The Ultimate Shelter

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Is the Washington Post Guilty of Publishing Anti-Israel Propaganda?

"Honest Reporting" has published with an in depth study as well as this podcast:

Baba Sali's Tomb

9 Tishrei 5771

I was in Netivot the other day and went to the tomb of the tzaddik. Some pics:









Gmar Chatima Tova!

Dealing With Israeli Bureaucracy

29th Elul 5770

A few days ago my wife received a slip from the post office informing her that she had received a package and that she can pick it up at the local branch. So, being the good husband that I am, I went to the post office to pick up the package for my wife. I took a number upon entering the post office and patiently waited for it to be called by the computerized line managing system.

After waiting for about ten minutes, my number was finally called: "Number 854 at window number 3". I went to window number 3 and handed the postal notice to the lady clerk behind the counter. "Who are you?" she asked.

"I'm Mr. X. The package is for my wife."

"Did you bring your wife's ID card?" the clerk inquired. Unfortunately, I forgot to take my wife's ID card with me.

"No I did not", I replied.

"Then you can't receive the package", responded the clerk curtly.

The stern expression on her face made it clear that there was no use in requesting a dispensation. A person with less experience would have went home and come back another day with his wife's ID card. Others would have started a loud and embarrassing argument with the clerk that would leave them with nothing but a sore throat. However, I knew better: I went and took another number, with the hope that the computer would send me to a different clerk.

After waiting a couple of minutes the computer announced: "Number 861 at window number 5".

I handed the postal notice to the clerk at window 5. After checking my ID card, she was more than happy to bring the package to the harmless looking bearded man (that's me) without asking any further questions.

The moral of the story is that there are some clerks that are very strict and do everything by the book. Others are more flexible.

Two Hours To Go Until Selichot

26th Elul 5770

Selichot start tonight!

It's time to link to one of my favorite posts, original posted here and later on at Beyond BT.

Israeli "Artists" on the Dole

The artists that refused to appear in Ariel made a lot of noise. In the end, I think that they and their colleagues will probably regret this refusal, a cheap imitation of ignorant artists from abroad that refuse to appear in Israel at all.

What's more, the commotion caused by these artists brought to light a fact that is rarely brought to the attention of the public, a fact that they would probably prefer remained concealed deep in the books of the Israeli Government's budget: these people are on the dole.

According to the paper "Yisrael Hayom", the various theaters in Israel are supported by the state to the tune of 88 million shekels per year. The "HaBima" theater receives 25 million, the "Kameri" was given 11 million, 8.8 million goes to "Beit Lisin", 6.6 million shekels is allocated to the "Gesher" theater, 5.5 to the Be'er Sheva theater, another 5.5 million to the "Khan" theater in Jerusalem, 3.3 million to the Haifa Municipal theater. The remainder is given to various small theaters.

Why in the world does the government have to subsidize theaters? Did the American government have to fund Oscar Hammerstein? Did George and Ira Gershwin receive subsidies? It is especially hard to ignore the above questions when one looks at the great contribution that Jews have made to the American entertainment industry, in contrast to the dismal output of the Israeli theater.

To date the Israeli theater has not produced anything of note. Where is the Israeli musical that was so appealing that it was performed all over the world in different languages, an Israeli "Fiddler on the Roof"? Unfortunately it has yet to be written. What's worse, often the plays and musicals produced in the Promised Land are post-Zionist, anti-Torah tirades that appeal to a very small percentage of the public. I am willing to wager that if the theaters had to survive solely on the basis of ticket sales, the quality of what they offered the public would improve greatly.

The subsidization of Israel's theaters is an anachronism that is not only harmful to the tax paying public: it prevents any real creativity by the artists themselves. Unfortunately, chances are that the Israeli public will continue to payroll the often exorbitant lifestyles of these actors, directors, playwrights etc. These "artists" on the dole will lack any incentive to produce anything original or appealing. Instead, they will continue to preach their puny politics to people of their own ilk at the expense of the Israeli taxpayer.

I think it is fitting to finish this post with Rabbi Nechuniah Ben HaKana's prayer (Brachot 28B):

מודה אני לפניך ה' אלהי ששמת חלקי מיושבי בית המדרש ולא שמת חלקי מיושבי קרנות שאני משכים והם משכימים אני משכים לדברי תורה והם משכימים לדברים בטלים אני עמל והם עמלים אני עמל ומקבל שכר והם עמלים ואינם מקבלים שכר אני רץ והם רצים אני רץ לחיי העולם הבא והם רצים לבאר שחת

We Simply The Best

I was in Haifa recently and I bought the wife and kids some pizza:



This "All American Pizza" was actually quite delicious. The guy that designed the box was obviously not "All American". It should say, "We Are Simply The Best". In Hebrew, the form of be in present tense is very rarely used. That's probably the reason that it was left out here. This is a common error among native Hebrew speakers wishing to communicate in English.

Teshuvah in the News

Click on the image:

Jpix!!!

Toby from the rolling hills of Judea rolls out a great edition of jpix!!!

It's Already the Tenth of Elul!!!

10 Elul 5770

Will the month go by without any serious Teshuvah?





Here's a link to some posts on Elul. Some of them IMHO are even worth reading!!!: [click]

The Best Article About the "Disengagement" Ever

Moshe Dann tells it like it was and is:

The expulsion of 10,000 Jews from their homes five years ago was not a localized event in the Gaza Strip and northern Samaria. It was a national implosion, a national disgrace. It caused enormous physical, psychological, social, cultural, military and strategic damage to the entire nation – and it still does. Like an ecological disaster, its foulness still seeps through our foundations, and continues to poison us.

Undermined by enforcing a political agenda, the entire political system, the media and judicial institutions refused to act responsibly. Basic civil and human rights of Jews were abandoned. Those responsible for welfare and proper compensation misled and lied; led by Sela, the Disengagement Authority, our country was in denial. Our own political and many spiritual leaders – those for whom we voted, in whom we trusted – failed to organize and prevent this catastrophe. Ministers who disagreed were fired; public debate was suppressed.

Read the rest!

Jerusalem Calatrava Bridge Update

It's been a long time since I put up pics depicting the bridge's progress. You can see that the train tracks are ready:


There's an ongoing war with the "graffiti artists". White paint covers up somebody's thoughts:



This piece of graffiti has not been as yet painted over. Did somebody have a Bar Mitzvah? Is this in honor of the shayetet?



The view from the other side of the bridge. All that's missing are the trains:

Third of Elul - Yahrzeit of Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak HaKohen Kook

Today I was at an memorial for the 75th anniversary of Rabbi Kook's passing away. It was held in in the recently reopened Hurva synagogue in Jerusalem's Old City. Rabbi Yaakov Shapira, the dean of Merkaz HaRav spoke first:



Later on, Rabbi She'ar Yashuv Kohen, the Chief Rabbi of Haifa, spoke:



Here's a picture of the synagogue taken from the entrance. Notice that what was left of the synagogue's eastern wall was included in the new building. Speaking from the pulpit is Rabbi Yehoshua Magnes:



And now, lehavdil, is Zionist leader Menachem Usishkin's elegy for Rav Kook, as brought to us by Rabbi Chanan Morrison:

Today, Usishkin announced, the Jewish people is cloaked in deep mourning. One of the preeminent scholars of our generation has departed.

But I will not speak about his greatness in Torah. The speaker after me [Rabbi Meir Berlin] will speak of this. I will speak, not of the Gaon [brilliant scholar] Kook, but of the man, Rabbi Kook....

The first time I heard his name was from that unique individual of our generation, Chaim Bialik. After Bialik's first visit in Eretz Yisrael, he gave me a report of everything he saw. But his greatest enthusiasm was about a Jew whom he had met, then rabbi of a small community in Jaffa. He told me wonders about this man's wisdom, his Torah and breadth of knowledge, and his tremendous expertise. Not only in Torah, but also in all the latest philosophies. And over all of this, Bialik added, hovers a personality of giant stature in its depth, love and dedication, and in its way of relating to the new phenomena in the world.

When I made my second trip to Eretz Yisrael, I knew of course that I must meet this man whose fame precedes him. I then recognized that Bialik's words were true. [Rav Kook] was flowing with ideas - brilliant, sparkling ideas in all aspects of life. When one spoke with him - or more precisely, when he spoke, for it was impossible to have a conversation with him, he would always fill the conversation, while others would listen and absorb - one would gain from him such a wealth of ideas and views, that sometimes one had to struggle to fully grasp their depth. One could not help but be enthralled with the brilliance of his ideas and the beauty of his imagery. After conversing with him, one always left the room with some new view, some new concept, some new insight, whether or not one agreed with him.

Even though his views on life, especially regarding our [national] life in Israel, were original and dazzling, he remained with both feet firmly entrenched in our ancient traditions. He did not move a hair's breadth from the tenets of our fathers and our ancestors. Yet he possessed a radically different approach on how to bring understanding of this tradition to the new and renewed world that confronts us.

First of all, there must be a soul-connection between the previous generation and the new generation. His admiration for youth in general, and particularly the youth living in Eretz Yisrael - youth who are thousands of miles away from his own worldview - this was a father's understanding of his son, a father who wishes to instruct his son and draw him close with insight and love.

Many of you have heard his remarkable reply to a prominent rabbi - a rabbi who criticized him for his cordial relationship with the anti-religious youth. 'How can you join forces with these people in common causes?'

And the Rav responded:
As you know, the Holy Temple had [separate] courtyards for kohanim and for Levites and for regular Israelites and for women. And there was one place called Kodesh HaKodashim, the Holy of Holies, which only the High Priest was allowed to enter once a year, on the holiest day of the year.

All this was true when the Temple was standing. Then there were separate areas for each sector of the nation, and each person knew where he was permitted and where he was forbidden to enter.

However, what do you think it was like when they were building the Temple? Then there were certainly no barriers. The workers went to any place that required their skills. Even into the Holy of Holies. [See Me'ilah 14a: 'They build with the mundane and sanctify it afterward.']

Nowadays, the Rav concluded, we are building the Third Temple. We are in the period of building. There are no - and there must not be any - barriers between the young generation and us, between the religious and the secular. We are all busy with one project; we all work toward one goal. First, let us build the Temple. Afterward we may speak...

This was his philosophy, from the first day that he arrived in the country, until his final day.

Did You Ever See an Avocado Tree?

Here in Israel, people eat a lot of avocado. I was in a Moshav near Nahariya, where I saw this and couldn't resist photographing it:



A little bit about the avocado from Wikipedia:

The avocado (Persea americana) is a tree native to the Caribbean, Mexico,[1] South America and Central America, classified in the flowering plant family Lauraceae along with cinnamon, camphor and bay laurel. The name "avocado" also refers to the fruit (technically a large berry that contains a large seed) of the tree, which may be egg-shaped or spherical.

Avocados are a commercially valuable fruit and are cultivated in tropical climates throughout the world (and some temperate ones, such as California), producing a green-skinned, pear-shaped fruit that ripens after harvesting. Trees are partially self-pollinating and often are propagated through grafting to maintain a predictable quality and quantity of the fruit. Avocados are perennial.

Danny is Dead

by Cosmic X

Did you hear the news?
Danny is dead,
Tell the Jews,
He was sick in the head.

That's right my friend,
He went out of his mind,
Put his life to an end,
To get out of the bind.

It's such a shame,
Because he loved life,
But no one's to blame,
You can ask his wife.

Search the law,
Rant and rave,
Hem and haw,
Where to dig his grave.

Wrap him in white,
Lower him down,
Before the fall of night,
Cover him with ground.

He's on his way,
To Olam HaBa,
Yitgadal VeYitkadash,
Shmei Rabba.

Spend wisely your wealth,
Watch your behind,
Guard well your health,
And don't lose your mind.

Lecturer That Exposed the Nefarious "New Israel Fund" Gets Fired By Hebrew U.

Arutz 7 reports:

Hebrew University lecturer Dr. Ran Baratz, a highly respected and very popular lecturer in the university's Department of Philosophy, was recently informed that he would not be employed at the institution in the next academic year. 150 students from all parts of the political spectrum have signed a petition calling on the university to reconsider its decision and keep Baratz on its staff, and 50 of them sent letters to the same effect.

The Knesset's Education Committee will convene a special session to discuss the Baratz affair. Committee Chairman MK Zevulun Orlev (Jewish Home) said that the university's decision was “strange” and said that a “dark cloud” hangs over the university.

Many of Dr. Baratz's supporters claim that the university's decision is motivated by the leftist establishment's desire for revenge against Baratz, who is a research fellow at the conservative Shalem Institute and co-authored a 2003 report on the New Israel Fund. The report served as the basis for Zionist student group Im Tirtzu's report on the Fund, which has created international uproar.

Baratz also contributed to a more recent Im Tirtzu report concerning the silencing of Zionist opinions by leftist academics. He teaches at the Jewish Statesmanship Center for Strategic Planning, and regularly writes in daily Yisrael HaYom, and in the internet magazine Maraah, which describes itself as “politically incorrect.”

Interestingly, however, a Facebook group formed in support of Baratz was created by Yoni Buchsbaum, a student who is described by lecturers as a Communist. In his comments he made on the group's homepage, Buchsbaum confirmed that he belongs to the political left and explained that the issue at hand is not political, but relates to the quality of instruction in the university.

The Department of Philosophy denied there were any political considerations behind the decision to discontinue Baratz's employment. It said that the university had issued a tender for a permanent position on the Department's staff and that based on purely academic criteria, three different committees preferred another candidate over Baratz.

A co-author of the report on the NIF, Dr. Moshe Ifargan, appeared on Channel 1 television Wednesday and said that even if another candidate was more suited for the permanent post, the university could have kept Baratz on its staff in his present status as a teaching fellow. Baratz's doctoral thesis was cited for “special excellence,” he noted, and the fact that so many students had come out in support of Baratz was testimony to his talent as a lecturer.

Ifargan said that a senior professor had told him that another excellent lecturer was denied a post in the Department of Philosophy last year only because he resided in a community within Judea and Samaria.

"Disengagement" Soldiers Repenting

The Besheva magazine has published some interesting stories lately. Last week, the story was about a secular soldier that took part in the disengagement even though she did not want to. She regrets what she did and is now religious. This week, the story is about a secular soldier that refused to take part in the disengagement. She also became religious and now lives "over the green line".

BTW, the articles are in Hebrew.

The "New Israel Fund Desert Seminar from Hell"

More on the nefarious New Israel Fund:

A new chapter in the New Israel Fund controversy was written this week, as a left-of-center activist related her harrowing experience in an NIF seminar that brought her to tears. The NIF, which purports to be a pro-Israel fund, has been fire since a damning report published in February by a Zionist student group exposed its aid to groups that slandered the IDF following the 'Cast Lead' Gaza counter-terror operation.

The letter from the activist to NIF CEO Daniel Sokatch was first published in Hebrew by journalist Ben-Dror Yemini in his blog on the Maariv-NRG website, and later translated into English.

The activist, who identified herself by the pseudonym Shlomit, told a story that appeared to corroborate Im Tirtzu's depiction of the NIF as a sinister radical group that hides behind a facade of pro-Israel Zionist morality.

Shlomit, 36 and a mother of three, described herself as “religious left-wing” and said she voted for dovish-religious Meimad in the last elections. A former spokesperson for an organization promoting women’s rights, she is currently employed in an organization that helps the disabled.

She described herself as “very connected” to Shatil, an organization that operates under the auspices of the New Israel Fund, mentoring NIF-supported groups and helping them apply for funding from other sources. “Within my professional framework, I have always been aided and assisted by the services of 'Shatil' from the outset,” she explained.

“The report of the 'Im Tirzu' movement created somewhat of a shockwave amongst me and my colleagues,” Shlomit elaborated. “On the one hand, we thought that if there was an element of truth in it then the Fund should do some soul-searching and we assumed they would. However, we were not prepared to cast aspersions on our loyalty to the Fund and to Shatil.”

She was offered a scholarship for “a week in the desert along with fellow activists, with professional guidance from America,” and saw it as “an opportunity for empowerment and growth.”

Other participants hailed from Amnesty International, Sikkuy (The Association for the Advancement of Civic Equality in Israel), AJEEC (Arab-Jewish Center for Equality, Empowerment and Cooperation), Neve Shalom, Itach (Women Lawyers for Social Justice), Moussawa (Advocacy for Arab Citizens in Israel) and additional groups.

Feeling “so elated and grateful that they were willing to invest in me in such a way,” she accepted.

"That turned out to be a mistake,” she wrote Sokatch.

“It has now been two weeks since the program ended and I am still struggling to get back into routine both at home and at work. The level of the shake-up I experienced was so powerful that it led me to write this letter especially to you. I found myself in the desert under laboratory conditions, cut off from the world, cut off from Internet, with Palestinian and Jewish human rights activists who negated the State of Israel's existence. With people who want to annihilate the State without ruling out violent means, who believe that the State of Israel was born out of sin and who apologize for its existence, who loathe Israel and its symbols, who justify harming Israel, its soldiers and all its institutions, who devote their lives and efforts towards turning Israel into a bi or multi-national country. In fact the above is inaccurate. These people are fighting for one nationality alone – Palestinian. These same people oppose communal or civil national service for Arabs within the State. They also equate Israel's actions with those of Nazi Germany.”

Read the rest!

Obama Doesn't Fool Us

Jpost reports that "Israelis not swayed by Obama":

US President Barack Obama’s efforts to reach out to the people of Israel last week – when he hosted Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu for a positive meeting at the White House and gave his first interview as president to an Israeli television station – were not very successful, according to a Smith Research poll for The Jerusalem Post.

After Obama’s earlier meetings with Netanyahu were portrayed as adversarial, Obama made a point of treating the prime minister with the utmost respect last week, accompanying him to his car and constantly commending him in particular and Israelis in general during his press conference with Netanyahu on Tuesday, and his interview with Channel 2 anchor Yonit Levy two days later.

But what was widely described as a “charm offensive” did not immediately sway many Israelis in his favor, the JPost/Smith poll indicates. There was only a 1 percentage point rise in Israelis who consider the US administration headed by Obama to be more pro-Israel than pro-Palestinian since the last such poll was taken in March.

When asked whether they saw Obama’s administration as more pro-Israel, more pro- Palestinian or neutral, just 10 percent of Israeli Jews said more pro-Israel, 46% said more pro-Palestinian, 34% said neutral and 10% did not express an opinion.

The poll of 515 Jewish Israelis, representing a statistical sample of the adult Jewish population, was taken on Monday through Wednesday and had a 4.4 percentage point margin of error.

No Mr. B.O., it has nothing to do with your middle name. It has everything to do with your dismal "Cairo Speech", with your moral equivalency, with your courting the despots.

I hope that America gets rid of you real soon!

Mourning Rav Eliyahu

The memory of the Rav, his Torah, good deeds, and piety, will last long after the mourning notices wither and fade away.