Rabbi David Yosef, Son of Rabbi Ovadia:’Close All Shuls Immediately, Even On Yom Kippur’

 Rabbi David Yosef, the son of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef and a member of the Higher Rabbinical Council, declared Wednesday that all shuls should be closed immediately in the wake of the steep rise in coronavirus infections. Rabbi Yosef stressed that even on Yom Kippur shuls should remain closed since “danger is worse than Torah prohibitions.” Rabbi Yosef stressed that if prayers cannot take place outdoors, people should pray at home individually.

However other rabbinical figures including Rabbi Yosef’s brother, Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, maintains that the shuls can remain open under specific restrictions. In a letter on the matter the chief rabbi wrote that “people must maintain distancing rules, open windows and wear a mask.”

Moreover Rabbi Yosef stressed that “our Torah is a Torah of life which commands us to guard our health zealously and states that saving lives precedes the entire Torah.” He detailed the various requirements for public prayer

• Each person should pray close to his home
• Hataras Nedarim (releasing of vows) can be done via telephone and other technological devices. Those who cannot hear it should rely on the previous year’s ceremony
• It is best not to immerse in a mikve unless it is a private one. Immersing in a mikve is an important custom but is not a halachic imperative and in the place where there may be infection, one should forgo immersion even if one goes every day
• Large shuls should not conduct prayers in large, crowded groups but should rather divide the community in a way which maintains health ministry regulations. They should make thick nylon curtains, divide up the shul and open all the windows if there is an air conditioner
• Shuls outdoors should have a canopy
• If there is not enough room for a large community, the women should pray at home
• Older people and those with preconditions should preferably pray outdoors
• In order not to spend too much time together communities should abbreviate singing tunes and additional prayers

Rabbi Yosef also quoted Rabbi Akiva Eiger who wrote during a cholera epidemic: “I have warned repeatedly that they should act in accordance with doctors regulations and protocols and should not violate their words.”

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Beit Shemesh to Remove First Names of Ladies on Street Signs

I have a great idea, why don't Chareidim name their newborn daughters names of a male? Also they could cut out all names of women from the Torah and ban Megilas Esther....

The Beit Shemesh city council decided on Wednesday to leave women's first names off new street signs in the new neighbourhood of Neveh Shamir as part of a deal between secular and haredi council members, according to Israel Hayom.

Originally, the plan for the new neighborhood was to name the streets after haredi figures and subjects, but the plan later changed to include Sarah Aaronsohn and Anne Frank, although their first names will only be written in small print on the signs.

The new neighborhood is being built for the general public, not just the haredi public, but haredi representatives make up a majority on the city council leading to the decision to make the first names of Aaronsohn and Frank less visible.

"The neighborhoods of Ramat Beit Shemesh Hei and Neveh Shamir are for the general public. I was glad to hear that the street names in the neighborhood would be changed to the 'Zionist-Israeli' names but if, God forbid, as a compromise they avoid choosing street names with names of women the issue will be very serious," Gadi Damari, a resident of Beit Shemesh told Israel Hayom.

"Just as we don't set street names in haredi neighborhoods, the haredim should do their best not to interfere in the names of our streets."

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With Months to Live, Neurologist Oliver Sacks Gave a Class on "How to Die"

 On a Friday night in February 2015, the legendary British Jewish neurologist and writer Oliver Sacks gathered his inner circle in his New York City apartment. For much of his life, Sacks had penned poignant books about his disabled patients, sharing insights about their lives. On this night, however, Sacks gave his audience a heartfelt message about his own life: He had received a terminal cancer diagnosis.

Over the next six months, Sacks gave what one of his friends, the author Lawrence Weschler, called “a master class in how to die.” He continued to write thoughtful prose, this time meditating on mortality, in the company of family, friends and his partner Bill Hayes.

Sitting for filming sessions with award-winning documentarian Ric Burns, Sacks reflected on an extraordinary, sometimes tumultuous life — running away from an Orthodox upbringing, wrestling with his homosexuality, facing rejection by the scientific community for much of his career and finally winning admiration from academia and the public. The year he died, 70 percent of neurology majors at Columbia University Medical School credited Sacks, at least in part, as the inspiration for their choice of study.

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Jerusalem Bridge lights up to tune of $1 million

 

The iconic Chords Bridge in Jerusalem has received a NIS 3.3 million ($950,000) makeover, with 14,400 new LED lightbulbs that hang on 58 of the bridge’s support cables.

The new light system, which allows for the display of short clips and messages to passersby, is the product of the Jerusalem municipality’s efforts over the past year to upgrade one of the city’s most notable landmarks.

The bridge had already sported a changeable light system prior to the new work, but it was deemed in need of an upgrade by city officials.

The Jewish New Year greeting “Shana Tova” was the first message on the newly renovated bridge, inaugurated Thursday by Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion.

“Tonight we rekindled the Chords Bridge, which in recent years has become one of the most unique symbols of the city of Jerusalem,” Lion said. “We will continue to promote, enhance and improve the appearance of the city for the benefit of all residents.”

Inaugurated in 2008, the bridge serves as an overpass for both the light rail and pedestrians crossing the busy intersection near the main entrance to Jerusalem.

Constructed of steel, concrete, stone and glass, it includes a futuristic pedestrian illuminated walkway. Despite its hefty weight at 4,200 tons, the bridge’s design by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava presents an image of loftiness that plays with the concept of the lightness of illumination.

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"Mini Mike" Bloomberg pays fines for 32K Florida felons so they can vote

 Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has helped pay the outstanding fines and fees of 32,000 convicted felons in Florida so they could regain their right to vote ahead of the November election, according to a report.

The billionaire and former presidential candidate raised over $16 million for, and donated $5 million to, the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, according to Axios.

Bloomberg’s push would benefit ex-cons as part of a 2018 state constitutional amendment allowing felons who have served their time to regain their right to vote.

Before they can regain that right, however, they need to pay any fines, fees or restitution.

In a statement to the news outlet, a representative for Bloomberg said, “The right to vote is fundamental to our democracy and no American should be denied that right. Working together with the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, we are determined to end disenfranchisement and the discrimination that has always driven it.”

On Monday, the FRRC shared a New York Times op-ed titled, “This Is How Bloomberg Can Help Biden Win Florida.”

The piece praised his decision to spend $100 million in the Sunshine State to boost Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden as he fights a neck-and-neck race against President Trump.

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Shul Switches Rosh Hashana "Haftarah" To "Ruth Bader Ginsberg Haftarah" complete with "trop"

 

The good Rabbi Marc Katz also crowned Ruth Bader Ginsberg as a  "navie," prophet, adding her to our other "neviim" like Miriam, Devorah, Yermeyahu etc ..and to our heritage ... he also added Martin Luther King a"h as a prophet, for good measure

The World Renowned  Chazzan, Meredith Greenberg helped with the reading of the brand new fabricated "haftarah" 

No word yet from the "heimishe" communities whether this minhag will prevail... 

Please note, that this didn't happen on Purim but on Rosh Hashana!

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White Suburban Women Who Feel Safe Support Joe Biden; Those Who Feel Unsafe Support Trump

White suburban women who feel safe in their communities overwhelmingly support Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, but those who feel unsafe support President Donald Trump, according to an Axios/SurveyMonkey poll released on Thursday.

The “survey of 14,043 U.S. adults who are white and live in suburbs,” was part of a “SurveyMonkey poll of 35,732 U.S. adults” that was conducted between August 31 and September 6 on the SurveyMonkey platform and has a margin of error of one percent.

The popular SurveyMonkey platform — on which more than two million Americans participate in surveys of all sorts each day — uses a different polling methodology than most other polling firms, many of which begin with a file of confirmed registered voters whom they contact by landline phone, cell phone, or online, and ask questions about their likelihood of voting. Many polls use samples of registered voters only, while the subset of likely voters is considered by many polling professionals to be a more accurate predictor of actual voting behavior.

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Drive-in Rosh Hashanah Service in Canada

I'm not sure if R' Chaim Kanievsky or the Satmar Brother Rabbis would approve ... but here goes ..

"Shofarpalooza," the drive-in Rosh Hashanah service in Ontario, Canada, went off without a hitch Sunday night.

The service included a festive sundown celebration stacked with live shofar-blowing, among other activities.

Accounting for COVID-19 restrictions, measures and instructions, the feature Rosh Hashanah celebration would be enjoyed by families from the comfort of their vehicles and strict guidelines were given for attendance.

The families one-by-one pulled into the parking lot set up to resemble a drive-in movie theater to take part in a large service amid the coronavirus pandemic.

One of the attendees, Rocky Kel Lev, a 7-month old havanese dog, came dressed with his kippa and talit ready to bring in the sweet New Year.

Sol Lev, Rocky's human, was also pleased to attend the service along with his family.

Rabbi Elyse Goldstein spoke at the service and led part of the ceremony, arriving to the event hanging out of the sunroof of a jeep.

And before a pandemic, have you ever heard of a Torah being delivered to the bimah by motorcycle? Well, you have now.

Interesting times we are living in.

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A German Will Always Remain a German ...... A letter to the German ..... Merkel

 Merkel's advice? Peace needs a 2 state-solution. 

Our advice? Germany has many problems, one is antisemitism, so solve them first..

Read "letter" after the break

The German press office published a release about a telephone call German Chancellor Angela Merkel made to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The report said that along with the mastering of the Covid19 pandemic regional themes were discussed.

-The Chancellor welcomed the ongoing conversations on the normalization of bilateral relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates.

-In this context she underlined the need for the reestablishment of relations with the Palestinian Arabs with the aim of a two state solution.

The latter was a malevolent advice. The word is chosen over more euphemistic terms such as misguided, counter-productive, antagonistic, confrontational, aggressive, disingenuous, disruptive, misplaced, erroneous and so on. In the Israeli agreement with the United Arab Emirates there is no mention of a Palestinian state. 

So what business is it of a Chancellor of Germany where remnants of its horrible past keep emerging?

There can in the future occur a situation where there will be two states on the West side of the Jordan river. Yet that is not a two-state solution. Turning the current Palestinian entities into a state, where the largest party, Hamas, is in favor of genocide of Jews -- more or less like the generation of Merkel's grandparents in Germany – is unlikely to solve anything. 

Also, the second largest Palestinian party, Fatah, is in favor of terrorism and the Palestinian Authority, which it controls, rewards potential or effective murderers. The glorification of death is a cult which permeates large parts of Palestinian society.

There are several other reasons why Merkel’s remark was brazen. Yet Germany is powerful and Netanyahu thus could not permit himself to say the following in reply to Merkel's advice. As this, however, has to be said, we are publishing it here:

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Leifer Victims Celebrate Extradition Ruling: 'We Fought So Long for This to Happen'

 A day after the Jerusalem District Court backed the deportation of a suspected Australian-Israeli child molester, two of the suspect’s victims hailed the development as an turning point in their own efforts to close a difficult chapter in their lives.

Dassi Erlich and Nicole Meyer, two former students at the Adass Yisrael school in Melbourne, Australia who were abused years ago by then-principal Malka Leifer, spoke with Arutz Sheva about the developments in the case, and the extradition of the woman who has evaded justice for over a decade.

“We actually could not stop smiling last night,” said Erlich. “There was just so much emotion. We were flooded with excitement and relief. We actually couldn’t believe that it was happen. We fought so long for this to happen, and finally for it to happen felt like a dream…it just felt surreal.”

When asked whether they felt fear over seeing Leifer in court and confronting their former abuser, Meyer told Arutz Sheva there would be “anxiety”, but added that it would also be “incredible” to finally see Leifer put on trial, saying it would give her and Erlich a degree of closure.

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Jill Biden's Ex calls Joe Biden a Hypocrite for 'criticizing people's character' after the Democrat Had an Affair with his Wife

Jill Biden's ex-husband has said he was 'betrayed by the Bidens', claiming that he was still married to Jill when she met Joe, and denying the well-publicized story of the Bidens' meeting on a blind date. 

Bill Stevenson, 72, told Inside Edition on Monday night that the Bidens' fairytale story of meeting on a blind date, shortly after Jill finalized her divorce and while Joe was dealing with the trauma of his first wife's death in a car crash, was a lie.

Stevenson had told DailyMail.com the story in an exclusive interview in August. 

During tonight's interview, host Steven Fabian asked Stevenson: 

Is the story of the blind date true? 

'No, not even a little bit,' he replied.

Stevenson is about to publish an as-yet untitled book that he says will blow the lid off the sham story. 

Stevenson insisted that he and Jill were still married when Jill met Joe - and that they met three years before the Bidens claim.

'I was betrayed by the Bidens. Joe was my friend; Jill was my wife,' he said.

Stevenson met Jill in August 1979, and the pair married six months later, when Jill was 18 years old. 

Stevenson, who ran a celebrated rock venue in Wilmington, Delaware, said that he introduced Jill and Joe in 1972.

At the time, Joe was a council member campaigning for the U.S. Senate, and was married to his first wife, Neilia. 

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'I'm the only guy in the world that could be impeached for filling a seat': Donald Trump says

 

President Donald Trump dared House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to impeach him a second time after she refused to take that maneuver off the table to stall a Supreme Court vote. 

'I'm the only guy in the world that could be impeached for filling a seat,' Trump complained at his Toledo, Ohio rally Monday night, noting that he was 'constitutionally obligated' to nominate a new justice. 'Go ahead, I want them to do that.'       

Trump and Senate Republicans want to push through a GOP-approved Supreme Court pick to replace the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg before the November election, when the White House and the Senate could change hands.

Democrats are arguing that it's too close to the election, pointing to how Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell refused to allow Democratic President Barack Obama's Supreme Court pick Merrick Garland to get a vote because it was an election year. 

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Kosher supermarket cashier to testify on the ‘most horrible 4 hours’ of her life

Zarie Sibony

It was a Friday afternoon, and Zarie Sibony was at her checkout counter at the Hyper Cacher supermarket on the eastern edge of Paris when a man wielding two Kalashnikov rifles burst through the doors.

“I heard a shot on my right, and that was when the terrorist killed Mr. Braham, who was waiting in my line,” Sibony said, recalling the debut of “the most horrible four hours of my life.”

Five years after the attacks against the Jewish supermarket and the Charlie Hebdo newspaper, Sibony will testify Tuesday in the trial of 14 people suspected of helping the three gunmen.

“I remember thinking that I had only one goal: to survive, to get out of there alive. I was going to do whatever it took,” she said.

Amedy Coulibaly had already killed a police agent the day before he stormed the supermarket on January 9, where he took hostages after shooting dead three people — Francois-Michel Saada, Yoav Hattab and Philippe Braham.

The four victims of the Paris Hyper Cacher attack, from left to right:
Yoav Hattab, Yohan Cohen, Francois-Michel Saada, Philippe Braham.

Sibony’s co-worker Yohan Cohen was shot as well, and would die of his wounds before the nightmare afternoon was over.

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Moshe Herzog & Dovid Tzvi Schnebalg Killed On Thruway Near Monsey

 

A horrific crash on the NY State Thruway took the lives of two young men from Monsey early Monday morning.

The two men, identified as Moshe Herzog Z”L (28), and Dovid Tzvi Schnebalg Z”L (27), were returning from Pennsylvania where they had spent Rosh Hashanah when the accident happened.

The NY State Police say that a preliminary investigation determined Moshe Herzog, 27, of Spring Valley, NY, was operating a 2017 Chevrolet Tahoe southbound, near mile marker 29.1, in the center lane, attempting to change lanes and possibly exit the Thruway at exit 14B (Airmont Road). The Tahoe collided with a 2007 Peterbilt tractor trailer operated by Luis A. Velazquez, 59, of Elizabeth, NJ, which was traveling in the right lane.

The collision caused both vehicles to exit the roadway over the right shoulder and come to rest in a ditch along the wood line. The Tahoe became fully engulfed and both Herzog and the passenger, David Z. Schneebalg, 26, of Monsey, NY, were pronounced deceased on scene.

Velazquez was entrapped and required extrication. He was transported to Westchester Medical Center for unknown injuries.

Troopers were assisted on scene by Troop F CRU (Collision Reconstruction Unit), CVEU (Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Unit), BCI, Thruway Traffic Safety and Maintenance, as well as the Fire Department and Faist and Hazolah EMS.

Herzog, who was a longtime Rockland Chaveirim volunteer actually used his radio to call for help – stating that they were trapped in the wreckage.

It took an extended period of time to extinguish the blaze and took hours for emergency personnel to extricate them.

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Barack Obama Says Do Not Wait, Fill the Supreme Court Seat Now

 

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A Walk in Yerushalayim ...... Video

 

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Biden Says 200 Million People Will Die From Covid by the End of His Speech (VIDEO)

Details .... details please?

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