The NYTimes' comical account of what it means to be Israeli

 

A New York Times reporter and photographer go into a car. They travel across one of the world’s happiest countries—and find only anger, alienation, and regret. Israelis find that really funny

New York Times coverage of Israel—its efforts to curate, conceal, and contrive the faraway land for its American readers—has descended into hilarity. Indeed, a recent front-page story by Jerusalem bureau chief Patrick Kingsley, which promises to help readers “discover what it means to be Israeli today,” is a comical caricature of the paper’s own biases, exposing much more about the New York Times than about the country it is supposedly covering.

To understand why, it helps to first understand a couple of facts about that country: Israel has consistently ranked at the top of measures of global happiness. The 2021 World Happiness Report, for example, found Israelis to be among the happiest in the world, and ranked their country as 12th happiest out of 149 countries over the past three years.

In other words, if you were to ask random Israelis to “think of a ladder, with the best possible life for them being a 10, and the worst possible life being a 0,” then ask them to “rate their own current lives on that 0 to 10 scale,” chances are you’d find them saying that they are living close to the best possible life. That’s what pollsters found.

Israel’s place in the World Happiness Report’s index is marked by a red arrow.

According to other polling, by Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics, over 88 percent of Israelis, including 76 percent of the country’s Arab citizens, were satisfied with their lives.

Berland's Chusid Confessed to the Murder of Nissim Shitrit 35 years ago and Incriminates 3 others

 One of the main suspects in the murder of 17-year-old Nissim Shitrit 36 years ago confessed to the murder on Wednesday and incriminated three others, Channel 13 News revealed on Wednesday night.

On Wednesday morning, disgraced Shuvu Banim leader Eliezer Berland told Meir Shitrit, the brother of murder victim Nissim Shitrit, 17, that he can sit Shiva and say Kaddish. Berland also urged one of the main suspects of the murder to tell the investigators what happened.

The report revealed the transcript of the meeting between Berland and the suspect, during which Berland urged him to confess. “We need to say what happened,” Berland said. “I’m instructing you to say what happened.”

The suspect, who until then had refused to talk, broke down and confessed his role in the murder of Shitrit, and incriminated three others. He described what transpired that day to the investigators, saying that they didn’t actually intend to kill Shitrit.

“We went to scare Shitrit and beat him up,” he said. “G., Z. and B. beat him and he died from their blows. I didn’t beat him, but [it happened] in front of me. Afterward, we dug a kever and buried him. It wasn’t planned. We decided we won’t tell anyone what happened.”

The suspect was taken by the police to the murder site in a Jerusalem area forest in an attempt to locate the remains but he could not identify the exact spot. According to his lawyer, the suspect doesn’t remember the exact location of the kever.

A female suspect involved in the murder cooperated with the police and confessed her role of calling Shitrit and telling him to go to a certain apartment, from where he was kidnapped. She also provided other details regarding the case to the police and confronted other suspects. On Wednesday, the police released her to house arrest for a week.

Also on Wednesday, Jerusalem’s Magistrate Court extended the detention of four other suspects for eight days.

During the hearing, the police said they are now also aware of the identities of those who murdered Avi Edri, 41, in 1990, and what role each suspect played in the murder.

Lisa (Brewer) Hardy Sends Hateful Message with threats to Chabad Rabbi at George Washington University

 

Artscroll's CEO Gedalya Zlotowitz's Reaction when asked why all the Bios of the Gedoilim Make them into Malachim or Angels

If you want to read the biographies of Gedoilei Yisrael, all you have to do is buy one book of one random Gadol from Artscroll, the rest will read the same. 

The Gadol portrayed in Artscroll books was born a genius, knew the entire Shas by the time he was six years old, never got angry, was never wrong, and was the biggest baal chesed and the most caring person in the world. 

The truth is that this is not true at all, some went to public schools, some never opened a sefer until after the bar-mitzvah and some had parents that weren't frum. Some were fervent Zionists (Chas Ve' Sholom) and some like  Rav Eliyashiv and Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach had Rav Avraham Yitzchok Kook z"l as their Mesader Kiddushin.  One great Gadol had severe Shalom Bayis issues. Many had children that went off the derech. One particular Gadol that comes to mind had a son that converted to Christianity. Many were wrong in their predictions and in their Halachic rulings, but you will not get any of this from their bios. 

You see Artscroll is holier than the Tanach. In the Tanach all Gedoilim are presented with their flaws and blemishes, and not one frum Jew would think of them any less. But the gedoilim of the present century, according to the Artscroll bios, were absolute melachim who never did anything wrong in their entire lives.

In the interview, R' Gedalye Zlotowitz says that he is not "re-writing" history, he is only "omitting" certain information, and that the bio is meant to "inspire." 

R' Gedalye is being disingenuous when he says that this was "his father's idea"

 His father's first Bio was of the Netziv, it was called "My Uncle the Netziv" and was translated from the Hebrew version of "The Netziv" which was written by Rabbi Baruch Halevie Epstein, who was the author of the famous commentary the "Torah Temimah.: Rabbi Epstein was the nephew of the Netziv. In his biography of his uncle he nonchalantly mentioned that the Netziv read secular newspapers. When Artscroll originally released the book, they included this tidbit. But after tremendous pressure of the Yeshivishe Roshei Yeshivos, Artscroll recalled the book and reprinted it without the "newspaper" story. So when Gedalye says that Artscroll is omitting information  that would put the protagonist in a bad light and make him sound normal, he is lying, it was omitted because of pressure.

Omitting uncomfortable truths is akin to rewriting history. Presenting a glorified and sterilized version of history isn't "inspiring" in fact it's incredibly harmful. It presents an impossible model of how a great person is supposed to look like, void of humanity and weaknesses, and lying by omission is still lying.!

 

‘You’re aware that the academic world mocks Artscroll...’ Candid, insightful conversation with @artscroll president Rabbi Gedaliah Zlotowitz on our newest Take 2 https://t.co/ob6320PMeg pic.twitter.com/SphyxUtyBR

— Mishpacha Magazine (@themishpacha) November 3, 2021

 

Inna Vernikov a Republican Wins Big in Flatbush A Smack in the Face to Askanim

Thank G-d, the sheep finally saw thru the garbage that Askanim like Ezra Friedlander, Leon Goldenberg and the other "machers" and realized that were feeding them the crap that Jews ought to vote strictly Democrat because a Republican will never make it.

 Dov Hikind did endorse Inna while the Flatbush "gedoilim" endorsed her opponent the fake DemocRAT Saperstein. It seems that the voters were giving a clear message to the "kockers" I mean the "machers" that they don't need their unsolicited advice. 

The same thing happened in Fakewood, where the "kockers" were pushing the "murf" but the voters voted for his opponent the Republican Candidate Ciattarelli. Ciattarelii lost by a tiny margin embarrasing the DemocRATS in New Jersey where Murphy was expecting to win by a landslide.

My advice to the sheep in Brooklyn .... Baaaaaa Baaaa

Stop listening to "Kocker-Machers" and vote Republican all the time, you may lose some but in the long run this is the best strategy for the benefit of the Jewish people... 

 Republican Inna Vernikov won the New York City Council’s 48th District seat on Tuesday, flipping the seat to the GOP in one of the city’s few conservative districts.

“This victory sends a loud message that this district is fed up with the progressive policies that have been destroying our city and our district,” Vernikov told Hamodia Tuesday night. “I think this will open up a lot of doors for Republicans, and will also restore the faith of the people in our election process.”

With 96% of the vote tallied early Wednesday morning, Vernikov, who also ran on the Conservative line, led her Democratic opponent, Steven Saperstein, 64% to 36%, a margin that shocked political observers.

Red Wave: 12 Republican Nationwide Wins in Tuesday’s Election

 Republicans won big Tuesday around the nation with 12 significant accomplishments that bode well heading into the 2022 midterms.

1. Pennsylvania’s Judicial Victories 

Republican Kevin Brobson defeated Democrat Maria McLaughlin for a position on Pennsylvania’s highest court with about 52 percent of the vote.

The win will maintain the composition of the states’ court. The victory is important because in 2022, the court will weigh cases on election integrity, state redistricting, and abortion.

Former Pennsylvania deputy attorney general Megan Sullivan also defeat Democrat Timika Lane for a spot on the appellate court, which hears cases on civil and criminal appeals.

Attorney Stacy Wallace won her race for the Commonwealth Court, where suits involving state agencies are heard.

Read more at Breitbart

Secrets of the Me'aras Ha'Macpeilah in Chevron

 

On August 25, 1859, the Italian archaeologist and engineer Ermette Pierotti, tried to sneak into the sanctuary at the Cave of the Patriarchs with the assistance of some Muslim friends. But before they had even made it down five steps, they were caught by the guards who dragged them back out. "The beatings I received and the curses I was subjected to in no way diminished the satisfaction that I felt," Pierotti wrote in his diary, "I can say that I managed to see something of the cave - ossuaries of white stone... a wall of rock separating the lower and upper caves. When the day comes that someone is able to enter this dark place, they will see that my description was accurate."

Beit Shemesh Widow of Murdered Chareidie Claims that her son the murderer "is the victim"

 

Last week we posted the tragic story of a 17 year-old Beit Shemesh boy who stabbed his father to death during the Shabbos Seuda.

During the shiva she spoke to reporters and told them that her husband, a father of ten, had severe emotional problems but refused to get help. She said that the last ten years was "a life of hell" for her and her children. Police were called many times and they were very familiar with the abuse that was going on over the years. 

She added that her son was "the victim here."

Yanki Kanievski Buys 3 Level Luxury Home in Bnei Brak... No Mortgage... How did he do it?

 

Yanki "in the middle"

Yanki has never held a job, his parents are poor like church mice, so how did he manage to buy this home? 

A few weeks ago the Hebrew Blog "Bechadrei Chadorim" claimed that 98% of all monies collected in some "high-profile" tzedakkah campaigns do not go to intended but to the pockets of those running these "tzadaka" organizations. Very scary! 

Read the  article below to get a feeling what is really going on?

This from the Rationalist Judaism Blog

Yanky Kanievsky, grandson and manager of Rav Chaim Kanievsky, just bought a new home. It's a stunningly decorated, three-floor home, very different from the standard apartments in Bnei Brak. He paid the entire sum outright, without taking out any mortgage. He didn't even have to sell his previous home in order to buy it. After all, he didn't need his own money for it. 

He had mine.

I'm still not clear as to exactly how it happened. True, I don't check my credit card statements as carefully as I should. There are several standing monthly payments to various charities. Back in 2018, I received a receipt from one such charity, called Beit David, but I was suddenly suspicious, because I hadn't remembered ever donating to it. Looking into it further, I saw that it was based in the Ramat Beit Shemesh Bet - the extremists' neighborhood, which I couldn't imagine housing a charity that I would give to. The receipt was for a standing monthly payment that was taking place over two years! I immediately stopped the payments. 

I vaguely remember calling them and asking how they had started processing donations from me, and not receiving any satisfactory answer. Meanwhile, on the local Beit Shemesh email list, it turned out that there were others in the same position. Beit David had taken thousands of shekels from their bank account, over a prolonged period, without their knowledge or consent.

I had forgotten all about this until a few days ago, when I learned about Yanky Kanievsky's extraordinary new home. How did a thirty-year-old kollel student afford such a property?

One friend of mine told me that many people simply give him gifts. They are so enthralled to have someone as special as Rav Chaim in the world, that they gladly give money to him. Of course, the physical act of giving is done via his family manager. Who uses it to buy a luxury home.

That in itself is distasteful, but it seems that there are much, much worse things taking place.

Who Remembers Cafe Feenjon?

 

by Andrew Silverstein

The most important table in stand-up comedy can be found in the back corner of the Olive Tree Cafe, a dark Greenwich Village restaurant. The two slate tables pushed together serve as a makeshift green room for comedians who perform downstairs at the legendary New York club, the Comedy Cellar. Both “The Cellar” and the Israeli café are owned by Noam Dworman. They share a kitchen and a bathroom and are connected by a narrow stairway lined with signed photos of famous comics who got their start at the club, which opened in 1981.

After their sets, comedians make their way up to the “comedy table” for free hummus and banter, joining other Cellar performers, including major stars who may have dropped in. The table reserved for the club’s comedians began in the late 1990s when it was first implemented by the previous owner, Manny Dworman, who also happens to be Noam’s father.

This table is so sacrosanct that in 2016 when the table was moved 10 inches, a New Yorker article recorded the complaints of a who’s-who of stand-ups. “This is not the table where Robin Williams sat, this is not where Ray Romano sat, this is not where Jon Stewart sat,” Chris Rock protested.