When will he return ...

“Please do your best to get me out of here, because Lebanon is no place to be, and I really want to see you all -- no one should have to remain in captivity when there are other alternatives... Yom Kippur is approaching and I will be praying together with you.... Let’s hope that He will help the leaders make the right choices. But you can also help.”
Ron Arad in a letter to his wife, Rosh Hashana 1987



"The sword is worse than death, famine is harder than the sword, captivity is worst of all..."
Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Bava Batra 8b

Happy Purim

I wonder what the Jews of Persia thought a thousand years ago when a suddenly modest queen was beheaded. Did they realize an amazing rescue operation was in the works against a sworn enemy, or did they just chalk it up to coincidence? Fast forward to today, and we have another Persian death sentence hanging over our heads. But call me an optimist, I am not in slightest bit worried. Many have tried as Mark Twain so famously pointed out, and all have failed. So, I bid all of you celebrating in the 'walled cities' Happy Purim and may we all celebrate many more happy occasions in Israel.

Why I love the Druze ...

Yup, they never cease to amaze me with their loyalty and love of Israel:

Druze, Circassian forum: Israel should remain a Jewish state
By Yoav Stern, Haaretz Correspondent

The chairman of the forum of the Druze and Circassian authority heads, Nabiah Nasser A-Din, on Thursday criticized the "multi-cultural" Israeli constitution proposed by the Israeli Arab organization Adalah, saying that he finds it unacceptable.

"The state of Israel is Jewish state as well as a democratic state that espouses equality and elections. We invalidate and reject everything that the Adalah organization is requesting," he said.

Adalah recently wrote a proposed constitution classifying the State of Israel as a "bilingual and multicultural" country rather than a Jewish state.

Adalah's proposal essentially abolishes the Jewish elements of Israel, but allows the Jewish majority to maintain its character through educational and cultural institutions.

According to Adin, head of the Kasra Adia municipality, the fate of Druze and Circassians in Israel is intertwined with that of the state. "This is a blood pact, and a pact of the living. We are unwilling to support a substantial alteration to the nature of this state, to which we tied our destinies prior to its establishment," he said.

"All the members of the forum stand behind me on this issue, but want to see full equality with the Jewish population of the state," he added. "I hope that the state of Israel will treat us differently, better than it does today."

The proposal, entitled "The Democratic Constitution," also states that Arab Knesset members will be able to bring about the disqualification of bills that impinge on the rights of Arabs, and calls for majority and minority groups to split control of the government in such a way that will strengthen the Arab minority on issues relating to the character of the state.

The following is not a knee jerk reaction, but one that was formulated after seeing their villages and befriending a Druzi guard in Arad ... The Druzi community is still not adequately taken care of by the Israeli government despite an active and positive role within our country. This needs to change - they deserve better and our government should make the necessary adjustments in the budget to start providing more support to the Druzi population in Israel.

This Date in Jewish History

15 years ago - Menachem Begin z'l, Israel's 6th Prime Minister, passed away.

One of the greatest leaders in modern Jewish history ... If only today we had him as our leader ... If only ...

Request Granted

For those of you who asked for a picture, here you go:

4th Down

February 17th marks my 4 year anniversary in Israel. So much has happened in such a short period of time that writing about it would take a few hours. So I won't bore you with the details of the two stints of reserve duty, or the two promotions at IDT, or meeting my fiancee, but instead, I'll bore you with a few stories of the days leading up to my departure from the good ole US and A.

While getting ready to leave the US, I said goodbye to almost all my good friends from high school and university. The only person whom I had not had a chance to say goodbye to was one of my closest friends from uni, Brian. While pretending to study for SOM (School of Management) tests & helping to manage the fledgling Binghamton Club Footy team during my second year in Binghamton, Brian and I had become close friends. We shared many a good times and I was rather disappointed that I wouldn't be able to say goodbye to him due to his touring of Oz & New Zealand. The second to last weekend, the Binghamton crew took me out to a bar in New York City. As I walked in, a familiar face was already there smiling. Brian had decided to cut his trip short to say goodbye to me. After my usual 'faint' antics, we spent the night talking and laughing like the good ole days. It reminds me of a quote from S.E. Hinton's That Was Then, This Is Now: "If you have two friends in your lifetime, you're lucky. If you have one good friend, you're more than lucky."

Waiting in the coffee shop in Newark with my 'rents a few hrs before my flight was due to depart for Tel Aviv was extremely difficult. Being very close to them, I knew I would miss their constant warmth, love & support. In those same moments of sadness and teary eyes however, I could see how proud they were of me. Their eldest son was following his dreams, taking a similar path they had followed as young adults, and trying to plant his roots in Israel. It was still hard to hug and then kiss them good bye. As I walked away to the entrance gate, I still remember their faces from the glances I took as I turned around ... that rare emotion of 'Happy yet Sad' etched on their faces.

Four years ... I still remember writing the entry about three years and within the blink of an eye, I'm sitting here, engaged and still happily looking forward to life in this wonderful country. Here's to writing an entry on #5!

Engagement

It doesn't happen too often when I struggle with words, but tonight is definitely one of those nights. It's not the fact that I'm on the last pages of one chapter of my life, it's just that I'm so overwhelmed emotionally by the fact that I've taken the next step with the most incredible person I've ever met (sorry Seth, you were a close second though). Words are really failing me here ... but I will say it's just an amazing feeling when you know you've met the person (Her name, if you're wondering is Talya) who will share your life and your dreams with you in the future. 30 years after my dad proposed to my mom, I accidentally (honest) chose the same day to pop the question. I hope that my marriage to Talya will be as blessed as theirs has been ...

"When you're not with me, I feel as though I'm not complete"
Albert Einstein

Highlights from the Anglo-Israel Cup

Another 'routine' save:


Goalmouth scramble:


A cheeky chip ... saved!


'The fight':


The key penalty save:

There's Only One Team in Israel

Jerusalem defeats Tel Aviv to capture first Anglo-Israel cup

TEL AVIV, Feb 11 (AP) - There were scenes of jubilation tonight at Tel Aviv's Kiryat Shalom stadium as the Jerusalem Anglo team stunned the favored Tel Aviv Anglo team in a dramatic penalty shootout to win the first ever Anglo-Israel cup. The first leg in Jerusalem had left the Tel Aviv team trailing 7-5, but a full size pitch would give the home team the chance it needed to overturn the deficit and win the cup. The game started off at a frantic pace, with Jerusalem taking an early lead through an own goal after some confusion in the Tel Aviv box. Tel Aviv picked up their game almost immediately and started dominating the play. Some fantastic defending by the defensive quartet of Dan Kosky, Seth Freedman, Ben Green & Danny Newman ensured the 3 goal cushion remained intact. However late in the first half, Tel Aviv's now famous 'Mr. Binky' scored on an easy tap in to level the scores. With the score tied 1-1 at half time, Tel Aviv would throw caution into the wind and attack Jerusalem's goal non-stop throughout the second half. The remaining 45 minutes were spent almost entirely in the Jerusalem half, and the constant pressure eventually paid off with two goals off corner kicks. A 3-1 full time score left the game tied at 8-8 on aggregate with a penalty shootout on the cards.

Tel Aviv won the coin flip and decided to kick first. Tel Aviv converted their first kick, and Jerusalem's imposing defensive midfielder, Raffy Wreschner, would tie the score by converting his kick. A mis-kick by Tel Aviv's next penalty taker would allow Jerusalem to take a lead through Danny Newman's successful spot kick. Tel Aviv's captain would then see his spot kick brilliantly saved by Avram Piha as he extended himself fully to his left to push the ball around the post. South African born striker Ari Rudolph would calmly dispose of his penalty giving the Jerusalem team a 3-1 lead. Tel Aviv would bury their next spot kick, leaving Seth Freedman, Jerusalem's bruising fullback, with the opportunity to win the cup. Freedman duly obliged and turned out to celebrate with his on-rushing teammates. Jersualem had overcome the odds to win the first ever Anglo-Israel Cup. Jerusalem's captain, Dan Kosky, accepted the trophy and cheekily commented, "There's only one team in Israel."

After the game, we caught up with the penalty shootout heroes. When questioned about his heroics, Freedman commented about the lack of respect shown to his team, "Binky fears Iran will hit, but he should have worried about Jerusalem because we hit much harder." Piha, who made some difficult saves throughout the match, expressed his delight in lifting the trophy, "The lads did brilliantly. All credit to this fantastic team and we look forward to re-claiming our trophy again come next year." With that, they were off to the locker rooms to celebrate with their teammates. Quite a wonderful night for the football and Jerusalem in particular, a city that in less than 4 days, has captured two major sporting trophies.

Below is exclusive footage of the winning kick by the aforementioned Freedman:



The winning 11:

Ode to the Engineer

It has Begun.

One of the lead headlines in Haaretz today read as follows:

A senior nuclear physicist involved in Iran's nuclear program who died under mysterious circumstances two weeks ago was killed by the Mossad, according to a report released in a U.S. website this weekend.

For more, click here.

Many will remember that as Israel prepared his daring strike on Osirak in 1981, the Mossad started assassinating Iraqi physicists. Is this the start of Israel's assault on Iran? Only time will tell ...

Hall of Fame Material

Michael Irvin left but one question unanswered when a cervical spine injury ended his playing career in 1999: Would his tremendous numbers be enough to overshadow his off the field problems and allow him deserved entry into the Hall of Fame?

Well today, after being deprived of the honor in 2005 and 2006, Irvin was rightly voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Under the tutelage of Jimmy Johnson, Irvin became of one of college football's most dominating WRs. His rare combination of size, speed and strength allowed him to set Miami school records in career receptions, receiving yards and TD receptions. After a dominating college career, Irvin was drafted 11th overall by the Dallas Cowboys, and within a year, would again be coached by Jimmy Johnson. After two injury plagued seasons in 1989 & 1990, Irvin announced his arrival to the NFL with 93 receptions (a Cowboys record) and a league leading 1,523 receiving yards. Irvin's performances, along with those of QB Troy Aikman, RB Emmit Smith and an extremely talented Dallas Cowboys team, led to three Super Bowl victories in four years (A record recently equalled by the New England Patriots). Irvin would retire in 1999 after setting numerous Cowboys & NFL records:

• 750 Receptions (Leads Cowboys, 10th All time)
• 11,904 Receiving yards (Leads Cowboys, 9th All time)
• 65 Receiving TDs (Leads Cowboys)
• 47 Career 100 Yds Receiving games (Leads Cowboys, 3rd All time)
• Leads Cowboys and 2nd all time in postseason receptions (87), receiving yards (1315) and 100 Yds Receiving games.
• Picked for the NFL's all-decade team of the 1990s and 5 Pro-Bowls
  

Irvin's off the field problems tarnished his image around the league. In 1996, Irvin pleaded no-contest to cocaine charges and was suspended for the first 5 games of the following NFL season. He was also falsely accused of sexually assaulting a woman, which bought along more negative media coverage to Irvin and the organization. Despite all these altercations, Irvin still remained the unquestionable leader of one of history's most dominant teams, displaying the passion and emotion that carried the franchise throughout the 1990s.

Michael Irvin will now take his place amongst history's greatest, a place where he belongs. Congrats to the Playmaker.

Time to Act

Below is the petition I have written, with the guidance of two friends, which lays the reasons why Ehud Olmert needs to resign from his position as Prime Minister of the State of Israel. Please pass the link onwards - we must act now. This man is not fit to lead this country - it's time to make our voice heard. Let's change the future of this country NOW.

To: Prime Minister of Israel, Ehud Olmert

Dear Prime Minister:

After the mishandling of the Second Lebanon War, the non-stop flow of contradicting statements on various State matters & the pending criminal investigation against you, we the Undersigned, from Israel and all parts of the concerned international community, call on you to resign your position as the Prime Minister of the State of Israel.

Before the start of the Second Lebanon War, you made a passionate speech in the Knesset where you laid out the goals for the war:

“On the Palestinian front, we will conduct a relentless battle until terror ceases, Gilad Shalit is returned home safely and the shooting of Qassam missiles stops … We will do everything and make every effort to bring them home … We will defend all of them, on behalf of all of them we will fight, and with all of them before our eyes – the civilians in the line of fire, the kidnapped fighters and their families – we will continue, without hesitating, without capitulating and without fear, until our goals are achieved.”

There is no need to even dissect the ineptitude your government showed during the war as not one of your stated goals was achieved. The bottom line is your leadership failed miserably. Three Israeli soldiers are still in enemy hands, and the citizens of Sderot and other southern cities are still being traumatized by daily Qassam rocket fire. The responsibility for the war’s failure is yours, as is the failure to push for the complete implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701. It has been over five months since the war ended, and the unconditional release of the abducted Israeli soldiers, as stated in the resolution, has yet to occur. As the leader of this country, that should be one of your main goals and yet you have not mentioned it directly at all while on any of your trips abroad. Have you forgotten which people you represent?.

Your leadership must also be called into question as you are continually making statements and then contradicting yourself shortly thereafter. Your unilateral ‘Realignment Plan’ was the major policy you wanted to push while in office, and yet only recently, you told the Chinese news agency Xinhua, "Under the existing circumstances, it would be more practical to achieve a two-state solution through negotiations rather than [unilateral] withdrawal." When Syria offered to discuss a peace treaty with Israel without any preconditions, you quickly stated, “Now isn’t the time to starts talks with Syria.” Yet a few days later, most newspapers came out with a story where you proclaimed, “I hope we will be able to arrive at dialogue with Syria.” A leader cannot be swayed back and forth. Doing that only shows how unsure you are of how to lead this country and what in fact is good for her.

On January 12th, Haaretz reported that the Justice Ministry was expected to announce the opening of a criminal investigation against you, mainly focusing on the state's sale of a controlling interest in Bank Leumi. Only five days later, Yaron Zelekha, the Finance Ministry's accountant general, commented that Israel is the most corrupt country in the West. This corruption, which has now become the ‘norm’ in the Israeli government, starts with you Mr. Olmert.

Besides the aforementioned failings, your actions are unbecoming of the Prime Minister of Israel. You are embarrassing the public, and lowering our faith in our country’s government bodies and the Israeli Defense Forces.

Please, for the sake of this wonderful country which you claim to love, step down. You were given a chance to push Israel forward after the difficulties of the disengagement, and you’ve failed miserably on every level. The future of this nation still glows brightly – please don’t dim it any further with your deficiencies as a leader.

Sincerely,
Your Name

Please pass this along - Make your voice heard.

Super Bowl Champion to Dad's Champion

A really moving piece about Alan Veingrad's, a former Super Bowl winning offensive lineman, spiritual journey. A good read from aish.com:

In 1992, Alan Veingrad, former offensive lineman for the Dallas Cowboys, made all the right moves to protect the quarterback and ward off the other team's advances, helping to secure his team a Super Bowl victory. Today, he's taken that same sense of discipline and strength of will to focus his sights on what he considers a significantly more meaningful "end zone" - observant Judaism.

Born in Brooklyn and raised in Elizabeth, NJ and Miami, FL, Mr. Veingrad says he grew up like most Jews in America -- with a "very secular" background. "We lit candles Friday night and got together with family on Chanukah and holidays," he says. "The focus was mainly on the chicken soup, kugel and latkes." In order to ready their son for the required bar mitzvah celebration, his parents insisted on Hebrew school. "I just didn't connect," he remembers. "After my parents dropped me off, I'd walk in the building and go out the back door. I spent the time throwing stones into a lake."

By 14, he had fulfilled his Hebrew school obligation and devoted his free time to "hanging around with the wrong crowd." He noticed that his older brother, Steve, chose a different route, participating in football, wrestling, basketball, and the track team. "I realized I would get into trouble if I didn't start getting involved in after school activities," he says. Well aware of his then skinny frame, Veingrad promptly approached the school's training coach and asked him to instruct him in weightlifting. Soon thereafter, he went out for the high school football team.

One day, during track & field (discus) practice, Veingrad sensed a compelling need to flex his long atrophied spiritual muscles. "I was starving for inspiration," says Mr. Veingrad. "I sought motivation from tapes and books on winning, to find out how to improve myself, not only as a player, but as a person." That desire would follow him throughout his accomplished football career.

Veingrad went on to attend East Texas State University in Commerce, TX, with classmates hailing from the Bible Belt states -- leaving Veingrad the lone Jew on campus. "Most of my teammates had never met a Jew before," he says. "What little they knew they heard at home and in the movies." When he entered professional football, his teammates came to him with questions around the holiday time. "They asked me why Jews celebrate eight days of Chanukah and told me they read that Jews fast on a particular day and could I tell them why." Because of his limited background, he found himself hard-pressed to answer their inquiries. Throughout all the attempts at proselytizing and pre-game team prayer meetings, he never lost his sense of who he was and wanted to be. "I would say my own silent prayer," says Veingrad. "A Jewish prayer."

After he completed his undergraduate degree, the Green Bay Packers signed him on as a free agent. Upon hearing of the team's solitary Jewish Packer, a family in the Wisconsin Jewish community reached out to Veingrad. "I found a note in my locker that instructed me to phone Lou Weinstein, who turned out to be a local Jewish businessman calling to congratulate me for making the team and to ask if there was anything he could do to help me." The Weinsteins welcomed Veingrad into their home and brought him to their shul for Rosh Hashana. "When I heard the Torah, it connected to something inside me," he says. "Those experiences sustained me during my years with the Packers."

Over his seven professional ball-playing years, aside from some locker room ribbing, Veingrad says he rarely encountered overt anti-Semitism. However, he remembers one disturbing incident. A teammate informed him that he thought all stereotypes were based on truth. Veingrad asked him what he meant. "He said that Jews were cheap," recalls Veingrad. "I told him I'm a Jew so he's calling me cheap, when he knows I always pay my share. I didn't have a good answer for him. But, I do today. Jews are the biggest charity givers in the world. President George Bush recently told an audience from the Republican Jewish Coalition that American Jews single handedly saved the people hit hard by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans -- with all the money that poured in and the rabbis that came through in the crisis. When I speak around the country, I always talk about this [misconception]."

Prejudice never showed its face with the NFL's professional management. "The ownership and coaches don't care where you're from, what college you went to, or what religion or color you are," says Veingrad. "They only care about three hours on Sunday; that you perform on a level that helps the team win. I never experienced anything other than [the expectation to] work hard. I had to prove myself every single day."

After many months of relentless practice, pressure, meetings, and media exposure, winning the Super Bowl gave Veingrad and his teammates a hard-earned sense of relief. And the end-of-the-season team party offered them an appropriate forum for exuberant congratulations between team members, family and friends. Once the exultation wound down, Veingrad left the party and caught a flight home out of Los Angeles -- to start preparing for the rest of his life.

In 1993, a year into retirement from professional sports, he married and started a family. The Veingrads settled in the Fort Lauderdale section of Florida and soon welcomed Jeri Lauren, their first child, into their lives. "As we are her link to the Jewish past, she is our link to the Jewish future," wrote Veingrad about this joyous event, in a 1995 piece for The New York Times in a piece called, "What Being Jewish Means to Me." The local rabbis fortified that link with Shabbat meal invitations. Once again, the exalted Shabbat atmosphere and inspiring Torah discussions whet his yearnings for a more Jewish life.

Veingrad warily observed how many retired professional athletes fell into debilitating depressions. "All of a sudden they don't know what to do with themselves," he says. "I didn't prepare myself for life after football and went through four years of a difficult transition. One has a lot of energy as an athlete -- going from workout to a game to a practice to a meeting; he's in constant motion. When I stopped playing, I had all this downtime." He says he filled it with golf, fishing, and dabbling in real estate. On the golf course, he met up with a fellow ex-NFLer, Bernie Kosar, a former high-profile quarterback, who offered him a position as sales vice-president in a cooperate company that out-sources customer care. "I immersed myself in the industry," says Veingrad. "I learned the business; doing lots of traveling, preparation and attending meetings." Yet, a familiar internal nudge prompted him to seek out the true, deeper meaning to life.

His cousin and personal radiologist, Dr. Jonathan Rubin, who examined Veingrad's x-rays after each football injury, facilitated that goal with a friendly invitation to an "authentic Shabbat meal" at his Miami Beach home. "He showed me the power of reaching out to a Jew," says Veingrad. "My cousin asked me: 'Alan, will you come to my house for a Shabbos?' And I accepted. Then during the meal he asked me; "Alan, would you go to a Torah class?' I said okay, I'll go to one."

He informed Veingrad of a class given by a "traveling rabbi" who made a regular stop in his neighborhood. He attended the class and found the rabbi's topic particularly inspiring. "He spoke about envy and materialism," recounts Veingrad. "When I lived and breathed football, the guys made lots of money; I didn't relate to that aspect. I owned a pickup truck and lived in a one-bedroom apartment. It wasn't until after I retired that I lived around people who owned huge homes [and whose lives revolved around] vacations, boats, golfing, sports cars. I didn't like it. I realized I couldn't live in an environment in which everyone was a slave to materialism." He sees it as no coincidence that his first Torah class spoke directly to his core beliefs and gave him fuel to take him to the next spiritual step.

The Shabbat experiences and a telling article solidified some consequential decisions concerning Veingrad's life direction. He noticed a piece in The Fort Worth Star Telegram depicting the former NFL lineman's current milieu. "It spoke of my 'busy lifestyle' of kayaking, martial arts, biking, landscaping, and skateboarding with my children," he says. "I read it and thought: 'Something's missing.'" He decided to hold a family discussion about how they would be making some changes in their weekly routine together. "This Friday night, we are going to shul," he began. "And we are going to have Shabbat meals. My family was right behind me."

Veingrad's speaking engagements allow his family to experience Shabbat in communities around the country. When his daughter, Jeri, is asked if she misses the other life, she responds with a self-assured, "Not at all." Veingrad sees Shabbat as 25 precious hours to recharge. "We are pounded six days a week with email and cell phones. Shabbos is so important. I encourage people, who sit at home on Friday night, with the TV, to give themselves a chance to do a real Shabbos in a rabbi's home and compare the two experiences. I assure you they are going to change their lives."

His cousin continues to assist him in his quest to grow in Judaism by offering to learn with him. "He bought me a book and we learn every day," says Veingrad. "This is a very busy doctor with a family, who calls me from the hospital [during a free moment in his hectic workday] and asks me if I have five minutes. Then he says: 'Turn to page...and start reading."

The Veingard children, Jeri, Brooke, and Ryan, currently attend the Hebrew Academy Community School in Margate, FL and continue to admire their foremost mentor, their father. "My children watch me as I go to a corner of the house and quietly put on my tefillin," says Veingrad. "When I announce that it's time to go to shul, they wait at the door. They all feel this is a better life. I had a nice house one half-mile from the beach; I had all these things and didn't feel my life had much meaning. Living a Jewish life has so much more meaning. No one can argue with me; I've lived both lives."

His parents had only positive things to say about their son's turnaround. "Before he passed away, my father called and told me that he's prouder of me with the yarmulke on my head than with a Dallas Cowboy or Green Bay Packer helmet," says Veingrad. "This is a Jew who went to shul [a total of] ten times, all within the last year of his life, because I dragged him with me. He saw what it did for my family." When the Veingrads visit his mother, she gladly accommodates their kosher needs. His older brother, Steve, whose powerful example motivated Veingrad to pursue more productive after school activities back in junior high, is currently reaping the rewards for his favorable influence. He attends local Shabbatonim with his younger brother and has heard him speak. "He told me just a few months ago: 'I was never proud of being Jewish, but I am now.'"

Although Veingrad and his son participate in recreational sports, he doesn't encourage him to follow in his father's cleat-steps. "It is better to learn the Torah, to make something of oneself; not by using one's body," he says. "As a professional player, the body gets pounded. I can still feel its effects."

Veingrad readily admits that he developed his keen discipline and focus from his football days and applies it to Judaism. "Some of the rabbis laugh because I have to get to shul before they start, with tallis and tefillin on, ready to go" says Veingrad. "When Jimmy Johnson, the great football coach, called a meeting at 7:00 a.m., if someone walked in late, he would look at him and say: 'Is there something more important in your life than preparation for a football game? If one takes those extra minutes to prepare oneself, it gives a greater lift to one's davening."

According to Veingrad, when Jews, resistant to becoming more involved in their Judaism, hear his story, they surmise that he was able to change his life around because professional football players can more facilely go from 0 - 60. "I'm not suggesting that everyone should grow as quickly as I did," he says. "I felt this is what I wanted to do. I liked the way the waters felt, so I jumped in with both feet. I didn't like being in that in- between space of okay this week we'll go to shul and next week to Disney World."

In 2004, an Israeli friend from Veingrad's shul approached him and stated: "You're going to go to Israel with me this May." Before boarding the plane, Veingrad placed a yarmulke on his head. While in Israel, he bought tzitzit and davened three times a day. "I was a sponge," he says. "And I was growing." On the way back to Florida, the former football pro found himself tackling an unexpected dilemma. "I've got this yarmulke and tzitzit on me," he thought. "What am I going to do once I get back to the US?" For a few weeks, he tucked the tzitzit in and wore a hat. Feeling increasingly uneasy with that solution, he removed the hat and put his yarmulke back on. It hasn't come off since. "I said: 'This is it! This is who I am.'"

After that long-ago Super Bowl victory party, Alan "Shlomo" Veingrad knew he needed to return home to prepare for the rest of his life. And he did.

Brothers in Arms

In dedication to our great army, whose soldiers risks their lives on a daily basis to protect the civilians of Israel, here is a nice clip I found on YouTube. They are often slandered, even by their own, but nonetheless continue to do their job with the courage and devotion to the mission at hand.

Dissecting Warrior

Although I'm only up to 1965 in Ariel 'Arik' Sharon's autobiography, Warrior, the book has already given me such a different understanding of one of Israel's most controversial military and political leaders. From his tough upbringing in Kfar Malal to his rise in the Haganah and the IDF, David Chanoff narrates a fast paced book with Sharon's in-depth descriptions of some of the major battles and operations that shaped Israel's struggle to survive. I have found that as I progressed through the book, I have come to respect Sharon more and more but at the same time, it has also left me with many questions regarding the Sharon that led Israel over the last few years.


The book's first few chapters detail Sharon's upbringing in Kfar Malal, a small moshav near the modern cities of Kfar Saba and Ra'anana. The hardships he talks about are the 'usual' ones we read about from this era - difficulty with cultivating the land and the increasingly violent relationship with the Arabs. However, Sharon focuses more on how his father was always an outcast for try ing to grow new vegetables and fruits on his patch of land. Despite constant objections from the moshav, Samuil Sharon continued to follow his ideas and develop fruits, which nowadays are grown throughout Israel. Easy to see where Arik's ability to always stay true to his beliefs (be it the settlements or the disengagement) comes from. Sharon also candidly opens up about his relationship with Gali, the woman that would become his first wife and would tragically pass away in a car accident within five years of giving birth to Gur, their first son. Reading these chapters is always 'difficult' as the Israel Sharon describes is the Israel I would have loved to be a part of - a young, passionate, hard working and ideological people building a country from scratch.

From the moment Sharon turns 17, the book starts following Sharon's rise in the Haganah, his commanding of Unit 101 and his leading of the Paratroopers, who were responsible for every mission in those years. A few interesting things that are worth mentioning involve the Palmach and Latrun.

• The Palmach was the premier force within the Hagnah and Sharon never even attempted to enlist with them. His reasoning was his father, who begged him to never join any group that betrays the Jewish people, as the Palmach did so proudly during The Season (handing over Irgun and Lechi fighters to the British).


• The battle for Latrun was the most costly of all the battles fought during the 1948 Independence Day War. Sharon's unit was amongst those who were decimated during one of the numerous attacks launched on the Jordanian held fort. Sharon's unit was left alone, while other retreated, due to lack of communication between the units and the commanding officers (who were not on the battle field). With the help of others, the seriously injured Sharon managed to retreat with all his injured troops and the dead. Mostly due to his event, Sharon would stress, and rightly so, throughout his army career that the single most important element of the army is to never leave any soldiers behind. Any soldier who thinks for a second that he might be left behind during battle will not fight with his maximum abilities.

The above points raised difficult questions for me. If Sharon wouldn't join the Palmach due to his father's advice, why then when he decided on the disengagement did he not make the adjustment to life out of Gaza easier on the evicted? The harsh realities they're facing now have left many feeling as if they were betrayed by their government. What changed in Sharon that allowed him to at least not ensure that once their towns were destroyed, those that were moved would have a good opportunity to try and rebuild their lives wherever they were moved to? The next few questions have been bothering me for years. When 3 soldiers were kidnapped and killed by Hezbollah in 2000, why did Sharon not command the army to launch an operation to retrieve their bodies? Why did Sharon not take a document signed by 112 MKs (members of the Israeli Parliament) to George Bush asking for the release of Jonathan Jay Pollard? There are many more questions likes these that a man who stressed that 'a soldier should never be left behind' should have never left unanswered (perhaps they will be answered later on in the book)

As I've only reached 1965, I really cannot comment on other interesting aspects of Sharon's life. I'm looking forward to reading his take on the Six Day war, the Yom Kippur war (which Sharon is credited for turning around with his remarkable demolition of the Egyptian army) and the Sabra & Chatilla massacre (which Sharon has been blamed for till this very day). Until then, I will leave you with one quote that has struck out to me from the book. On his deathbed, Samuil Sharon told his 28 year old son, "It's a pity I'm going to die. You still need my help in so many ways." Sharon comments on his disbelief at the statement, and how later on in his life, he realized how right his father was. It's quite a simple lesson for all of us to really learn. Our parents are a fantastic source of information and understand us far better than most. We should take advantage of that while we have the chance ...

The End of Borat

After the incredible success of Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, Sacha Baron Cohen has decided to end the career of the fictional Kazakh report, Borat. Due to the movie's success worldwide, Cohen acknowledges that it would be "impossible to do Borat again." With his fame reaching such high levels, it seems that it would be highly unlikely for Borat to ever do something unscripted again. So unfortunately, it seems to be the right time to end one of the funniest characters I've ever seen ...

This is one of my favorite Borat moments:



Jak sie masz? My name-a Borat. I like you. Chenkwee!

Well I'll be 'Dan'ned

The aftermath of the Yom Kippur war (1973) forever changed Israel. Despite winning the war, the Israeli public had its self confidence severely shaken by an army that did not seem prepared for the war. With over 2000 dead and 4000 injured, there was major doubt cast upon the competence of the Labor elite, who had been ruling the country since 1948. Although the public was especially critical of defense minister Moshe Dayan, the Agranat Commission wrongly laid the blame on IDF Chief of Staff David 'Dado' Elazar's shoulders. This despite the fact that prime minister Golda Meir was warned by army intelligence of a potential strike, as well as also receiving a 'delivered in person' warning from King Hussein of Jordan days before the war. Golda Meir, who actually accepted full responsibility for the debacle (In her autobiography, Meir expresses extreme remorse for not authorizing a preemptive strike similar to that of 1967), would resign the next year and within a few years, Israel's political establishment would forever change with the Likud's Menachem Begin being elected as prime minister.

Fast forward to July/August 2006 and Israel is embroiled in a month long war with Hezbollah. Despite Ehud Olmert outlining the goals of the war as being the return of the kidnapped soldiers (2 from Lebanon and 1 from Gaza) and the ending of Quassam rockets from Gaza, neither target is achieved. The Israeli public again loses faith with its army and government. The government-appointed Winograd committee is set up to determine responsibility for the wartime debacle. And that brings us to today, where the headlines this morning finally read, 'IDF Chief of Staff Dan Halutz announces his resignation.' It's not that I'm happy, but I'm relieved that someone is finally accepting responsibility for the pathetic way our country was run during the war. This however, should only be the first stage of what needs to be a major shake up for this country.

Dan Halutz was the first pilot and non infantry soldier to be given the honor of being Chief of Staff. He was appointed by Ariel Sharon to replace Moshe 'Bugi' Yaalon, who was fired for rightly speaking out against the disengagement. It seemed to many that Sharon's reasoning for picking this decorated pilot were more due to political considerations than military ones. Halutz supported the disengagement and never spoke against it, despite the army's warnings of what would happen if we were to leave Gaza in the planned manner. In 2 years, he did little to improve the army and when confronted with the major challenge of war, it seems that he had no clear objective to help achieve the stated goals of the war. In his letter of resignation to Olmert, Halutz wrote:

"For me, the word responsibility has great meaning. My view of responsibility is what led me to remain in my post until this time and to place this letter on your desk today...Since the echoes of battle ceased, I decided to act responsibly according to the best traditions and values from home and from my service in the IDF. I feel proud that I completed what I set out to do. After these thorough processes, I am sure the IDF will be ready to meet the challenges ahead."

Exactly what he's proud of, I don't know. I just hope that a strong candidate replaces him who can reinvigorate our army, and prepare her for any potential future challenges that lie ahead of her. Halutz has made the right decision, and for the sake of the country, I hope Olmert and defense minister Amir Peretz follow in his footsteps ...

... and on the Bus

The first bus I take to work is the #7, which is usually packed. Today was no different. However, half way though the journey, a seat became available. As I saw an elderly looking man standing, I tapped him on his shoulder and offered him the seat. Smiling, he refused the offer and said, "I am not old, I am just an adult." As we started chatting, he continued to explain why he preferred to remain standing, "I sit all day, so why not enjoy some time to stand up?" As he prepared to get off the bus, he told me his age ... 80 years young. Impressed to say the least, I thought to myself that if I get to that age, I hope to have that same positive attitude that he displayed in the brief few minutes our paths crossed ...

That's Life

Flip Flopping, IDF & other thoughts

Gone are the days when I can use the word ‘surprised’ for anything Ehud Olmert, our bumbling Prime Minister, says. Olmert, whose disgraceful handling of the Lebanon war forced him to ditch his Realignment plan, has now stated that he thinks the Disengagement and withdrawal from Lebanon were failures:

A year ago, I believed that we would be able to do this unilaterally. However, it should be said that our experience in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip is not encouraging. We pulled out of Lebanon unilaterally, and see what happened. We pulled out of the Gaza Strip completely, to the international border, and every day they are firing Qassam rockets at Israelis.

If only Arik (and his chief backer, Olmert) had listened to the host of army and security officials who warned of the impending dangers of 2005's disengagement. Everyone saw what had happened with the potent guerrilla force on our northern border, why on earth would anyone want to create that on our southern borders? Sadly, it took two kidnappings and a ‘war’ to convince Olmert that unilateral moves are bad.

I sometimes get so frustrated with the stupidity of our elected officials. It was so obvious the disengagement would backfire – and both societies are still feeling the after effects of the catastrophic move. The Palestinian society rewarded us by electing Hamas to run their government, and besides the difficulties that that has provided for their society with the international community, it’s also put them on the verge of a civil war. Our society has suffered too. The faith in the government is at an all time low, and to make matters worse, the number of teens receiving draft deferments on the grounds of being full time yeshiva students has risen steeply.

It’s a very difficult situation religious Zionist youth find themselves in. As Eran Sternberg puts it, "This is a natural response for many young people who, on one hand, were raised to love the army, but on the other, are really horrified by what the IDF has become.” The disengagement has pushed away one of the most important contributors to our army. I am really unsure how to react to the news. On one hand, it is very disappointing and to a degree, infuriating. It is an honor and privilege to defend and serve this country and people shouldn’t find ways out of it. But on the other hand, I understand the move. It was an emotional blow for many people who lived the event, and their only reaction was to turn their back on the medium that caused the pain. Only time will tell how long this phenomenon lasts – but I’m hoping it’s short lived.

Quick Points:

* Ehud Barak will be in the running to be the head of Labor again. I’ve long said that I would seriously consider voting for this man if he was one of the candidates for Prime Minister. I sincerely believe he learned his lessons from Camp David (2000) and this country needs a leader with a strong military background to direct the next few years. I highly doubt there's anyone in the political scene with a background that can rival the former Chief of Staff and commander of Sayeret Matkal.

* Nigerian born Mushi Salem Jawher, the Bahraini citizen who won last week’s Tiberias Marathon, has had his Bahraini citizenship revoked. Jawher, the first athlete from an Arab country to compete in an Israeli marathon, was quoted as saying he was "’very proud’ to have run in Israel”. Is it really surprising that Bahrain's Athletic Union "deeply regrets what the athlete has done”? I mean just think of the crime he just committed! He did after all participate in a race in Israel. He got off rather lightly I might add too!

* In Bolton’s 4-0 demolition over Doncaster on Saturday in the FA Cup 3rd round, Iranian Andranik Teymourian and Israeli Idan Tal scored their first goals for the club (Teymourian bagged a brace). I wonder if any punishment awaits Tevmourian for congratulating and hugging Tal, a citizen of the Zionist entity, after his goals?

Ok I was wrong ...

Iran is actually doing it for peaceful purposes ... Arf!

'We' call it Sylvester

Although the day is just 'another day' here in Israel, people do get excited for it. However, instead of calling it New Years, it is commonly referred to as 'Sylvester'. Interestingly enough however, most people have no clue as to how the day (or event) acquired this name. Well, I decided to do some research on the name, and let's say, I'm slightly surprised at what I found out. The day is actually named after Pope Saint Sylvester I, a rabid anti-semite who labeled us Jews 'a perverse, dangerous and criminal sect'. Furthermore, Sylvester convinced Constantine, the Roman Emperor at the time, to prohibit Jews from living in Jerusalem. Wonderful ... Only in Israel, eh?

Coming soon to the world's only Jewish state, a day named after Pope Pius XII, the Nazi sympathizing pope.

Protocols of the Elders of Zion ... Explored

chilling documentary about the rise of Anti-Semitism since 9/11.

Presenting ... Pallywood

Pallywood, "According to Palestinian Sources..." - A film by Richard Landes. International news media extract a few convincing instants of staged scenes and present them as news...

Time to Bring him Back Home

To: Dr. Bashar al-Assad, President of Syria

Eli Cohen was tortured, tried and convicted as a Mossad Agent by the Syrian Military Court, without legal representation, despite the intervention and protests of the international community. He was hanged in Syria on May 15, 1965.

For 38 years the Cohen Family has been waiting and suffering, unable to visit Eli's graveside nor pay their last respects, as his body remains imprisoned somewhere within Syria. To this date, no last rites have been performed for Eli Cohen after his death, a right that every human being deserves.

We, the undersigned voices from all nations, without distinction of race or beliefs: religious or secular, beseech you to rectify this tragedy. Return the remains of Eli Cohen to his family in Israel for proper burial. This would be a humanitarian gesture of good will, understanding, and another step towards world peace on behalf of Syria.

Sincerely,

Your Name



The creater of this petition, Maurice Cohen (Eli's brother), passed away in his sleep on Saturday Dec. 1, 2006. May his memory be blessed.

Here we go again

Yesterday’s proceedings in Somalia have yet again stressed how close the world is to World War 3. After Somalia’s Council of Islamic Courts declared holy war on Ethiopia, Ethiopian fighter jets bombed various targets in Mogadishu, Somalia’s capital. Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi explained his country’s act of self defense:

Our defense force has been forced to enter a war to defend against the attacks from extremists and anti-Ethiopian forces and to protect the sovereignty of the land. Our intention is to win this war as soon as possible.

Radical Islam is declaring war on another nation that refuses to adhere to their beliefs. Ethiopia is taking a bold stand against an Al-Qaida backed militia, and hopefully, they’ll manage to destroy the threat in its entirety. I just hope that the world's leaders don’t continue to try and fool themselves; these events will continue to rear their ugly heads across the world and when they do, the destruction of the groups that perpetrate them is a necessity.

In other news, Egyptian legal authorities have basically threatened “to make non-citizens of an entire religious community [Bahai], solely on the basis of religious belief.” Judge Saved Nofal explains why this faith is a problem:

The constitution promotes freedom of belief for the three recognized heavenly religions and they are Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. As for the Bahais, Islamic jurists have all agreed that the Bahai faith is not one of the three recognized religions. Those who belong to this religion are apostates of Islam, because the faith's principles contradict the Islamic religion and all other religions.

Not that I’m surprised, but the world should be considering Egypt is a moderate Islamic nation. Oh well, 2000 Bahais are now “unable to receive national identification cards without writing that they belong to one of three religions recognized by the Interior Ministry: Islam, Christianity and Judaism. Without such documentation, they cannot register births or receive essential government services such as health and education. Additionally, they cannot apply for jobs, buy property, open bank accounts, or register their children in school.” Very moderate indeed ...

Look no further than Jerusalem

Yossi Mizrachi, Beitar Jerusalem's current head coach, was quoted as saying this morning that Beitar is in need of a high quality forward. Despite the inability of the past 3 striking purchases (David Agnazo, Christian Fabiani & Joano Pinto) to acclimitize to the Israeli league, Mizrachi still feels it's best to find a solution abroad. After a short scouting trip to see Santiago Solari's brother in Cyprus, Mizrachi is on his way to England to watch Coventry's Stern John. Nothing against either player, but Mizrachi just needs to open his eyes to the current team in order to find a solution.

Mizrachi currently has two of the best young strikers in Israel in Amit Ben-Shushan and Toto Tammuz. Both strikers, who are fixtures in the international set up after starring roles in the u21's victory over France, are finding it hard to get on the pitch consistently. While Ben-Shushan (1 goal, 4 assists) has been firmly entrenched on the bench all season long, Tammuz (4 goals) has actually recently been starting games. It's rather disappointing that they are not on the pitch together more often. Ben-Shushan is a gifted dribbler, who has a knack of scoring important goals and creating them too. Tammuz is a stronger, faster version of Yakubu, a Nigerian born striker who dominated with Maccabi Haifa before becoming a fixture with two English premier league teams (Portsmouth & Middlesbrough) and the Nigerian national team. Both boys need to be on the pitch now, where they can grow as players in a potentially lethal partnership. Mizrachi, by ignoring their talents and looking elsewhere for striking talent, is doing a disservice to Beitar and the future of Israeli football.

A Classic from Sanremo '83

One of my favorites: Toto Cutugno's L'Italiano ... Enjoy.

A Syrian Engagement?

The more time one spends in this region, the more one is perplexed by the weekly happenings. Take for example this past week’s interactions with Syria. The week begun with Syrian President Bashar Assad making overtures that he was ready for a peace treaty with Israel, this despite his country’s obvious involvement with Hezbollah, Hamas, the instability in Lebanon and Iran. Considering the amount of comments Assad directed at Israel after the Lebanon debacle about a possible confrontation with us, I wasn’t taking him so seriously. However, then some high ranking Syrian official said there were no preconditions to start the talks, which is odd considering the Syrians always demand the Golan as a ‘starter’ for talks. It’s going be a tough call for a nation which claims not to negotiate under fire, which it will be considering Syria’s active sponsoring of terror. However, going by Olmert’s recent comments of not responding to Syrian’s overtures due to American opposition, I doubt we’ll be seeing negotiations any time soon.

Olmert has yet again disappointed. Instead of acting like the leader of an independent nation, his comments make it seem as if America dictates all that we do. Olmert should have said something along the lines of: ‘If Assad is willing to stop instigating terrorism, I would be willing to discuss a potential treaty with Syria.” Don’t get me wrong. I’m not supporting peace talks with Syria (not yet at least), especially not when Mossad chief Meir Dagan recently said that Syria is “’more prepared than ever before’ to take military action against Israel,” but we must at least try to see if Assad is being serious. We shouldn’t be guilty of, as Abban Eban put it with regards to our neighbors, missing an opportunity to miss an opportunity for peace. Let’s put the ball back in Assad’s court, let’s see if he’s serious. If he’s doing it because of international pressure or because of some master plan, he’ll be found out rather quickly I assume. If he’s being serious, Israel should immediately ask for Eli Cohen’s bones as a showing of good will and start discussing a way of making our North Western border peaceful. Let’s call Assad on his proposal – bluff or not, we have nothing to lose.

On another note, for an interesting take on the Holocaust Conference in Iran, read Rachel Talshir’s ‘And Thanks to Ahmadinejad.’ Didn’t really LIKE the ending, but all in all, a solid editorial.

Have a Good One!

Chag Chaunkah (or however you spell it!) Sameach to all of you ...

Here are Adam Sandler's famous Chanukah Songs:

Part 1:



Part 2:

All the links to the song are no longer working. Apologies!

Part 3:

Satmars ... Thank You

from Haaretz.com:

Satmars: Jews at Iran Holocaust conference 'reckless outcasts'
By Shlomo Shamir , Haaretz Correspondent, and The Associated Press

NEW YORK - A half-dozen Neturei Karta followers who attended a Holocaust denial conference in Iran have come under intense criticism over the visit, with one of the world's largest Hasidic groups denouncing them as "reckless outcasts."

The Jews who went to Iran "trampled on the memory of their ancestors and people. They embraced the disciplines and followers of their murderers," said a statement from the Satmar leaders of Congregation Yetev Lev in Brooklyn.

The Jews who attended the conference are often confused with the Satmars, who also are anti-Zionist but acknowledge that 6 million Jews died in the Holocaust. Aside from their shared anti-Zionism, Neturei Karta followers and the Satmars both wear long, dark coats and wide-brimmed hats, and have beards and sidelocks.

The Satmars say there is no connection between them and Neturei Karta, a group that sent six delegates to the conference under the banner "Jews United Against Zionism."

They were led by a rabbi from the New York area, Yisroel Dovid Weiss. He said that while his group does not entirely deny the killing of Jews in World War II, the figures for how many people who died in the Holocaust are exaggerated. He said that "Zionists are using the Holocaust to brazenly and offensively oppress a people."

The Satmars from Congregation Yetev Lev responded, in their statement, that "the unavenged blood of the millions of Jewish victims cries out in pain and abhorrence, to these reckless outcasts, 'How can you sink so low?'"

The position of the Jewish delegates, the Satmars said, "is contrary to the teachings of our venerated Grand Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum, the founder and leader of the Satmar movement."

The Satmars, who claim about 100,000 followers worldwide, were founded by the Hungarian-born Teitelbaum, who died in New York in 1979. He was succeeded by his nephew, Moses Teitelbaum, who died last April.

Teitelbaum laid out the anti-Zionist doctrine that forbids Jews from creating a Jewish state until the Messiah comes and leads them to the promised land.

Hamodia, an English-language Orthodox Jewish daily in New York that is not affiliated with either the Satmars or Neturei Karta, published an editorial this week that said: "While we are speaking of insanity, it is impossible to report about this so-called conference without making mention of the handful of deranged men in Jewish garb" who attended. "These few individuals - who represent no one except themselves - are playing into the hands of our nation's archenemies."

Estimates of Neturei Karta followers range from several hundred to thousands, with dozens living in Monsey, New York, a community about 25 miles north of New York where some attend a house of worship called Yeshiva Beis Yahud.

There was no telephone listing for the house of worship. Calls to Moshe Beck, another Neturei Karta leader, rang busy for hours on Friday afternoon.

Another community of Satmars, based in the village of Kiryas Joel, about 50 miles northwest of New York, has also condemned Neturei Karta members for attending the conference.

Despite their anti-Zionist stance, at least the Satmars have stood up and taken the right stance on Neturei Karta's sickening display of unity with the Jewish nation's enemies. As I said in my earlier blog about the subject, I was never upset about the anti-Zionist stance of the Neturei Karta. It did however infuriate me that yet again, their words became actions that could potentially endanger Jewish lives, and that crosses a line that can never be crossed. At least one positive came from this conference: the low, sick move by Neturei Karta united the Jewish people ...

Stevie G's Top 10 Goals

Can words define the most influential midfielder in England and the world? Here are his top 10 goals ... Take a bow Stevie G!

Only in Israel ...

Last night, I prayed the Shabbat services at the kotel, which is also known as the Western Wall or the Wailing Wall. I haven't prayed there in a long time, and as we were eating at a Rabbi's place nearby, I decided to daven there. I always enjoy praying there. It's a very spiritual & moving experience to open up your heart and your soul near the largest remaining artifact of the Second Temple. However, last night was even more special.

Near the wall itself, a large group of about 60 people were dancing and singing Shabbat Songs and religious Zionist songs. Now I know what you're saying, "What's the big deal?" Well, picture IDF soldiers with their berets on their heads, Haredim (ultra orthodox Jews), Settler youths and what seemed to be an Ethiopian group all dancing together. Despite their obvious differences in religious observance, traditions, dress and look, they all joyfully danced together and welcomed in the Shabbat. I've never seen something like that at the kotel, and to say that I was moved would be quite an understatement. What a kibbuz galuyout (In gathering of the Exiles) to witness. Things like that always give me hope that one day this nation will finally be united ...

144 Hrs in 45 minutes

Those 144 Hours in June 1967 forever changed the landscape of the Middle East. Here's a short documentary about the 6 Day War, one of history's most stunning wars ... Also includes a short segment about Elie Cohen, Israel's most famous spy.

Marking 30 years

A video conference marking 30 years since Operation Thunderbolt (The Raid at Entebbe) by talking with some of the event's participants ... If you don't understand Hebrew or the little French spoken, I do apologize!

The Enemy Within

In this past week’s parasha (Va’Yishlach), Yaakov prepares to meet Esau, his twin brother, for the first time since fleeing Cana’an due to the danger Esau posed to him. As he agonizes over the first meeting with his brother in 21 years, Yaakov continually refers to him as ‘Esau, my brother,’ (Genesis 32:18). Why would Yaakov refer to him as Esau and also as his brother? Those around him must have already known that Esau was his brother; couldn’t he just easily have said ‘Esau’ or ‘my brother’? Why both titles? Rabbi Abraham Twerski comments that Yaakov said this because he saw two potential threats: Esau, the man who swore to kill him and my brother, the man whose way of life could turn Yaakov away from the path he wanted to lead. He was wary of both threats and stressed it to those around him. Seeing the enemy, even if he's my brother, is an important part of survival, and this has been rather evident this week during the International Conference questioning the Holocaust in Iran.



On yet another stage where Mahmoud Ahmadinejad declared that the “Zionist regime [will] soon be wiped out,” the people who stole the spotlight were 6 ‘Jews'. Yup, you read that right, 6 ‘Jews’. In a conference where European and American writers gathered to argue the validity of the Holocaust, 6 members of the ultra-orthodox anti-Zionist Neturei Karta stood out. Dressed in the typical ultra-orthodox garb, they refuse to exactly say what they were doing at the conference but nonetheless, managed to slip in their usual, hate filled, anti-Zionist rhetoric: “It is the work of Satan that Zionists are able to convince the world that they represent Jews and Judaism and everybody who speaks against it is anti-Semitic.” How on earth can Jews attend a conference that portrays the Holocaust as a Jewish/Zionist lie? Despite the presence of famous holocaust revisionists and anti-semites, like David Duke (a former Ku Klux Klan leader) or Michele Renouf (a supporter of "Holocaust skeptics”), the conference's credibility was seemingly legitimized by the 6 ‘Jews’. With their photographs “given pride of place in the Arab media.”, these ‘Jews’ are what really allowed this conference to be a ‘success.’ Still hard to believe that they’re standing with people who want to destroy the Jewish presence in Israel – where do they honestly think us ‘fake’ Jews will be going? Absolute idiots.

I couldn’t care less about Neturei Karta's views about Israel; It’s their actions that I find disappointing and extremely dangerous. Posing with Palestinian terrorists, the Hitler wannabe in Iran and holocaust deniers misrepresents the opinion of the dominant majority of the Jews in the world today. Their actions are dangerous not only because they give the Arabs extra fuel to hate Israel and justify any attempts to attack us, but because they also mislead an already misinformed world about the Jewish stance with regards to Israel & the Holocaust. I guess that’s what ‘Torah abiding Jews’ should be doing, increasing the danger to their ‘brothers’! Their utter hypocrisy is sickening (and rather infuriating to read about). Twerski’s comments about Yaakov’s awareness fit in perfectly here – our enemies are not only the 'taken for granted' ones, they are also the ones who claim to be a part of the Jewish nation and to know what’s best for us.

Three last comments about the conference:
1) It is important that there is worldwide condemnation against the conference. Perhaps now the world can also realize why stopping Iran from becoming a nuclear power is so essential to world stability and Israel’s existence … Words are great and all:

“I think it is such a symbol of sectarianism and hatred toward people of another religion. I find it just unbelievable, really”
Tony Blair

“We absolutely reject this. Germany will never accept this and will act against it with all the means that we have”
Chancellor Angela Merkel

“Conference showed a resurgence of revisionist theories which are quite simply not acceptable.”
French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy

“I want to state my firm condemnation of any attempt to deny, trivialize or minimize the Shoah. Anti-Semitism has no place in Europe; nor should it in any other part of the world.”
EU Justice and Home Affairs Commissioner Franco Frattini

But actions would be far more meaningful

2) I think it’s also important to mention the few Arabs who actually spoke out against this conference. Several Arab MKs told the Knesset of their unhappiness with the conference taking place and that they were ashamed of their fellow Arabs for taking part in the conference. Nazir Majali, the Israel affairs commentator for Al-sharq Al-awsat, a daily published in Lebanon, rightly told Haaretz that Iran did a dangerous thing by “using the built-in hatred for Israel ... in order to deny the Holocaust. As an Arab and a Muslim, I am ashamed."

3) The conference actually marks a rarity as I find myself agreeing with Yoseph ‘Tommy’ Lapid, the former leader of the anti-religious Shinui Party. I’m sure those who know me well are surprised by this as I abhor Lapid’s racist and elitist stance on many issues. However, when Lapid called the Neturei Karta buffoons, how can I really disagree?

Pennies versus Positives

A wonderful article from the Jerusalem Post about Aliyah:

Aliya By Choice
Rabbi Stewart Weiss

Jewish Agency Chairman Ze'ev Bielski had it right - and wrong - when he urged the American Jewish community to come to Israel because "the penny will drop and they will realize they have no future in the United States as Jews."

Of course, he's right about the ravages of assimilation and intermarriage, which are decimating not only American Jewry, but the Jewish populations of virtually every Western community.

These "twin towers of tragedy" have been perpetrating a "silent Holocaust" for at least half a century, inexorably grinding down the Jewish presence in the Diaspora. The numbers don't lie, and they indisputably show that Jewish populations outside of Israel are stagnating at best, and on the verge of vanishing at worst.

America is a classic case in point; its Jewish population has been stuck at 5.5 million to 6 million for more than half a century. The influx of thousands of Russian Jews to the shores of the goldene medina, the best efforts of anti-assimilationists to stem the tide and the spirited struggle to woo non-Jewish partners to the fold has not significantly altered the equation.

Meanwhile, hundreds of smaller, outlying Jewish communities have vanished, their once-proud synagogues turned into churches, mosques or medical clinics, while many larger Jewish enclaves have circled the wagons and use every trick in the book to keep their numbers from falling further.

BUT MY fellow Ra'ananite Ze'evik was a bit off the mark when he suggested that American Jewry could - or should - be frightened into making aliya because of the specter of the vanishing Jew.

That is a strategy that did not work when Ezra the Scribe tried it in Babylon as the Second Temple was being built; it did not work in Germany as the Nazis gained power; and it will not work in 21st-century America, either.

For starters, to whom will this approach appeal? Half of American Jewry has already experienced intermarriage in their nuclear family, or has become assimilated and ever more distant from Jewish commitment. They are past the point - socially, intellectually and conceptually - of considering coming here.

And the other half considers itself doing so well in the States - financially and religiously - that it cannot drag itself away from the good life. To move an American Jew sitting around his pool in LA , surrounded by his kollelnik sons-in-law and planning his biannual trip to Jerusalem's five-star hotels, an awful lot of pennies have to fall.

I PREFER taking a totally different tack. I think the aliya argument we make to our fellow Jews must be of a positive, not negative nature. World Jewry should be coming to Israel not because they have it so bad in their own countries, but because they could have it so good here.

From a religious perspective, Israel is at least the partial fulfillment of billions of prayers uttered over thousands of years. We beseeched God to return us to Zion, and so He did. He gave us another chance to build a Jewish homeland in the land of the prophets, on authentic Jewish soil, to control our own destiny and carve out a nation in the Jewish image. Do we not have a sacred obligation to try?

And we haven't done so badly, to be quite honest. We make our share of mistakes, to be sure. But we still have a thriving democracy, a dynamic economy and a courageous and devoted army whose morale remains sky-high despite the severity of the Lebanon war. Not to mention a 1,000 percent growth rate since the founding of the state.

For an observant Jew, Israel can be a paradise: The proliferation of learning opportunities for men and women, the kosher restaurants and hotels, the low cost of Jewish education and the ease with which we observe Jewish holidays at a fraction of the cost in the US are just some of the pluses.

Even for the non-observant, Israel is definitely where it's happening on the global Jewish scene. The arrow of Jewish history points here. Jewish destiny will be decided not in Joberg, but in Jerusalem; not in Teaneck but, yes, in Tel Aviv.

Israel is the engine that drives the Jewish nation, and anyone who wants in on the action needs to be here, not there. While stellar Jewish communities do indeed exist - even flourish - in the exile, they are, after all, still in the exile.

It's time our Israeli emissaries stopped accentuating the dismal state of Israel's economy, its dangerous neighbors, its precarious existence, blah, blah, blah. While this ploy may play upon Jewish emotions and enhance fund-raising, casting us in such a negative fashion does irreparable harm to Israel's image. Who would want to live in a place where the people are starving and terrorists lurk around every corner?

Instead, we ought to emphasize the miracle of Israel, its gritty determination to survive and its ability to defy all the odds and prosper.

Let's urge every Jew to seize the opportunity to be part of this amazing enterprise - not only financially, but also physically.

Over the years, we have characterized our role in the Jewish world as a place to run to when things turn bad out there. This has certainly been the motivating factor for immigration from North Africa, Russia, Ethiopia and, more recently, South America and France. But it doesn't have to stop there.

There must also be a concerted effort to encourage privileged Western Jewry to engage in aliya by choice - to make a free and focused decision to join the ingathering of the Diaspora because it makes sense.

Those who do opt for Israel will be making the right choice.

The writer, a rabbi, is director of the Jewish Outreach Center of Ra'anana.

So ... What are YOU waiting for?

On The Comeback Trail

Stellar Return by Veteran Not Enough For Colors

JERUSALEM, Dec 6 (Reuters) - Thousands cheered on the Colors team today as veteran playmaker Avram Piha made his return to the playing field. A severe ankle sprain had rendered the South African born player inactive for 2 months, and his absence was heavily felt. Despite pleas from his parents to pursue a physically less demanding career, Piha remained true to his heart and made his highly anticipated comeback tonight. Sporting a heavy ankle brace, Piha looked a few steps off the pace. This however did not stop the player from scoring a goal within a few minutes and settling into his favored midfield role rather comfortably.

The game was close for 60 minutes before the White team turned it up a gear and demolished an injury depleted Colors team. Despite the loss, Piha will be pleased with his goal and 3 assists tonight. He spoke briefly after the game: "It's nice to get back in the swing of things with a goal but I would have liked to win the game. This is just another step in my long journey back to fitness, and I want to thank my fans for sticking through me during this tough time." As he walked away, I could not stop but think that Wednesday night football will soon be seeing the best of the lad.

Olmert ... Wake Up

My first stint in miluim (reserve duty) was the week the Lebanon War started. It was during one of the breaks we had from the urban warfare drills that we gathered around one of the Army trucks to hear Ehud Olmert’s passionate speech to the Knesset. I have never been so moved by a speech before in my life. Olmert’s words were moving, powerful and struck a chord with all of the soldiers huddled around the one radio. We all wanted in, we all wanted to be a part of this war – to return our boys home. Some of the lines which still stick out to me today are:

On the Palestinian front, we will conduct a relentless battle until terror ceases, Gilad Shalit is returned home safely and the shooting of Qassam missiles stops.

We will search every compound, target every terrorist who assists in attacking the citizens of Israel , and destroy every terrorist infrastructure, everywhere. We will persist until Hizballah and Hamas comply with those basic and decent things required of them by every civilized person. Israel will not agree to live in the shadow of missiles or rockets aimed at its residents.

It is a difficult battle! It may become even more difficult. It is a painful test, and we may have to bear more suffering. Such a battle is never easy. It is strewn with pain and suffering, sacrifice, and casualties.

We will do everything and make every effort to bring them home.

We will defend all of them, on behalf of all of them we will fight, and with all of them before our eyes – the civilians in the line of fire, the kidnapped fighters and their families – we will continue, without hesitating, without capitulating and without fear, until our goals are achieved.

Reading today’s Haaretz headlines, I realized yet again how we had been duped. Our ‘leader’, if you can call him that, had yet again proven his fine ability to talk but his failure to act accordingly to his words. Nope, I’m not talking about Olmert’s government's botched handling of the war, I’m talking about the fact that our leader is a slimy, cowardly politician who doesn’t back up his tough words and decrees with actions. Today, Olmert remarked:

What should we have done? Keep fighting and maybe create dozens more bereaved families to accelerate the return of two people, and I hope they are still alive, for whom it's a question of spending a little more or a little less time in captivity in the face of the possibility or certainty that many dozens more would be killed in the continued fighting?

What should we have done? What kind of statement is that? You ‘declared’ war on Hezbollah and Hamas. Did we stop after the first few days in 1973? Did we stop when our citizens were kidnapped before the rescue missions of Sabena and Entebbe ? Perhaps Olmert wasn’t really interested in a war, but in using the army and the situation as pawns in an attempt to validate himself as a leader. Let’s face it, a leader who was “a little disappointed by the continuation of Kassam rocket fire at the South by the Palestinians,” is obviously living in La La land. Wake up Ehud. You made promises about getting our boys back, about stopping rocket fire about ‘achieving goals’ and you’ve done nothing. You’ve failed – do the right thing, step down and allow the country to regain faith in her government.

If only Olmert was actually that man that July speech made him out to be ...

World ... Wake Up

David Ben Gurion once said that when Hitler threatened the Jews with extermination, the Jewish people did not believe him. But when Nasser made the same threats, they believed him (and we know what happened to him in '67). Can we please learn from history before it's too late?

Congrats to my Cousin!

Congratulations to my cousin, Simone Petousis, for being the top student in the Centre For Film and Media Studies, one of the schools of UCT (University of Cape Town). She received the 'Gold Medal' for her incredible few years, where she graduated with distinction in Media, Film Production and Script.

Mazel Tov and Good Luck!