, with the woman's admission that she lied. (Iakovos Hatzistavrou / AFP)

Last night was extremely difficult for me.

Seeing those Israelis in Cyprus cleared of rape (but guilty of plenty of other stuff) wearing kippot and giving thanks to God for “saving them” made me ill. Part of my reaction was based on what they did. Part of my reaction was based on what they represent.

A quick background on the story:

 A couple of weeks ago, 12 Israelis vacationing in Cyprus were arrested for sexually assaulting (raping) a British tourist. Since then, this woman has retracted her charges and is being charged with placing a false complaint. Having said that, there is no dispute that many of these teens had sexual relations with her, filmed the action, and sent the video out on social media. Anyone wanting to read more about the sordid story can do so here.

Max Berger Self Hating Jew Works For "Pocohantos"

Max Berger, now an aide to Elizabeth Warren, organized and participated in anti-Israel protests and compared IDF anti-terror ops to pogroms.

Days after Israeli ground troops entered the Gaza Strip in 2014, following the kidnapping and murder of three Israeli teens at the hands of Hamas terrorists, a group of far-left millennial Jews gathered to plan a public protest of the military operation.

The new group, which called itself IfNotNow, discussed a public demonstration in front of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, an establishment Jewish umbrella group.

Max Berger was one of the planners who urged them to take it a step further: The protesters should get arrested at the Presidents’ Conference headquarters in New York, he suggested. And they should recite kaddish, the traditional Jewish mourner’s prayer, for Israelis and Arabs who had died in the fighting.

When the protest took place, on July 28, 2014, that’s what they did. Berger was one of nine Jews arrested in the Presidents’ Conference building.

No excuses for remaining outside the land! Parshas Mattos ....And The Birth of Bnei Brak

Gleaned from the works of Harav Avraham Yitzchok Kook z"l 

Moses’ rage was palpable. “You have risen in your fathers’ places as a band of sinners!” (Num. 32:14).

When the tribes of Gad and Reuben petitioned not to cross the Jordan River and enter Israel proper, Moses denounced the proposition and lashed out at them. “Why are you trying to discourage the Israelites from crossing over to the Land that God has given them?”

We can certainly understand Moses’ anger and frustration. But this incident took place not long after he was punished for berating the people at Mei Merivah. When he snapped at the people, “Listen now, you rebels!” (Num. 19:10), God informed Moses that he would not be leading the Jewish people into the Land of Israel.

We similarly find that the prophet Isaiah was punished for his harsh criticism when he lamented, “I live among a people of unclean lips” (6:5).

Yet there is no indication that Moses was wrong in his scathing response to the tribes of Gad and Reuben. What was different?

The Rotten State of Orthodoxy

by Shoshanna Keats Jaskoll
Jaskoll is a writer and an activist. Cofounder of chochmatnashim.org She loves her people enough to call out the nonsense. See her work at skjaskoll.com

Men's access to the grave of Rabbi Yosef Caro zt"l, in Tsfat, Israel. The men are able to draw close enough to even kiss the grave. (Laura Ben David)
If a picture speaks a thousand words, these images scream volumes. Taken a few weeks ago in the ancient cemetery of Tsfat, they show two sides of the same grave. Rav Yosef Caro zt”l was a mystic, and the author of the Shulchan Aruch, among other works. Thousands come to pray at his graveside. Some have total access to the monument. They can touch it, kiss it, cry on it. Others can talk to the wall behind it.

Women’s ‘access’ to the same grave, from behind a wall. They are unable to even see the grave, let alone approach it, or touch it. (Laura Ben-David)

I cannot think of a better pair of images to illustrate the state of Orthodoxy today, where there is one open accessed reality for men, and one increasingly restrictive reality for women. 

Meah Shearim Guy Punctures Tires of the Guy Who Delivers Chareidie Newspapers While Wearing His Shtrimal

אחת ההתנכלויות למחלק העיתונים  (צילום: באדיבות המצלם)

This guy who calls himself "Duvid" was already caught puncturing tires of Chareidie Newspaper Deliverymen, 4 times!
But the courts released him again...

Taliban Women in Yerushalayim

All Israeli youths accused of rape detained in Cyprus released .... .."Victim" Arrested For False Charges !

Cyprus police Sunday released from detention seven Israelis and said the British teenager who accused them of gang rape would face court on suspicion of making a false allegation.

"All seven Israelis have been released, since 10:00 am," police spokesman Christos Andreou told AFP.

"The young woman will be taken to court tomorrow morning (Monday)," he added.

Earlier, a police source said the British teenager had been arrested.

"She is facing charges of giving a false statement over an imaginary offence," the police source told AFP.

Initially, the 19-year-old woman had alleged that 12 Israelis gang raped her at the hotel where she was staying in the popular Ayia Napa resort on July 17.

The young Israeli tourists were remanded in custody the next day. But hours before their second appearance in court five of them were released and sent home late on Thursday.

The remaining seven had their remand order renewed for another six days on Friday. None had been charged, and both hearings took place behind closed doors because some of the suspects were minors.

Ayia Napa is a magnet for younger tourists attracted by its party reputation and white sand beaches.

Britain is the island's biggest tourist market with around 1.3 million of its citizens travelling to Cyprus every year while nearby Israel is also becoming a key source of visitors.

When Ben-Gurion Blessed Someone That He Should Be Successful in Bringing Up His Children & Grandchildren with "Torah & Good Deeds"

When Ben Gurion turned 80 years old, he received thousands of good wishes from all over the world, but there was one in particular, that he cherished the most.

Yaakov Guthertz was lucky to get an "aliyah" to the Torah on Yom Kippur of 1966, in a shul in Herzliyah...... the minhag of that shul as is in most shuls in the world is that the one who  receives an aliyah get an opportunity to make a "Mee She'beirach" where he also pledges to donate to the shul or other holy institution.

Yaakov Guthertz asked the gabbai of the shul to make the "Mee She'beirach" in honor of Ben Guion's 80th birthday and pledged a considerable amount of money in honor of the first Prime Minister of Israel.

When Ben Gurion, who was convalescing in Haifah, heard about this from Emanuel Harusie, a prominent author, Ben Gurion wrote a letter thanking Yaakov Guthertz for the "Mee She'beirach" and subsequently wished him among other blessings that he should have nachas of his children and grandchildren and that he merit to be successful 

לגדלם לתורה ולמעשים טובים

"in bringing them up to Torah and good deeds!"

Below is the letter in Ben Gurion's own handwriting 

Loose translation:

"The well known writer Emanuel Harusie wrote me, that you received an aliyah to the Torah last Yom Kippur, and after the blessing, you made a "Mee She'beirach for me pledging a considerable amount of money in  honor of my 80th birthday.

I received thousands of good wishes from all corners of Israel and its outlying areas.

 I will not say that any of these wishes were in any way less in my eyes ... in fact I appreciate each and every blessing.

But I was totally blown away when Emanuel Harusie told me about what you did.

I am therefore sending you my deep gratitude and sincere blessing that you derive much nachas from your children and grandchildren that you be successful in bringing them up in Torah and good deeds.

Our complete independence and redemption has yet to be completed ... and the work to achieve that, is still great before each and everyone of us, be he old or young, and we must therefore exert effort in achieving those goals and make Israel worthy of the prophesies of  the Prophet Yeshayahu the son of Amotz:

"I will set you for a covenant to the people, for a light to the nations"

With best regards,

D. Ben Gurion, Nof Yam "

Could You Repeat That Question....... Pleeeeeze!

Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg Calls Her 7-Year-Old "Non-Binary"

This freak of nature who calls herself a rabbi, will leave the nature of her child's gender, for her child to decide!

She was named in the year 2010, one of the 50 most influential women rabbis by The Jewish Daily Forward.