Biden's New US envoy a Coward says ‘absolutely won’t’ visit settlements

 

New US Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides said Friday that he’d never visited an Israeli settlement in the West Bank and had no plans to do so, as part of his effort as envoy not to take steps that could inflame the situation on the ground.

When pressed, during his first interview with Israeli media since arriving in Israel, as to whether he might make such a visit, Nides told the Yedioth Ahronoth daily, “I absolutely will not.”

The interview, while conducted in English, was published in Hebrew. A spokeswoman for the US Embassy in Jerusalem confirmed that the ambassador was accurately quoted. The quotes presented in this story were translated from the Hebrew report.

Footage shows hostages running out of building as crisis ended

 

Exclusive footage of the hostages being rescued after the end of a nearly 12-hour hostage situation at a synagogue in Colleyville.#HostageSituation#BethIsraelSynagogue pic.twitter.com/X9QfOrjnSe

— LockharTVMedia (@LockharTVMedia) January 16, 2022

Nikki Fried the dope running against Ron DeSantis Compares him to Hitler ym"s

 

Florida Agricultural Commissioner and 2022 Democratic gubernatorial candidate Nikki Fried compared Gov. Ron DeSantis to Adolf Hitler in a recent interview.

In an appearance on NPR’s Friday Roundup Podcast, Fried was asked about having previously referred to the Republican governor an “authoritarian dictator” by co-host Melissa Ross, a reporter at WJCT in Jacksonville.

“He is doing everything possible to take power away from local governments, taking away people’s abilities to protest, making it harder to vote, talking about, you know, banning books,” Fried responded.

“That’s what dictators do. Instead of listening and trying to govern with the people, he is trying to govern over the people, and, you know, that, I’m sorry, I’m a student of history, too. I saw the rise of Hitler.”

Ross interrupted Fried and asked her if she was comparing DeSantis to Hitler.

“In a lot of ways, yes,” Fried replied. “I have studied Hitler and how he got to power, you know, wanting his own militia.”

Psaki Blasted after releasing a statement about the terrorist-hostage situation Omitting the fact that the terrorist was Jihadist Muslim and that it took place in a Synagogue

 

Jen Psaki released a statement about the ongoing terrorist-hostage situtaion in Texas, where a Muslim terrorist took multiple Jews hostage inside a reform synagogue.

Yet the White House Press Secretary completely failed to mention key details about the attack.

Psaki omitted the fact that the hostage-taker is a Muslim Jihadist terrorist. She also failed to mention that the hostages were Jewish, and that the suspect targeted a reform synagogue.

This was her egregious statement on Twitter:

The Song of Megillah ... Great Chazara

 

BMG to Buy Massive Parcel of Land From nearby University

 

Beth Medrash Govoha of Lakewood is in agreement with Georgian Court University, also of Lakewood, to buy a large parcel of land in order to build apartment buildings, The Voice of Lakewood is reporting.

According to The Voice report, BMG has entered into a contract with the University to buy 44 acres of its current campus, upon which the yeshiva plans to build 13 buildings with a total of 465 apartments to address the dearth of living spaces for its yungeleit.

The parcel of land – bordered on three sides by 14th Street, 9th Street, and Forest Avenue – represents less than a third of Georgian Court University’s sprawling 157-acre campus.

Askanim have told The Voice that although the new housing units will assist to provide places to live for a large number of yungerleit, it will not ease the ongoing housing crunch in Lakewood.

BMG’s deal with Georgian Court University was reportedly the result of years of work on the part of former BMG CEO Aaron Kotler, who departed the institution at the end of 2021.

The university agreed to go into the deal in part because of its failing finances, The Voice says.

The university has been struggling to attract students to the school for over a decade now, and the sale of this parcel of land is expected to keep the college financially solvent for several more years.

Viznitzer Rebbes with hundreds of his Chassidim travel to Eilat to re-create the Splitting of theYam

Zera Shimshon Parshas Beshalach

 

After Reading this article, I didn't know whether I should laugh or cry!

 

Rebekah Erev, co-founder of the Queer Mikveh Project, blows the shofar at the first QMP mikvah event at the Albany Bulb in Albany, California, 

Queer Mikveh Project co-leader Kat Johnston is neurodivergent and has had a lifelong mental struggle with water, but says the group’s work has helped her develop a relationship with water. (Julie Jensen)

 Last Passover, a group of 125 Jews gathered via Zoom for a community mikvah ritual. Dr. Harriette Wimms, a queer Black Jewish psychologist and kohenet (Hebrew priestess), opened the ceremony by pouring libations, an African tradition of granting a water offering for ancestors. Some people immersed themselves in their bathtubs, spilled water down their bodies or waded into their local lakes. They sang prayers and shared artwork. 

Zuriel Biran, a transgender Black poet from Chicago, read one of his poems: “I reorient myself to a future of interconnectedness. Where my life is so woven alongside others that I cannot seriously entertain the notion of cutting it short, or vanishing. I must allow myself to be known.”

The ceremony was organized by the Queer Mikveh Project, a grassroots initiative seeking to transform the traditional mikvah practice into a communal experience, centering queer Jews of color leading spiritual rituals. (“Mikvah” can be alternatively spelled with an “a” and an “e.”)

Inspired by similar efforts such as MKV, an art project that tailors mikvah experiences for queer Jews run by the Canadian artist Radiodress (Reena Katz), the Queer Mikveh Project’s goal is to create a safe space for marginalized Jews to connect to their bodies and each other. Its other major aim is to create leadership roles for queer Jews of color who are often denied such roles in mainstream Jewish organizations.

Charedi Mafia Use Death Threats, Vandalism, and Protests Against Cell Phone Stores

 

The Charedi “Cell Phone Mafia” has been wreaking endless havoc on stores in Jerusalem and Bnei Brak. Extremists have vandalized and threatened phone stores, in a pressure campaign to force them to comply with the guidelines of the Communications Vaad.

B’Chadrei Charedim has reported multiple instances of harassment, threats, and vandalism against stores and owners.

In one piece of surveillance video Wednesday, a thug was seen gluing shut the lock of “Ink Print”, a phone accessory store in Bnei Brak. The owner was forced to delay opening for two hours until the damage could be repaired.

In another piece of footage, a vandal placed paskvillim on the front of a store in the middle of the night, and filled the doorway with paper.

The owner of “Giant Cellular” in Jerusalem was threatened multiple times, including death threats. An unknown individual called him claiming to know his home address, and threatened to come to his home and kill him. They also threatened to burn down his store in the middle of the night.

That is the most recent development, following a number of protests which have been held against that store in recent weeks, despite the fact that they do not sell smartphones.

The store owner told the Israeli news outlet, “I do not sell any smartphones or any devices that are not accepted by the Charedi community. I just refuse to comply with the strict criteria of the Vaad, which would bring about a financial loss.”