Powered By Blogger

Sunday, September 18, 2022

News poll: Religious Zionism is the third largest party in the Knesset

 

A poll by Prof. Camil Fuchs published by Channel 13 News on Friday gives the Netanyahu bloc 60 seats, an increase of one compared to a poll published on Wednesday.

As for the Joint List, which split right before the Knesset slates were submitted, Hadash-Ta'al wins 4 seats, but Balad falls below the electoral threshold with 1.2 percent support.

Likud increases by one seat to 32 compared to a poll earlier this week, followed by Yesh Atid, which again wins 24 seats.

The third largest party is still Religious Zionism, which receives 13 seats, unchanged from Wednesday's poll, while Benny Gantz’s National Unity Party has 12 seats. Shas wins 8 seats and United Torah Judaism wins 7 seats, both continuing to maintain their strength.

Labor and Meretz again win five seats each and Avigdor Liberman’s Yisrael Beytenu remains stable with 6 seats. Mansour Abbas's Ra’am Party rounds out the list with 4 seats.

The Jewish Home, under Ayelet Shaked, remains below the electoral threshold with 2 percent support, as is Eli Avidar's Free Israel Party, with 0.4 percent.

Saturday, September 17, 2022

Martha’s Vineyard, population 15k, freaking out over 50 migrants. But Want Texas To Absorb 4.2 Million




 


Rabbanim in Israel Against "musical selichos" with singers & instruments

 


I happen to agree, but if "musical selichos" inspire others, who am I to discourage them, whatever floats your boat.
"Musical Selichos' didn't start in this generations, it was started in the Bais Hamikdash, when the Leviyim sang and played their instruments, daily.

Senior Ashkenazic rabbanim in Eretz Yisroel have signed onto a letter decrying the recent practice of shuls making “musical selichos” with singers and instruments.

Led by the Ponavez Rosh Yeshiva, Harav Hagaon Rav Gershon Edelstein, the signers of the kol koreh wrote that those who engage in musical selichos are being “poretz geder” and turn selichos from a serious reflective moment into an “evening of entertainment.”

Besides for Rav Edelstein, the letter was signed by Rav Tzvi Weber, Rav Yehuda Silman, Rav Yitzchok Mordechai Rubin, and Rav Shariel Rosenberg.



Thursday, September 15, 2022

Governor Abbott Brings the Border To Kamala Harris... Sends Bus Loads of Migrants to Her Home

 

"Jew/Israel Hater" ADL head Jonathan Greenblatt must be replaced

 

 A recent Fox News investigation found that the Anti-Defamation League’s educational and “anti-bias” programs, which influence millions of American children, educators and officials, promote far-left and critical race theory concepts including “white privilege” and “systemic racism.”

The materials also promote groups such as the Women’s March and Black Lives Matter, despite the fact that these organizations and their leaders often take virulent Jew- and Israel-hating positions, and express support for the anti-Semitic Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan.

ADL programs call denying white privilege a “biased attitude,” encourage white children to view themselves as “oppressors” and include an article indicating that white women are “justly seen as oppressive” and “enjoy unearned skin privilege,” among other egregious claims.

This is a longstanding problem. Six years ago, our group, the Zionist Organization of America, documented that multiple ADL lesson plans encouraged students to join BLM protests in Ferguson, Missouri. At these same protests, calls were made for ending Israel’s existence, calling it an apartheid, genocidal state. The ADL further promoted BLM while ignoring the BLM/Movement for Black Lives organizations’ anti-Semitism and anti-Semitic platform.

JNS Editor-in-Chief Jonathan Tobin pointed out that the ADL’s announcement following the Fox investigation that it would review educational content “misaligned "with ADL’s values was “blatantly dishonest.” This was the case because the ADL’s woke leftist educational materials are, in fact, aligned with ADL’s woke far-left values, promoted under ADL CEO and national director Jonathan Greenblatt.

Tobin noted that the ADL publicly endorsed BLM and its racist “equity” agenda, defended anti-Semitic congresswomen Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), downplayed left-wing anti-Semitism, hired an outreach director who calls Jews racists and worked with tech firms to promote internet censorship.

Rebuke of the infamous NYT article by Isaac Bardos




I struggled in the ultra-orthodox school system.

My experience pushed me to leave religious Judaism.

I switched to public school and graduated with honors from a school ranked in the top 4 public high schools in my home state.

From 9-12th grade in public school, I got to see the values, the culture, the "education," the lifestyle, everything it had to offer.

I attended two public (state) universities, in NY and Maryland, and two private universities in two different states.

Spending years in both settings allowed me a very unique perspective comparing the two systems and all that came with it.

One of the main reasons I chose to return to religious Judaism is BECAUSE of the shockingly large amounts missing in the secular education.

-The lack of values

-The focus on ego-driven outcomes

-95% of everything I learned in secular curricula is available for FREE on google, YouTube, Lynda, etc

I have never met a single Hasidic or ultra orthodox person struggling in life because they didn’t get a full year of 5th grade grammar or they missed out on “history” which is the absolute greatest waste of time, and instead they learned about how to manage their emotions, how to communicate with others, and be accountable to a higher power.

If your "perfect" curriculum was that "perfect," you wouldn’t need billions of dollars to pay back loans.

And if any Hasidic graduate wanted better grammar and math, thanks to Grammarly and free math resources, the school curriculum isn’t the answer.

And neither is the obviously hate-driven articles you’re writing about a people that started the largest volunteer, self funded life saving organization in America. Maybe write an article about how that happened?

Maybe write an article about how, per capita, among the Hasidic communities, there are more non profits than any other population in North America.

One of the reasons I left the public school world is BECAUSE of the hate, judgmentalism, anti-semitism, and we’re-going-to-tell-you how-to-think-about-others, from the very same educational systems that preach “tolerance, acceptance, respect, and inclusion.”

At 17 years old, it was blatantly obvious that was total PR B.S.

For you, the NYT (New York Talebearers) and CNN (Constant Negativity Network), every other headline and article is about “how dare those people be intolerant” which is ironically 100% intolerant of every other person who has a different perspective than you.

Well done seeding hate in our beloved country.

Well done doing it on September 11th.

Hasidic clients are among my favorite to work with in business. Instead of wasting years of educating kids to be about "who is better than who," who has more followers, and who’s going to outdo the next person at prom, Hasidic schools focus being valued for who they are.

What would the suicide rates among high schoolers be if that was the focus?

Looking forward to a front page sincere apology for the hurt you caused.

Israel Prisons Service weighs early release for terrorist mass-murderer who murdered Rabbi Benyamin & Talia Kahana

 


22 years after the murders of Rabbi Binyamin Kahane and his wife Talia, the Israel Prisons Service early release board is considering granting an early release to the murderer, Naji Abu Khamid, after Abu Khamid requested a hearing claiming ill health.

The terrorist was convicted not only of the murders of the Kahanes but also of a string of other offenses including the murder of Gadi Rejuan, who was killed in the Atarot industrial zone. Abu Khamid was sentenced to seven life sentences and a further 50 years behind bars.

The families of the victims were only very recently informed of the date of the hearing and both the son of Rabbi Kahane and the daughter of Gadi Rejuan have appealed to have the hearing postponed. Kahane and Rejuan are being represented by attorneys Ofir Steiner and Haim Bleicher of the Honenu organization, who are also demanding that their clients be permitted to make statements at the hearing against the early release of the man who murdered their parents.

Following their request, the Prisons Service agreed to postpone the hearing which would otherwise have taken place next Sunday and will set a new date for the convenience of the families.

Rabbi: Don't eat apples in honey on Rosh Hashanah

 

Rabbi Ben Zion Mutzafi, a leading Sephardic rabbi, told a student not to eat the traditional apple dipped in honey on Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year), Kikar Hashabbat reported.

On Wednesday night, one of Rabbi Mutzafi's students asked him, "Dear honored rabbi, do Sephardic Jews have a custom to eat an apple in honey on Rosh Hashanah? Because my grandfather said no."

In his response, Rabbi Mutzafi wrote, "'Ask your father, and he will tell you; your elders, and they will inform you.' (Deuteronomy 32:7) The grandfather is absolutely right. To this day, we the sons of the communities of the east do not have a custom to eat honey on Rosh Hashanah. Rather, we cook some type of fruits or vegetables in sugar, and eat it."

He explained, "According to the Kabbalah, honey represents the trait of justice, which should not be aroused on Rosh Hashanah, because its color is yellowish gold. Its numerical value is also reminiscent [of this], with the letters shin and vav (equaling 306) from the letters of [the word] shofar, which are sweetened by the shofar blasts, and with 14 knuckles of the fingers which hold the shofar, which [together with shin and vav] are the numerical equivalent of shin and kaf (320), which are judgements as mentioned in Edera Rabba in the Holy Zohar. And [this is] as our teachers the Arizal (Rabbi Yitzhak Luria - ed.) and the Rashshash (Rabbi Shalom Sharabi - ed.) wrote, and you can look this up in Shofar Betzion."

Each of the Hebrew letters has a numerical value, called gematriya. The first ten letters represent the numbers 1-10, with the next letters representing 20, 30, 40, and so on, until the letter kuf, which has a value of 100. The three final letters, reish, shin, and taf, have numerical values of 200, 300, and 400, respectively.

Trump Offered Jordan Control Over Judea, Samaria

 

US President Donald Trump offered Jordan’s King Abdullah II control over Judea and Samaria in January 2018, according to a bombshell report published Wednesday by The Washington Post.

The previously unreported offer was reported in a new book on the Trump residency due to be published next week, written by the husband-and-wife journalist team of Peter Baker and Susan Glasser.

The Jordanian monarch apparently didn’t react well to the offer.

“I thought I was having a heart attack,” Abdullah told an American friend in 2018, according to the report. “I couldn’t breathe. I was bent doubled-over.”

Abdullah has had endless problems with his majority-Palestinian Authority Arab population, the newspaper noted.

According to the book, Trump thought he would be doing Abdullah a favor, “not realizing that it would destabilize his country.”

Iran to execute 2 homosexual women

 



Mazal Tov Jonathan Pollard Engaged

 


Former spy Jonathan Pollard is set to remarry, with the couple poised to make a formal announcement on their engagement.

Pollard, 68, got engaged to Rivka, a Jerusalemite and mother of seven, last week, but made no public statement regarding the event.

The couple are slated to make a public announcement sometime after the funeral of IDF Major Bar Falah, who was shot and killed during a gun battle with Arab terrorists in Samaria overnight.

On Tuesday, Pollard attended the Bar Mitzvah of Shahar Dagan, son of Samaria Regional Council chief Yossi Dagan.

In January, Pollard’s late wife Esther passed away, following a lengthy battle with cancer.

Pollard and his first wife, Anne, divorced in the late 1980s.

The official announcement reads:

How can I repay the Lord for all of his bountiful deals towards me? (Psalm 116 12).

With praise and thanks to G-d, we are excited to announce our engagement

We are full of gratitude to you, our friends and family members and our dear children for your love and hugs and first and foremost to Esther, may she rest in peace,. who in her infinite love even recognized us and allowed this miracle to happen. Her memory will always be with us.

The wedding will take place, G-d willing, in two months, after the High Holidays.

Jewish Baron Gives Queen Elizabeth a Brilliant Hesped in Parliament

 




Queen Elizabeth has been eulogized by countless politicians and other leading figures across the globe. But in his tribute to the late monarch in the House of Lords, Baron David Wolfson used a new method of talking about the significance of her death: explaining a pillar of Jewish mysticism.

In a six-minute speech on Friday, Wolfson, a Conservative who served as a justice minister under Boris Johnson, walked his peers through several aspects of Jewish tradition — including gematria, the Jewish practice of finding meaning through the numerical value of words.


Gov DeSantis in a brilliant move Flies “Illegal Immigrants” To Martha’s Vineyard

 

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday flew two planes of immigrants to Martha’s Vineyard, escalating a tactic by Republican governors to draw attention to what they consider to be the Biden administration’s failed border policies.

Flights to the upscale island enclave in Massachusetts were part of an effort to “transport illegal immigrants to sanctuary destinations,” said Taryn Fenske, DeSantis’ communications director.

While DeSantis’ office didn’t elaborate on their legal status, many migrants who cross the border illegally from Mexico are temporarily shielded from deportation after being freed by U.S. authorities to pursue asylum in immigration court — as allowed under U.S law and international treaty — or released on humanitarian parole.

Massachusetts’ Gov. Charlie Baker, a Republican, said he was in touch with local officials and that short-term shelter was being provided.

State Rep. Dylan Fernandes, who represents Martha’s Vineyard, tweeted: “Our island jumped into action putting together 50 beds, giving everyone a good meal, providing a play area for the children, making sure people have the healthcare and support they need. We are a community that comes together to support immigrants.”

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott began busing thousands of migrants to Washington in April and recently added New York and Chicago as destinations. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey has been busing migrants to Washington since May. Passengers must sign waivers that the free trips are voluntary.

DeSantis, who is mentioned as potential presidential candidate, appears to be taking the strategy to a new level by using planes and choosing Martha’s Vineyard, whose harbor towns that are home to about 15,000 people are far less prepared than New York or Washington for large influxes of migrants.

The move is likely to delight DeSantis’ supporters who deride Democrat-led, immigrant-friendly “sanctuary” cities and anger critics who say he is weaponizing migrants as pawns for political gain.

The Florida Legislature appropriated $12 million to transport “illegal immigrants” from the state consistent with federal law, Fenske said.

“States like Massachusetts, New York, and California will better facilitate the care of these individuals who they have invited into our country by incentivizing illegal immigration through their designation as ‘sanctuary states’ and support for the Biden Administration’s open border policies,” Fenske said.

Wednesday, September 14, 2022

How the "Oiz Vehdar" Edition of the Ohr Hachyim twists and corrupts the words of the Or Hachayim Hakodosh

 


The Ohr Hachayim Hakadosh, R' Chaim ben Moshe ibn Attar, born in Sale Morocco in 1696 was niftar in 1743. He is known as the Or Hachaim after his popular commentary on the Torah.

He was considered the most prominent Rabbi of Morocco. He made aliyah in 1742 with his two wives and 30 talmidim. On July 7, 1743, less than a year after his arrival in Yerushalayim he suddenly died and was buried on Har Hazeisim.

Chassidim decided that the Ohr Hachayim Hakodosh was really a Chasid and adopted him, but this happened only after his demise.
The story is that the Baal Shem Tov was sitting at Shalosh Seudis Seudah and before anyone in the area could have found out about the Ohr Hachayim's passing, he exclaimed,
 "The light from the West has been extinguished!"

At any rate, Chassidim made it an obligation to learn Ohr Hachayim's commentary. And there isn't a Chassidishe Shul that doesn't have a shiur in the Ohr Hachayim. 

The Ohr Hachayim is not an easy read, as he writes very poetically and embeds pesukim from Tanach and sayings from all over the Talmud and Midrash in his commentary. One must be familiar with Tanach and the Talmud to decipher most of his commentary.

It was only natural that Chassidim would undertake the difficult task of writing a commentary to decipher and explain every line of the Ohr Hachayim's commentary to make it easier on those who were eager to learn this beautiful "peirish".

On or abouts 2007, Oiz Vehadar under the leadership of R' Yeshua Leifer of New Square, did just that and did a magnificent job and now any lay person wanting to enjoy the Ohr Hachayim's commentary and is fluent in Lashon Hakodesh can do so. Artscroll in 2017 translated it into English, but of course for those fluent in Loshon Hakodesh  using the Oiz Vehadar edition is a no brainer; and no comparison!

How Dan Goldman Kicked Chassidim in the "tuchis"

 

She Just Made Us All Dumber

 

Kamala Harris Takes Us All for Fools

 

Chassidim Recruit Yaakov Shapiro an Israel Hating Liar as Their Spokesman in Albany Because he is the only one who can speak English

 


 Rabbi Yaakov Shapiro has an Israel-Hating website called "Torah True Jews" which is neither "torah" nor "true"! It is dripping with such hate against Gedoilei Hador who don't or didn't agree with his anti-Zionist stance, that he must have taken it out of Der Shturmer. 

He wrote a book "The Empty Wagon" which has haskamos from rabbanim that couldn't even read English and is filled with half-truths and whole lies. 

This is the guy that they appointed as the "spokesman" for the Chassidim in Albany fighting the new curriculum imposed on yeshivois! They appointed him because apparently, he is the only guy who can speak the language.

Below are excerpts from an article written in 2018 by Rabbi Yair Hoffman reviewing his disgusting book.

Tuesday, September 13, 2022

Shul in New York removes smoked salmon from kiddush citing 'environmental concerns'

 

A New York synagogue has announced it will no longer offer smoked salmon at its weekly kiddush lunches.

The Upper West Side synagogue, B’nai Jeshurun, is removing the beloved fish due to environmental concerns, Rabbi Shuli Passow, the director of community engagement, said.

Rabbi Passow posted an article on the synagogue’s website listing all the changes to Kiddush for the community.

This included telling members of the shul, whose individual membership dues range from $500 to $5000 depending on income, that the popular Ashkenazi delicacy will be “eliminated from the menu so we can do our part to reduce the environmental impact of pollution and overfishing”.

She added: “We know that for some this is a heretical move. We are here to support you as you process this change.”

Rabbi Passow also declared a war on waste. “The amount of food ordered each week will be monitored and adjusted to ensure that the meal is abundant but not wasteful.”

She urged members to “think about the amount of food you actually eat at Kiddush, and fill your plate accordingly”.

In addition, she said, “starting in a few weeks, leftover food will be picked up by Rescuing Leftover Cuisine, a food rescue organisation, and donated to those in need.”

Her online article The Return of the Community Kiddush, highlighted the relaunch of the post-services tradition, which was halted during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the piece, Rabbi Passow also explained that, following consultation with synagogue members, other changes are planned, including smaller tables and chairs for younger people and ending the meal with a “song of gratitude.”

The rabbi wrote: “During the COVID-19 pandemic, we were forced to pause our communal meals - a central part of how we celebrate Shabbat. Painful as it was, this interruption was an opportunity to reimagine these gatherings.

“As we began to bring back kiddush - first with snacks on the 88th Street sidewalk, then with boxed lunches on the terrace, and most recently back on the sidewalk with light fare - we informally asked everyone for their thoughts on the various adaptations. In addition, we held twenty individual conversations, and offered ways for our community to share their thoughts through several technological platforms."

After outcry on social media from some Jews online, the synagogue issued another statement, softening their stance on salmon.

In a piece published earlier today the synagogue said:" The removal of lox from our standard Kiddush menu has led to several misunderstandings we wish to clarify.

"First, we inaccurately stated that consuming lox contributes to the overfishing of salmon. Most lox is, in fact, made from farmed Atlantic salmon. We thank those who brought this error to our attention, giving us the opportunity to correct our mistake.

"Second, some felt that we implied that eating lox is immoral or that BJ is completely boycotting lox or lox providers. These could not be farther from the truth. Moreover, should anyone sponsoring Kiddush wish to include lox in the menu, they are welcome to do so."