Rena Salomon is the pseudonym of a woman repeatedly raped as a child by Chaim Walder. Her letter was first circulated in the weekly vort email of Rav Ron Yitzchok Eisenman (Congregation Ahavas Israel, Passaic) who translated it from Hebrew.
by Rena Salomon
Dear Rabbi Eisenman,
My name is Rena Salomon, and I am a victim of cw.
After the Hamas, kidnapping and murder of three Israeli Jewish teens, resulting in Israeli forces aggressively pursuing the Islamic terrorist group over the horrifying atrocity, Tema Smith retweeted and praised an article titled, « There Are No Good Guys In The Gaza-Israel Conflict ».
The article, among other things, claimed that, « Hamas — and the Palestinians as a whole — have desperately real and legitimate grievances against Israel. »
She also retweeted another piece urging Jews to, “repent for Gaza’s dead.”
“Here’s the thing: Jews *have* to be ok with Palestinians *explaining* why some turn to terrorism,” Tema Smith insisted two years ago.
Two Lakewood men were the target of an anti-semitic attack while minding their own business and walking to Shul on Shabbos.
Video footage shows men driving a snow plow on a Lakewood street, while two Jewish men are walking ahead of them on the street. As the drivers pass by the men, they intentionally lower the plow, causing the men to be accosted with a storm of snow and ice.
The men then laugh diabolically and drive away.
The men in the vehicle were allegedly Donny Klarmann and Brandon Ebbs. The footage was originally uploaded to Facebook by Klarmann himself. Klarmann’s facebook page identifies him as an employee of Waste Management, which would be the reason for him driving a snow plow. Ebbs’ employment status is unknown.
UPDATE: Waste Management has released a statement condemning the behavior, and also revealed that the driver has been suspended from his job.
The full statement reads as follows:
“We are aware of an incident that was posted by an off-duty WM employee to his personal social media account. The hateful conduct depicted in this video is unacceptable and does not reflect the values of inclusion and diversity we hold as a company.”
“The employee is suspended while we investigate the incident, but we can confirm this behavior will not be tolerated from any WM employee and we will not employ those who act in this way.”
Esther Pollard, z’l, the wife of Jonathan Pollard who worked tirelessly for decades to secure his release, has passed away at the age of 68, a statement issued by the family on Monday morning stated.
The levaya is scheduled to take place on Monday at Har Hamenuchos in Jerusalem.
Esther, z’l, who had been battling cancer for years, contracted COVID about two weeks ago and was rushed to the hospital on Shabbos after suffering a severe deterioration in her condition. At the hospital she was found to be suffering from septic shock.
Jonathan Pollard spoke to Arutz Sheva after Esther’s petirah, saying: “In my worst nightmares I never thought I would lose Esther. After decades of her fighting for my release, I felt so helpless that I couldn’t help her in her battle for life.”
Jonathan’s lawyer, Nitsana Darshan-Leitner of the Shuras HaDin organization, said: “Esther Pollard, a’h, a lioness and a woman of great stature who fought for her husband and led the struggle for his release for 30 years, passed away this morning. She acted fearlessly out of a genuine belief in the tzidkut of the way.”
“She was by his side every day, in every prison and every crisis, and didn’t lose sight of the goal until they finally landed in Eretz Yisrael to begin their free life. It’s so painful to hear this morning that she only enjoyed their shared freedom for one year. I send my deepest consolations to Yonatan and the entire family. Yehi Zichra Baruch.”
Esther, a’h, and Jonathan made aliyah in December 2020 and settled in the Rechavia neighborhood of Jerusalem
"Rav Lipa was strongly opposed to bachurim attending college classes while they were a part of Yeshiva Torah Temimah. One time, the hanhala found out that a bachur was taking a college class at night, and Rav Lipa presented him with an ultimatum: Quit collage or leave the yeshiva. Someone objected and mentioned that this boy's parents were among the yeshivah's biggest donors. "If they want, they can get back all the money they have donated," Rav Lipa said. He never compromised on his principles"
Omg.
— Alex Thompson (@AlexThomp) January 28, 2022
WV Governor Jim Justice during his state of the state address lifts up his his dog and turns her but to the camera while saying:
“They told every bad joke in the world about us…so from that standpoint, Babydog tells Bette Middlet and all those out there, kiss her hiney” pic.twitter.com/bdJlOXhtez
Republican West Virginia Governor Jim Justice told actress Bette Midler to "kiss" his dog, Babydog’s "hiney."
Justice’s jab at Midler came at the end of his State of the State address, where he touted West Virginia’s wins and recently announced economic developments.
"Absolutely too many people doubted us. They never believed in West Virginia," Justice said in his remarks. "They never believed in West Virginia — that we could do it."
"They told every bad joke in the world about us," Justice continued. "And so from that standpoint, Babydog tells Bette Midler and all those out there: kiss her hiney!"
Shalom friends! #dafreactions Mo’ed Katan 16! The Sages process hurt feelings by self isolating!😱 PLUS! I have a special message of support for rabbi hiyya💕 #dafyomi #jewtok #jtwitter #thedaf4 pic.twitter.com/wN4u8yUS49
— (((Miriam Anzovin))) (@Anzovina) January 28, 2022
On Holocaust Remembrance Day, we honor the victims and survivors of one of the darkest periods in our history. But it’s not enough to remember — we also need to have the courage to speak out against acts of bigotry and hatred whenever we see them.
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) January 27, 2022
This is absolutely absurd! Shame on this school board ⬇️ https://t.co/fqnphFQaOI
— (((Rep.Alma Hernandez,MPH)))💉😷 (@almaforarizona) January 27, 2022
The board cited the inclusion of the words “God Damn” and drawings of “naked pictures” in “Maus,” though the pictures are of mice.
A Tennessee school board barred schools from teaching a beloved graphic novel about the Holocaust in an unanimous vote the day before Holocaust Remembrance Day.
The move to ban Art Spiegelman’s Maus, first reported by The Tennessee Holler [http://tnholler.com/2022/01/mcminn-county-bans-maus-pulitzer-prize-winning-holocaust-book], is the latest in a wave of book banning sweeping the country, particularly school districts in conservative areas.
The McMinn County school board’s 10 members voted to axe Maus from curricula and school libraries, citing its use of the phrase “God Damn” and its drawings of “naked pictures,” though those are cartoon mice.
School members said the ban was not related to the book’s depiction of the Holocaust as it tells the story of author Spiegelman’s father in German concentration camps, with Jews depicted as mice and Nazis as cats. Serialized over nearly a decade, it was collected in a book that in 1992 became the first, and so far the only, graphic novel to win the Pulitzer Prize.
Asked for comment on Wednesday evening, Spiegelman sent The Daily Beast a bookmark he designed for Banned Books Week a few years ago:
The multinational firm Unilever, which owns Ben & Jerry’s, announced on Tuesday that in the wake of severe losses, it will fire 1,500 workers around the world and split off its ice cream division from its food division.
The move follows Ben & Jerry’s decision to break its contract with its Israeli licensee, who refused to stop selling the company’s ice cream in Judea and Samaria.
The U.S. states of New York, New Jersey, Florida, Texas, Illinois, Colorado and Arizona have decided to remove investments from their pension funds in Unilever, because the company was found to violate anti-BDS laws that passed in those states.
“Unilever continues to run away from its responsibility as a parent company,” said Avi Zinger, director-general of Ben & Jerry’s Israel, the Israeli licensee. “Instead of taking responsibility and canceling the boycott, Unilever prefers to put its head in the sand and ignore the fact that it is solely in charge of all the companies it owns, including Ben & Jerry’s worldwide.”
Zinger said that Ben & Jerry’s Israel would continue to struggle against the banning of sales in eastern Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria and will use all tools at its disposal to persuade Unilever to assume the necessary responsibility.
Last week, it was reported that Unilever’s stock plunged 20.7% in the six months since it informed Zinger that his contract was ending.
This amounts to a $26 billion loss, according to Channel 12 News, which first reported on the story. Losses were reportedly due to numerous factors, including a failure to reach profit targets.
Unilever is spinning off Ben and Jerry’s. The Unilever stock is down significantly since taking a pro-BDS position. This move is a clear signal that BDS aligned companies are more of liability than an asset. https://t.co/CXMlaUKwZE
— Yehuda Friedman (@YehudaJFriedman) January 25, 2022
Over the weekend, Kennedy appeared at an anti-vaccine mandate protest in Washington D.C. During his remarks, the son of late-Senator Robert F. Kennedy said of these fascist mandates, “Even in Hitler’s Germany, you could cross the Alps into Switzerland. You could hide in an attic like Anne Frank did.”
Obviously, he was making the hyperbolic point that you could hide from the Nazis but not these mandates.
Anyway, Kennedy’s been a public figure since birth, so he could not have been surprised or traumatized by the fake media’s hypocritical reaction, and he did eventually issue an apology.
But what must he have thought when his own wife — his wife! — took to the Twitters to drop him in the grease?
“My husband’s reference to Anne Frank at a mandate rally in D.C. was reprehensible and insensitive,” Hines tweeted. “The atrocities that millions endured during the Holocaust should never be compared to anyone or anything. His opinions are not a reflection of my own.”
Beit HaRav Kook, the Rabbi Kook Museum, has published a newly unveiled photograph of Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak HaCohen Kook, the first Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi of pre-state Israel. The picture was taken during Rabbi Kook's meeting with the mayor of Chicago, William Emmett Dever, during his visit to the United States in 1924.
In early 1924, a delegation of rabbis arrived in the Port of New York, which included Rabbi Kook, Rabbi Avraham Dover Shapira, and Rabbi Moshe Mordechai Epstein.
The purpose of the delegation was to raise funds for yeshivas in Europe and Israel. In practice, the visit strengthened the connection of the young American Jewish communities in the United States and Canada with the longstanding Jewish communities from Europe and Israel. In addition to the donations collected, the rabbis' visit accelerated the trend of young people from America to travel and study in yeshivas in Israel and Europe.
The audience in the United States was particularly interested in Rabbi Kook, because he represented for them the Land of Israel and religious Zionism. The rabbinical delegation was received with great respect wherever they went. Mayors met with them, and receptions were held in their honor.
Rabbi Kook even met with then-US President Calvin Coolidge. In fact, Rabbi Kook was the first official Jewish representative to meet with the President of the United States.
Although he had already spoken to the mayor of New York in English, Rabbi Kook preferred to use an interpreter during his conversation with President Calvin Coolidge. Rabbi Kook opened the conversation with an apology for the inconvenience of holding the conversation through an interpreter instead of entirely in English. Later in the conversation, Rabbi Kook thanked the President for the support of the two houses of Congress for the Balfour Declaration, which meant the recognition of the right of the Jewish people to establish a state in the Land of Israel. The president promised that the United States would do everything in its power to help build the Land of Israel. At the end of the conversation, Rabbi Kook expressed to the President a hope that the United States would remain a power of idealism and freedom.
