American-Like Chinuch Emerges in Eretz Yisroel

 

**Noticeably omitted from this article is the Netzach Ysroel yeshiva and its Bais Yaakov. They are government funded Charaidi public schools which adhere to a good Torah education as well as a good secular education.

There has been a dramatic sea-change in Chinuch institutions for American/Yeshiva families that have moved or are contemplating a move to Eretz Yisroel.  The landscape is now vastly different than it was a mere twenty years ago.  Chinuch mosdos have now entered a phase of “Chinuch For Olim by Olim.”

And many are extremely satisfied.

Back in the late 1990’s and early ought years of the new millennia, there were essentially three main issues that the Yeshiva/like Olim families had:

• American parents enjoy a lot of input in their schools and they like having it and exercising it.  Israeli schools, however, are run differently.  “Geveret, I am the menahel here – if you do not like it, you can try to find another mossad,” was a refrain that was often heard back then.
• The second issue was that the attitude of the hanhallah of the Yeshivos was not to intervene – “Just leave him alone and he will be fine.” In other words, menahelim and Rebbeim had a hands off approach to issues and or potential problems.  American parents are not on-board with this.
• The third issue was that limudei chol was taken far less seriously by the mosdos than their current counterparts.

Israel's 'Peace Partner' Says Hitler Killed Jews Because of Money

 

Palestinian Authority chairman pushes two antisemitic canards in Fatah party meeting, claiming Ashkenazi Jews are actually Khazars, and that the Holocaust was not about antisemitic persecution.

Talia Avrahami a "trans" insists on being a teacher in Frum Schools Cannot Understand Why "He/She" isn't Accepted!

 

Elon Musk Reveals ADL Jonathan Greenblatt Sought to Shake Him Down For Donations

DIN: I'm with Elon Musk on this one, Jonny Greenblatt, is a far-leftist, anti-Israel sicko, who is leading the ADL into the LGBT abyss.  

 Twitter/X owner Elon Musk revealed on Wednesday that Jonathan Greenblatt, the “extremely powerful” CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, sought to shake him down for donations just like he did to Adidas, the Brooklyn Nets and Kyrie Irving.

“Andrew Ross Sorkin asks Jonathan Greenblatt if he was seeking to have a role at X or shaking @elonmusk down for donations to the ADL (like he did to Adidas and the Brooklyn Nets) and he responds by saying that’s an ‘anti-Semitic trope,’ ” 

Greg Price tweeted along with a clip of Greenblatt’s latest appearance on CNBC.

Andrew Ross Sorkin asks Jonathan Greenblatt if he was seeking to have a role at X or shaking @elonmusk down for donations to the ADL (like he did to Adidas and the Brooklyn Nets) and he responds by saying that's an "anti-Semitic trope." pic.twitter.com/NE33VoMvd0

— Greg Price (@greg_price11) September 6, 2023

Swiss Town Slams the Chareidie "Chazeirim" For Littering, Calls To Refrain From Hosting Jews

 

DIN: I am well aware of the Swiss antisemites, may they all go to hell, and I don't believe the Gipfel Zeitung's report below. 

Having said that, Charedi tourists unfortunately leave garbage whenever they are in any tourist place, be it in the Bronx Zoo, The Liberty Science Center etc, etc. Even where they live it is filthy be it in the rat infested Bnei-Brak, Yerushlayim and Beit Shemesh Bet. Boro-Park is one big filth zone, you cannot walk thru 13th Avenue without smelling like a mountain goat. I realize that the garbage is from the stores, but there is garbage from people shopping all over the sidewalk. Candy wrappers with heimishe hashgachos, filthy diapers all over the place. It's time to teach basic "mentchlichkeit" in the schools. 

The town of Davos in Eastern Switzerland has gained fame and prominence due to the annual World Economic Forum conference held there during the winter months, which attracts leaders and celebrities from around the world. However the town is also a popular tourist retreat for thousands of Orthodox Jewish families in the summer months.

In recent weeks, tensions between the Jewish visitors and local Swiss residents have been rising due to behaviors by the tourists which offended locals, according to a Ynet report.

Last week, these tensions came to a head following a wave of complaints from local residents and property owners about excessive littering by tourists and rude behavior in public spaces.

Reto Branschi, director of the local tourism office, also levelled strong criticism at the  Jewish visitors in two interviews he gave to local media outlets. “Some of these visitor groups find it very difficult to respect local laws and the common ways of life here,” he said in one of the interviews.

However, a recent offense by one tourist proved a step too far for the local hospitality sector. Gipfel Zeitung, a small local newspaper, featured a front-page photo of feces left by Jewish guests on the balcony of a rental cabin, under the headline: Davos: A “s–t stain” on the balcony.

A 'shit stain' on the balcony - Gipfel Zeitung front page 

The newspaper stated, “This undoubtedly comes from someone of Jewish descent.”

According to the newspaper, the property owner claimed that “he had never experienced anything like this in all his years and has decided not to rent apartments to these people anymore,” expressing hope that the Davos tourism authorities would finally take action on the matter.

The local paper in Davos also published a letter to the editor saying this: “The behavior of Orthodox Jewish guests here in Davos is not only borderline at times, but downright presumptuous and transgressive. With all understanding for the suffering of the Jewish people, it was unacceptable that the descendants of the victims use behavior that cannot be reconciled with local customs, even in the most elementary way.”

The increasing local outrage against Jewish tourists is deeply troubling and embarrassing for the Swiss Jewish community, especially for Jonathan Kreutner, the Secretary General of the Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities.

For years, Kreutner has led a project in Davos designed to cultivate positive relations and address behavioral and cultural gaps between tourists and residents. However, Davos authorities have decided to halt their collaboration with him due to the growing number of complaints.

“In my view, the situation in Davos is very uncomfortable. Taking the inappropriate behavior of a few individuals and generalizing it to many is simply racist, and they are doing this only in the case of Jews, which makes it antisemitic,” Kreutner told Yedioth Ahronoth this week.

Kreutner, who has also lodged a police complaint following the headline, which he said “crosses all red lines,” added, “We don’t understand why the Davos tourism office has decided to cut ties with us. This will only exacerbate the situation. It seems that Davos has decided they simply no longer want Jewish tourists. They’ve made crude generalizations about all Jews based on the behavior of a few.”

Earlier this week, the canton of Graubünden, where Davos is located, reportedly opened an investigation into the newspaper headline, the behavior of the Jewish tourists and allegations of racism.

This issue has been covered extensively in Swiss mainstream media. According to a report in the Swiss newspaper Blick, the editor for Gipfel Zeitung refused to apologize for the picture and headline and denied accusations of racism. “I will only apologize if the person who did this comes to me and provides a reasonable explanation for their actions.”

US Embassy In Israel Boycotts Democratically Elected Senior Israeli Right-Wing Ministers

 

In a continuation of its undeclared boycott of right-wing ministers in the new Israeli government, the US Embassy in Jerusalem did not invite them to a scheduled to hold a toast in honor of the upcoming Jewish New Year. Among those invited were all of the ministers in Israel’s government, but ministers from Religious Zionism and Jewish Force were not given invitations.

Channel 13 reported Wednesday that Interim Ambassador to Israel Stephanie Hallett distributed invitations to the event to all of the Israeli ministers. Those who did not receive invitations were the ministers from the Religious Zionism and Otzma Yehudit parties, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.

The decision not to invite the ministers to the event continues the Biden administration’s snub of parties to the right of the Likud. In July, the embassy withheld invitations to its July 4th celebration from these two partie’s ministers. Noam’s Avi Maoz was also not invited to the celebration.

The two parties, which have been ignored by the US since the current government was sworn in, make up over 20% of the current Israeli government and were democratically elected by more than 500,000 Israelis.

The US Embassy responded to the report, stating: “The guest list includes only those who have close work ties with the embassy.”

Don’t let Jack Lew the "Obama Stooge" become US Ambassador to Israel

 

In June 2015, while then-president Barack Obama’s negotiating team, sitting in a palace in Vienna, was in the last stages of appeasing the terrorist Islamic Republic of Iran – with Obama’s head negotiator bursting into tears at the negotiating table and begging Iran to enter into the disastrous anti-American and anti-Israel deal – the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Obama’s Treasury secretary, and his former chief of staff, Jack Lew appeared at the annual Jerusalem Post Conference in New York to try to promote the JCPOA and its almost-as-bad predecessor, the interim Iran deal, the JPA.

During Lew’s lengthy conference speech, he stuck to and trotted out every Obama administration line (and lie) to try to sell the Iran deal to the American-Jewish public. Lew pledged that “the final deal will be built around an incredibly robust and intrusive inspections regime on Iran’s nuclear program” and that “this deal will only be finalized if the connective tissue of the agreement meets a tough standard of intense verification and scrutiny.”

But in fact, the deal placed Iranian military facilities (where nuclear weaponization development was most likely to take place) off limits to inspectors; it placed virtually insurmountable obstacles in the way of inspecting potential secret sites; it gave Iran significant notice before inspectors would arrive; and, in a side deal, even allowed Iran to take its own soil samples. In other words, the opposite of the “incredibly robust and intrusive inspections” and “intense verification” promised by Lew.

The Anti-Concert Roaches Are Coming Out Again

 

Ishay Ribo learning with his father 

DIN: The sickos and naysayers are coming out like roaches when lights go on. A frum singer with songs that have a frum perspective fills up Madison Square Garden with 14,000 frum people for a concert and yet there are jealous "imfarginars" that are criticizing this Kiddush Hashem. 

Yes they sat family style, so what? 

A Mother shouldn't sit with her boy teenagers to enjoy a concert? A father shouldn't sit with his teenage daughter and enjoy a concert? 

When Avram Fried and the rest of the "boo-hoo, bee- hee, oy " singers do it, "ein kol ve'ein ona" that's ok but when an Israeli guy does it... all hell breaks out!

I think that sitting with your family enjoying a frum concert is the most beautiful thing! It's good for "shulim Bayis" it's a great connection between parents and their children and promotes harmony. 

Those knocking this and bringing all kinds of fake halachos, should get a life and leave us all alone!

Go Ishay !! Go!!

Orthodox Jewish Podcaster Nachi Gordon posted a video of himself on Twitter, defending his earlier comments linking a recent Jewish concert with the coming of Moshiach, and asking social media users to be more positive.

Gordon was apparently responding to unnamed critics who took issue with his praise of Sunday’s Ishay Ribo concert as a Kiddush Hashem and a spiritually uplifting experience. He also defended and clarified an earlier tweet which said “15,000 Jews pack @TheGarden for an Ishay Ribo concert. Was able to feel in that room tonight that we are in the days leading up to Moshiach!”

In the video, Gordon said, “A lot of people who criticized the Ishay Ribo concert were not there…

“[They said it was] not a Kiddush Hashem, it had mixed seating…A lot of people said you mentioned “Moshiach””

Archaeologists Find 4 Rare Swords From Bar-Kochba Period

 In a sensational find from the period of the Bar Kochba rebellion 1900 years ago, archaeologists and cave mappers in the Judean desert discovered a rare treasure trove – four swords in almost perfect condition.

Researchers believe that the swords had apparently been stolen from the Roman army stationed nearby and hurriedly stashed away in the cave for future use. The swords, as well as a spearhead, were found inside sheaths of wood and leather in a cave overlooking the Dead Sea in the Ein Gedi nature reserve. Due to the dry and arid conditions and the difficulty to access the cave, which is on a rocky promontory above the reserve, the swords hardly suffered the effects of centuries of wear and tear.

Sicko Thomas Friedman To US And Saudis: Don’t Agree To Normalization With Netanyahu-Led Govt.

 

 Self-hating Jewish New York Times journalist and sick political commentator obsessed with Israel  Thomas Friedman continues his negative coverage and approach towards the current Israeli government. But Friedman is worse than just a critic; In his malevolence towards the right-wing Israeli coalition, he is actively attempting to derail any possible diplomatic achievements by the Netanyahu-led government.

Luxury lounges and secluded villas: How Hassidic rebbes go on holiday

 

Early in July, Ben-Gurion International Airport was one of the hotspots of the protests against the judicial reform. In the ultra-Orthodox community, there was high drama. But this was neither because of opposition nor support for the reform: 

The cause of the excitement was that the Gur rebbe was due to board a flight to Switzerland and his followers feared that he would not be able to get to the plane on time. In the end, the flight was canceled due to a technical malfunction.

The solution came from a wealthy Hassid in the form of a private jet, and the rebbe's vacation got underway without any hitches. His Hassidim breathed a sigh of relief.

Israel fumes as UNESCO weighs designating ancient Yericho as Palestinian heritage site

 Israel harshly criticized the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization this week for plans to designate the ancient city of Jericho as a Palestinian World Heritage site.

Ancient Jericho is one of 53 natural and cultural sites the World Heritage Committee will be voting to include on its list when it convenes in Saudi Arabia in two weeks.

MK Dan Illouz (Likud) blasted the decision, saying "Jericho is first and foremost a city of biblical significance."

 Jericho was the crossing point of the Israelites into the Land of Israel after wandering in the desert for forty years following the Exodus from Egypt.

Illouz called on President of UNESCO Audrey Azoulay to deny the Palestinian Authority's request for the recognition that is "archaeological false."

"This is not only an insult to Jews, but also an insult to Christians around the world who admire the site for its biblical history," Illouz wrote in a letter to Azoulay.

"The Palestinian Authority is systematically working to erase all ties of the Jewish people to the Land of Israel. This is evident on the Temple Mount, where valuable archaeological findings were destroyed, as well as throughout Judea and Samaria, where acts of vandalism and deliberate destruction of biblical evidence frequently occur. It is our duty to stop this and insist on our right to our country against enemies at home and abroad," the letter said.

Ishay Ribo’s Madison Square Garden Debut Makes History

 

Ishay Ribo became the first Israeli artist and the first orthodox Jew to headline a concert at New York’s renowned Madison Square Garden arena on Sunday, September 3, in what became a historic evening of heartfelt songs that united thousands.

A packed Madison Square Garden arena waited with bated breath as Israeli singer Ishay Ribo ascended the colossal stage at New York City’s premier entertainment venue on Sunday evening. Hours later, when his final song dissolved into thunderous applause, the electrified emotions coursing through the audience bore witness to an unforgettable evening of Jewish unity and inspiration.

Coming just twelve days ahead of Rosh Hashanah, Ribo’s performance immersed those present in the moving melodies of Elul. “We’re bridging worlds tonight,” Ribo said of the concert’s theme. “These are songs I grew up on in the synagogue and in my parents’ home; I never imagined a day when thousands would sing those songs here in Madison Square Garden.” 

Ribo’s Madison Square Garden debut—partnered with Bnei Akiva of the United States and Canada—reflected the diversity and unity of today’s Jewish world. Jews wearing jeans danced alongside those wearing black hats, and Chassidic, secular, Sephardic, and modern orthodox Jews sang along to a heartfelt repertoire of traditional Mizrachi tunes, modern Israeli rock, Chassidic niggunim, and original pop songs.

Secular Israeli rock star Amir Dadon—performing in the United States for the first time—joined Ribo on stage for a stirring performance of Ribo’s hit song Nafshi, and other classic hits, alongside Israeli popular star Akiva.

Midway through the concert, the music cut short. “I am honored by the presence of an artist who has been a personal inspiration and mentor,” Ribo said. “I stand before him as a student before his teacher,” he added before inviting Chassidic singer Avraham Fried to the stage. Surprised to find himself on the big screens, Fried made his way to the stage amidst uproarious cheering from the audience. United on stage, the two performed an emotional rendition of Avinu Malkeinu in honor of the concert’s auspicious date: the birthday of the Baal Shem Tov and the Baal HaTanya on 18 Elul.

For all those present, the event’s immense scale evoked powerful emotions. “A venue of this scale once seemed unachievable for Jewish music,” Ribo said. “But the world is changing today. There are challenges, but as artists, we’re here to bring light and create togetherness.”

To view Bnei Akiva’s extraordinary offer to concert-goers considering aliyah, including a year of free groceries and a private concert with Ishay Ribo, visit bneiakiva.org/welcomehome.

Hebrew ‘Symbolizes Far-right Israeli Militarism’: New York Times

 The New York Times published an op-ed on Saturday in which the author described Hebrew as a symbol of “far-right Israeli militarism,” smearing an entire language and the people who speak it.

The op-ed is not itself antisemitic. It is titled “Yiddish Is Having a Moment,” and is written by Ilan Stavans, a professor at Amherst who describes himself as having been born and raised in the Mexican Jewish community.

Still, the sweeping portrayal of Hebrew — the language of the Bible, revived over a century ago in a modern context — as the language of extremists suggests a deep prejudice, whose source may be decades-old sectarian splits in the Jewish community.

Study shows single Frum Jews sidelined

 A new study by the Orthodox Union (OU), the umbrella organization for Orthodox Jews in America, reveals that one-third of Orthodox single men and 45% of Orthodox single women feel "ostracized " and "dismissed" by their community for being single.

Although most of them feel that people in their synagogue are friendly towards them, 30% of single men and 55% of single women said that they aren’t invited to community events because of their single status.

Some 80% of them said this negative attitude towards unmarried individuals is one of the central issues facing the community today, alongside acute problems such as unethical behavior among religious leaders, antisemitism, and the cost of living required to facilitate a Jewish lifestyle.

US Will Regulate Nursing Home Staffing For First Time ... Nursing Home Owners Not Happy

 The federal government will, for the first time, dictate staffing levels at nursing homes, the Biden administration said Friday, responding to systemic problems bared by mass COVID-19 deaths.

While such regulation has been sought for decades by allies of older adults and those with disabilities, the proposed threshold is far lower than many advocates had hoped. It also immediately drew ire from the nursing home industry, which said it amounted to a mandate that couldn’t be met.

With criticism expected, a promise made with fanfare in President Joe Biden’s 2022 State of the Union speech had its details revealed as many Americans turned away from the news for a holiday weekend.

“Establishing minimum staffing standards for nursing homes will improve resident safety,” Health Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a statement. “When facilities are understaffed, residents suffer.”

The American Health Care Association, which lobbies for care facilities, called the proposal “unfathomable,” saying it will worsen existing problems and cost homes billions of dollars.

Rabbi Yair Hoffman to Rabbi Hecht: “It’s Not a Cult, Rabbi Hecht. You Blew It.”

 

It was a heated exchange on the Zev Brenner Show.  The debate was  between a self-proclaimed cult-buster, Rabbi Shea Hecht, and Rabbi Yair Hoffman.  

Rabbi Hoffman took Rabbi Hecht to task for claiming that one of the top Yeshivos for bochurim returning from Eretz Yisroel is actually a cult.  He further took him to task for saying, “If we are right, then we have closed down a Yeshiva and the bochurim need a new place.  But if we are right, Hashem Yerachem! That is Gilui Arayos, incest, Shfichas Damim and AVodah Zarah!”  Rabbi Yair Hoffman stated that Rabbi Hecht’s claims are completely unfounded and constitute complete lashon Harah against a Talmid Chochom and Tzaddik who had built an extraordinary Yeshiva, Kollel and community in Great Neck, New York – Rabbi Eitan Rubin shlita.  Rabbi Hecht countered Rabbi Hoffman and asked how dare Rabbi Hoffman equate his claims with the famous forgery of the “Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion?”

After the mothers of the Talmidim called in, however, it was “game over.”  Numerous viewers remarked that the attackers of the Yeshiva suffered an unmitigated disaster.  “Rabbi Rubin was completely vindicated,” remarked a Monsey couple. “Rabbi Hecht couldn’t even respond to their sharp upbraiding of the cult-busting Rabbi. 

Rabbi Tzvi Gluck, founder and director of Amudim, carefully explained how none of his investigations and the formidable team he put together, found anything remotely resembling the narrative of those attacking the Yeshiva.

Philanthropist George Rohr called in and informed Rabbi Hecht that he has known Rabbi Rubin since his childhood and warned him to triple-check everything because Rabbi Rubin is an earnest and talented mechanech.  Rabbi Yair Hoffman noted that Rabbi Hecht never met Rabbi Rubin, nor did he ever visit the Yeshiva.  Four parents called in denying Rabbi Hecht’s assertions and singing the praises of Rabbi Rubin.  They explained that Rabbi Rubin was the furthest thing from a cult leader.  The Chabad shliach in Great Neck called in as well and explained that Rabbi Rubin allowed the Talmidim of the Yeshiva to attend a Tanya shiur in the Chabad Rabbi’s home.  Rabbi Hecht harshly rebuked the Great Neck Chabad Rabbi for not responding to his inquiries previously.  Toward the end, even Rabbi Hecht admitted that the products of the Yeshiva were model Torah scholars and exhibited the finest Midos.

Sadegera Rebbetzin Writes Letter to the Rabbis that Signed a Kol Korah Against Her

 

Last week, we posted an article how a bunch of rabbanim signed a Kol Korah against the widow of the late Sadigera Rebbe, chastising her for bringing her twerp son to secular court. 

These same rabbanim said not a word when the twerp took his mother to secular court to evict her from his late father's apartment, even though there was clear instructions that she could live there for the rest of her life.

In her letter she says that after reading the Kol Korah against her, she now understands why the Torah says that Hashem himself will protect the widow, since the rabbanim will not!

She also mentions the fact that these rabbanim were silent when the twerp took to her to secular court.

Goyim in Jackson Township Hire Private Investigator to Spy On Jewish Homes Over Shabbos

 

In a stunning incident that comes less than a week after the approval of Jackson Township’s deal to settle the New Jersey Attorney General’s lawsuit over anti-Orthodox Jewish discrimination, a group of Jackson residents hired a private investigator to stake out a home where Orthodox Jewish worshippers were legally holding prayers, Lakewood Alerts reported.

The disturbing scene unfolded this past Shabbos, September 2nd, at a home in the S. New Prospect area of Jackson. The private investigator – identified by Lakewood Alerts as Rich Coombs of Lemieux & Associates – sat in a vehicle outside the home for hours, snapping photos of worshippers entering and exiting the residence.

Lakewood Alerts has conclusively confirmed that the private investigator was hired by local residents, and was not employed by Jackson Township, which was accused of spying on homes where legal worshipping was taking place in the lawsuit it has just settled.

The incident is incredibly shocking, as it comes on the heels of Jackson Township settling with both the federal Justice Department and the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office over similar allegations.

Additionally, this weekend’s spying is particularly troubling as it comes against the backdrop of a worrying increase in anti-Semitic attacks in New Jersey and across the country. Aside from the patently hateful act of spying on a religious gathering, this incident served only to increase fear and concerns for their safety among Jackson’s Orthodox Jewish population.

It will be interesting to see whether this revelation will spark a new investigation by the New Jersey Attorney General into anti-Orthodox Jewish hate that is clearly still rampant in Jackson Township.

Inside the town that banned kids from having mobile phones – the results were astounding

 Startling recent figures from communications regulator Ofcom, show that 20 per cent of kids have a smartphone by the age of three, and that rises to 55 per cent between the ages of eight to 11.

But the residents of one seaside town in Ireland have decided they do not want their little ones to spend their most formative years peering into a tiny LCD screen.

The entire parent population of Greystones in County Wicklow got together to agree not to buy smartphones for their kids until they were in secondary school.

All eight primary schools in the town, 15 miles south of Dublin, had already stopped pupils from bringing the electronic devices into the learning environment.

But the school parent associations then went further by initiating a voluntary ban among themselves.

Historical And Halachic Evidence Shows Women Were Given Gelilah

 

DIN: Turns out that the Chareidie press is citing multiple sources and instances where gedoilei poskim have absolutely zero issues with women doing gelilah.

 A reader "RCK" from Beitar Illit, sent me a PDF where one can clearly see that there is a Spinka Minhag to be "mechbeid" a lady with gelila! The previous Satmar Rebbe, the Beirach Moshe, wrote a Sefer Torah in honor of his late daughter, and instructed his chassidim to have a woman do gelila, and said that this was a minhag in Sighet, to give gelilah to women who have problems conceiving. 

I believe that Rab Shternbuch wrote his psak too soon, without having the facts and having missed a Nitei Gavreal that permits it with conditions. 

My issue is not that Rav Shternbuch prohibits this, but his tone, prohibiting it, stating that people "should distance themselves from people practicing this." 

There were local rabbanim there who permitted it, and it was not Rav Shternbuch's place to rule against them. 

In the wake of the incident in which a woman did Gelilah during the course of a Hachnasas Sefer Torah and the strong protest by Rabbi Moshe Sternbuch against the practise, historian and researcher Yisrael Shapira revealed a number of previous occasions in which such a custom was approved by prominent rabbis.

Shapia, who writes for the Kikar Hashabat site, revealed that nearly 200 years ago, when Moses Montifiore and his wife Judith visited Tzfat after the 1837 earthquake, Rabbi Avrohom Dov Avritch, the Bas Ayin gave Judith significant honor. On the eve of Shavuos they were invited to a Hachnasas Sefer and a special place was prepared for Judith, as she later wrote in her memoirs. (Otzar Masaos Eretz Yisrael p.558).  During the Hachnasas Sefer, Judith was given the honor of standing right behind the Bas Ayin and carrying a wax torch, “And they brought me under the chupah behind the esteemed rabbi carrying the sefer and everyone was crowded behind us singing dancing and clapping.” She added “I was so happy and delighted to see this holy joy.”

Judith even revealed in her memoirs her concern that the torch “might ignite the chupah, or I might drip wax over the white silk clothes that the honorable R. Avraham Dov wore.” (She actually represented her husband at the occasion as he was sick at the time.)

A week later, the Montifiores travelled to Tiberias and davened shacharis with the Bas Ayin. Judith described the atmosphere at the Bas Ayin’s shul: “There was a large group of the wise men of the town. I was honored to decorate the Sefer Torah and all those who came to read blessed us and inquired of our welfare.” The Montifiores were even invited to have breakfast with the Bas Ayin.

During the previous week Judith reported a similar honor from “The Chacham Mizrachi”, who was the Sefardi rabbi in Tzfat. When the Montifiores visited his shul “Montifiore was given Hagbahah (raising the Torah scroll) and I was honored to decorate the Sefer.”

After this historical evidence, Shapira also brings a modern-day posek, Rabbi Gavriel Tzinner, who in his Nitei Gavriel cites halachic sources that women did perform Gelilah. For example, it was the custom in Zeewald, Holland that a girl from the women’s section did gelilah and this was approved by Rabbi Shmuel Hirsch.

Moreover Rabbi Tzinner quotes the grandson of the Berech Moshe of Satmar who said that when doing hachnasas sefer Torah a childless couple should be honored with the husband doing Hagbahah and the wife Gelilah as this could be a segulah (merit) for having children.

Moreover similar testimonies of women doing Gelilah were presented by members of the Spinka chasidim, as well as Rabbi Chaim Falagi in his Sefer Chaim, the Tiferes Aryeh and others.

The Nitei Gavriel concludes that women would be permitted to do Gelilah if they are 1) not Niddah 2) dressed modestly 3) doing it in front of close family and friends.

 

Zera Shimshon Parshas Ki Tavo

 

Uh Oh! Raffensperger Testimony Supports Trump Defense in Georgia Case ... Is The Georgia Case Collapsing???

 

Testimony this week in federal court by Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger reportedly contradicted claims that former President Donald Trump insisted he violate his oath of office by fabricating enough votes to win the state.

As Breitbart News has long noted, the media have misrepresented the January 2021 phone call between Trump and Raffensperger, quoting Trump as telling Raffensperger that he should “find” the votes necessary for him to win. In fact, Trump said “I just want to find” the votes, referring to his own state of mind. Moreover, the context was that Trump believed he actually had won the state of Georgia, and the votes simply had not been properly counted yet.

Rabbi Sternbuch Slams Gelilah By Woman During Torah Dedication: ‘Let Us Disassociate From Them’

 

DIN: This is very interesting. Rav Elimelech Kornfeld, the respected rav of the Gra Shul in RBSA said there was absolutely nothing wrong with this "as there is no prohibition in the entire Shulchan Aruch."

 I myself have attended hundreds of Hachnasas Sefer Torahs and I have witnessed in Brooklyn at least 6 times where the lady did "Gelilah". In all those cases, the Hachanassas Sefer Torah ceremonies were in Chassidishe circles! 

In fact the commentaries on the Shulchan Aruch question whether a woman can get an Aliyah, and the halachic conclusion is that one should not give a woman an Aliyah because it is not "Kavod hatzibbur" but that discussion is all about an Aliya, I doubt "gelilah" would fall into this category of "kavod hatzibbur," and this was not during davening, this was a private ceremony.

For those who say that one should not question Rav Shternbach, well why don't you address Satmar who pelted Rav Shernbuch with eggs and stones when he visited Williamsburg for a simcha, four years ago.? Why don't you guys question the Eida Hachreidies themselves whose majority do not accept or recognize him as the Gaavad, and insult him on a daily basis?

I think that with all due respect to Rav Shernbuch, he should have said that he is opposed but will defer to the local Rav who permitted it! But to say that people should "disassociate from them and it will be good for us and for our children," is a far stretch and something that a rav should never say! 

"Disassociate?" is this going to foster Ahavas Yisrael? I think not! 

The Head of the Rabbinical Court of the Eida Haharedis (Jerusalem charedi Council), Rabbi Moshe Sternbuch, sharply condemned the synagogue officials at a Lithuanian shul in Ramat Beit Shemesh who honored a woman with “Gelilah,” the ceremonial wrapping of a Torah scroll.

The incident took place during a Torah dedication ceremony at a synagogue in Ramat Bet Shemesh Daled. A video that was posted to social media this week shows the woman, who apparently is involved in the donation of the new Torah scroll, closing and dressing the Torah scroll in the sanctuary as men surround her.

The synagogue officials claim they received a dispensation from one of the local rabbis, but the rabbi ( the liar) denied the claim.

Rabbi Sternbuch voiced his opposition and even referred to the modern-charedi community as “a community with charedi roots,” hinting that a charedi community would not have permitted such an incident to occur.

“Every heart here trembled when we heard that a community with charedi roots sank so low and honored a woman with Gelilah, and published that it had raised the honor of the Torah and the honor of the charedi woman,” he wrote.

He ended his words with a harsh statement: “Brothers of the house of Israel, we will disassociate from them, and it will be good for us and for our children.”