Monday, October 23, 2023
Thousands Gather For Atzeres Tefillah on Avenue L in Flatbush
A large Atzeres Tefilah took place in Flatbush on Sunday. The NYPD tells YWN that approximately 4,000 people attended.
This gathering was held on afternoon on Avenue L and East 9th Street – near Landau’s Shul.
Mincha was led by HaRav Eliezer Ginsberg of the Mirer Yeshiva, followed by Divrei Chizuk delivered by HaRav Elya Brudny, and HaRav Dovid Ozeri.
Prominent Rabbanim of greater Flatbush led the assembled in words of Tehillim, including HaRav Hillel David, HaRav Yosef Frankel, HaRav Meyer Yedid, and others.
Security was provided by the NYPD and Flatbush Shomrim, who were there is great numbers, ensuring that everyone was safe.
Thousands in London’s Trafalgar Square, ‘Largest Gathering of British Jewish Community in Decades’
Several days after London police shut down the Campaign Against Antisemitism’s billboards showing images of kidnapped children held in Gaza, 15,000 people gathered in Trafalgar Square “to stand in solidarity and to call for the release of the hostages taken by Hamas terrorists,” per the Board of Deputies of British Jews.
Pictures that the nearly 265-year-old representative body shared on social media showed seas of Israeli flags and people holding signs bearing photos of people whom Hamas kidnapped—imagery that resembles the displays that the police had canceled days before.
The solidarity rally was called “Bring Them Home.”
“To give you some idea of what we’re talking about here, this is more than 5% of the entire Jewish population of the UK, assembled at less than 48 hours notice, even taking into account allies in the crowd,” wrote Daniel Sugarman, public affairs director for the Board of Deputies. “The largest gathering of the British Jewish community in decades.”
“We are here today to speak on behalf of those who have been taken from us and have no voice,” said Marie van der Zyl, president of the Board of Deputies, at the event. “We stand here united, with one voice, to say, bring them home.”
In an Oct. 12 press conference in London, family members had shared their anguish having not heard from loved ones, whom Hamas was holding hostage. “People who survived the Holocaust found themselves facing another one,” Noam Sagi, a British-Israeli psychotherapist whose mother was taken hostage, told reporters. He urged reporters to “call Hamas for what they are.”
Sharon Shochat, the British-Israeli director of Defend Israeli Democracy UK and organizer of the press conference, said it was the “biggest hostage crisis the world has faced” in recent years.
Spineless coward Comedian Sarah Silverman Walks Back Pro-Israel Comments After Getting Decimated on Twitter
Leftist Jewish comedian Sarah Silverman has backtracked on social media posts that were supportive of Israel, after she got heavy backlash from the left.
In an Instagram Story shared with her 2 million followers on October 18, Silverman reposted this statement.
“Many are saying that it’s inhumane that Israel is cutting off water/electricity to Gaza,” the post reads. Israel made it pretty simple—’release the hostages and we will turn it back on.’ Instead of pleading with Hamas to release civilian hostages which include babies and toddlers there are politicians (cough cough AOC [Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez]) calling Israel inhumane.
“If that isn’t enough for you: Israel does not need to supply Gaza with these resources (which they do, for free). If Hamas didn’t spend billions of dollars on terrorism they would be able to build the infrastructure to support themselves.”
Her post was met with intense outrage, with one Twitter user calling the comedian “a genocidal maniac supporting starving Palestinian civilians by depriving them of water and electricity.”
Sunday, October 22, 2023
Turns Out Ben Gevir Was Right Was Derided for Efforts to Fortify Civilian Communities Against Terrorist Attacks
As part of the National Security Ministry’s effort to arm the citizens’ standby units throughout the country, Minister Itamar Ben Gvir on Friday monitored the distribution of weapons to volunteers in the standby unit in Beer Sheva. Ben Gvir stressed the importance of equipping the standby squads with long weapons that may save lives and are an important force multiplier for the police and security forces.
Not so long ago, on March 29, Calcalist, the economic daily of Yedioth Aharonoth, mocked National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir (Ben Gvir’s police will cost billions, compete with the police and take years to establish): “The Dream Guard of the Minister of National Security Ben Gvir is already established in the police, is budgeted in hundreds of millions of shekels and has thousands of employment spots. Former senior police officers warn against transferring the guard to a politician: ‘Like the Revolutionary Guards in Iran or the Phalanxes in Lebanon.’”
To remind you, in the 10/7 Hamas surprise attack on the Gaza envelope settlements, the standby squads were for the better time of the first 8 hours the only defenders of the residents against the terrorists’ infiltration. The standby units acted alone for many hours without the support of the IDF or the police, and, in fact, police patrol cars were documented escaping the onslaught of armed terrorists. In several settlements, the standby squads managed to repel the attackers.
Israel’s work permits for Gaza enabled the Hamas attack
Israeli communities foolishly allowed workers from Gaza into their homes, grew fond of them and believed all their talk about peace. Then they watched their children be murdered by them
Among the litter of guns, Qurans, and maps discarded by the Hamas terrorists whose bodies lie alongside bullet-riddled vehicles and dusty roads are green Gaza IDs with work permits. Normally residents of the Hamas territory can’t enter Israel, but work permits allowed over 18,000 Gazans to enter Israel. When some returned, it was as Hamas rapists and killers.
The Hamas invasion succeeded so well because the terrorists had an intimate knowledge of the communities they were targeting because they had worked there or had intelligence from those who had worked there. The attackers had detailed maps and building layouts. One woman whose husband and son were murdered said that the Hamas terrorists knew the names of the people, how many children they had and even which of them owned dogs.
Last year, Secretary of State Blinken addressed a J Street event and told the anti-Israel lobby that the Biden administration had pushed Israel to “improve the lives of Palestinians” by, among other things, “issuing thousands of work permits for Palestinians in Gaza”.
What Charedim Need To Understand About Religious Zionists
DIN: I copied and pasted without permission an article from Rationalist Judaism by NATAN SLIFKIN.
I think that all Chareidim better read this. Everything in Israel has changed. I don't think that the non-chareidim are going to allow Chareidim to dodge the draft any longer. As bugs bunny said "It's all over folks"
There is tremendous resentment even amongst the frummies, that able healthy guys are getting away with murder, literally. All this "Chazon Ish business" is going out the window quicker than a snowball in hell. Chareidim are no longer going to enjoy the same benefits as those putting their lives on the line, some are realizing this and there is a feeling of change in the air. I don't think that Chareidie parties will be able to demand anything in the near future. Torah learning which I agree is "mesiras nefesh" is not like putting a uniform going to front knowing they might never see their wives, children and parents ever again. When an Avreich learns, he knows that he will come home at night with a hot meal waiting for him. "mesiras nefesh" is not like being "moiser nefesh". Torah will still being learned as Slifkin points out, as never before.
You may not agree with Slifkin, but you had better read it to finally see what the Israeli citizens will require, after this war.
Since the Hamas war started, I’ve become aware of several families which have developed rifts between charedi and non-charedi relatives. And when this war is over, there is going to be a rift between charedi and Zionist society which will be greater than ever seen before. While some will say that “now is not the time to talk about this,” I think that now is davka the time. It is important and I hope that my comments will be helpful. My goal in this post is not to argue against the charedi perspective; it is to explain what the religious Zionist perspective is, and how to avoid family - and national - rifts.
The charedi world is very far from monolithic. There are some sectors in which they are continuing life as normal and talking about how secular Israel is getting a Divine message about the arrogance of the IDF. There are other sectors of charedi society in which many people (I’m not sure what percentage of the community) are making various helpful efforts to assist with the war, such as by providing supplies.
There are a small proportion who do incredible work with Zaka and Hatzolah. There are even a (very) small number who, amazingly, are trying to join the IDF in various capacities; the publisher of the Israeli Mishpacha magazine announced that he was trying to help with such efforts. And there seems to be a widespread increased consciousness and identification with the nation in general and the IDF in particular.
The problem is that some charedim (especially Anglo-yeshivish types) make statements to their non-charedi relatives which, to their minds, sound to be very gracious and representing a spirit of achdus, as well as reflecting the unequivocal Torah perspective. They do not realize that from a religious but non-charedi perspective, these statements are (A) theologically invalid, and (B) offensive.
I’m referring to the various campaigns and statements like, “the yeshivah students are the soldiers in Hashem’s army, they are providing the merit by which the soldiers survive and triumph, they are fulfilling a role of equal (or greater) importance, look at our amazing achdus!”
This makes perfect sense from a charedi perspective, in which the starting point is that learning Torah automatically creates an unimaginably great merit. Therefore young men who are learning Torah are providing an invaluable service for the Jewish People. Accordingly, Israel is benefiting tremendously from all those many tens of thousands of young men who are learning in yeshiva rather than serving in the IDF. (I am not sure whether charedim believe that Religious Zionist young men should also exempt themselves from army service and stay in yeshivah; I’d appreciate hearing charedi perspectives on this.)
Haaretz journalist cries, denounces Israeli conduct against Gaza
"I keep myself from crying in these terrible days, not much, but sometimes I cry when certain people talk about their grandfathers, Holocaust survivors," she began.
She also said in tears: "I also want to represent my dead parents who are Holocaust survivors and ask how the world stands by and does nothing to stop this terrible massacre."
"Nothing can justify what Israel, what my tax money is causing right now. I don't know if my tax money is behind the missiles that killed one of my best, beloved friends in Gaza."
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