I cried a lot

I met an interesting woman during Seder last night. When she told me she was born in Poland, I asked her when she arrived in Israel. She arrived in the Mandate in 1936 with her parents and siblings. "Haganah or Etzel?" I asked. "Haganah, but my heart was always with the Etzel," she responded. When I asked why, she smiled and said, "My brothers were in the Etzel." Curious as always, I asked, "How did you deal with the Season?" "I cried," she said, "a lot."

A few other interesting points she made:

* One of her brothers was at the beach when the Altalena reached Kfar Vitkin, and witnessed the ship being attacked by the IDF. He saw survivors from the ship swimming to shore dealing with constant fire, not to mention grenades. It still amazes me how Israel survived this tragedy ...
* David Ben Gurion was a great leader, but he did many evil things. Those shouldn't be forgotten.
* If our education system continues to essentially gloss over the Season and Altalena, it will sadly happen again ... "Us Jews don't learn well from our past."
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פסח שמח

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Fabrice Muamba

On the way home from beating Ra'anana 5-1 in the Anglo League, the sports update had some sad news. Fabrice Muamba, Bolton's 23 year midfielder, suffered a heart attack on the pitch in an FA Cup game against Tottenham. "He's going to die," I told Rani and he nodded his head. I got home that night, and started watching the replay of the event; it was like watching Marc-Vivien Foe or Antonio Puerta all over again. Those two players passed away sadly, however Muamba is quite amazingly on the road to making a full recovery. It's been an incredible story on many fronts, with Muamba's unexpected progress being the main reason. However, the reaction of players, and other football clubs, to this potential tragedy has been absolutely fantastic. From the Tottenham fans during the game (which was rightly called off after 41 minutes) to other rival fans, rival teams and rival players afterward. The below are only a few pictures from what has brought out the beautiful side of the football family ... It's only unfortunate that it takes something like this to highlight to everyone what's really important in life.









Pictures:

1. Bolton tribute to Muamba in their first game after his heart attack, a 2-1 win over Blackburn.

2. Scott Parker & Niko Kranjcar (Spurs) show their support.

3. Roma scoreboard shows support for Muamba and Eric Abidal, who has to undergo a liver transplant.

4. Jose Enrique, Jay Spearing & Steven Gerrard (Liverpool) show their support

5. Petr Cech (Chelsea) shows his support.

6. Lionel Messi (Barca) shows his support

7. James Milner and Carlos Tevez (Man City) show their support.

8. Ronaldo, Kaka, Benzema, Özil & Khedira (Real Madrid) show their support.

9. Yakubu (Blackburn) shows his support.
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Attentive Listening

Prior to Rosh Ha'Shana, the Chafetz Chaim delivered a speech on teshuvah. One of his student, R' Sholom of Aishishok, said to his friend, R' Elchanan Wasserman, "This is the exact talk the Rabbi gave last year, word for word."

"No," R' Elchanan said, "This time there were eight additional words."

This is taken from Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski in Visions of the Fathers.
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Purim Alegre

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There is a Sleeping Nation

I was in Home Depot this week picking up air conditioning filters when a tall, strapping, jovial man named Michael came up to me and asked a familiar question, "Are you a Rabbi by any chance?" Debating if I had time to enter a discussion, I decided to go with the truth and answered in the affirmative. Michael then said, "Are you familiar with Ezekiel 37?" Now that he quoted Tanach, I could be pretty confident he wasn't Jewish. Anyway, I gave him a half yes, "Of course, who doesn't know Ezekiel 37, I answered." He continued, "You do know that the prophecy is coming, Ezekiel 37 is about to happen?" Again, I gave a half yes, but he wouldn't let up. "Gog u'Magog, man, the Muslim nations gather against Israel before the end of days, it is coming." At this point, I must admit, I felt awkward and uncomfortable and worried that perhaps he was a missionary, but instead, he simply said. "I want you to know Rabbi, I am with Israel and with you. We must all stand together at this time. God bless Israel," and with that we parted.

My friends, I don't know that we are living Gog and Magog, or the end of days. But there is one thing that I do know and that is we are living in remarkable times. The approximately 60 year reprieve from anti-Semitism that the nations of the world have given our people out of pity and sympathy in the aftermath of the Holocaust, seems to be coming to an end. Our default status in the world - scapegoat, blame, hatred, anti-Semitism, de-legitimization, is being restored as Israel is no longer the underdog and victim in the world's eyes, but rather somehow we have become the aggressor and the perpetrator.

Mi'shenichnas Adar, marbim b'simcha, we sing with great enthusiasm. When the month of Adar begins, we increase, expand and intensify our sense of joy. My question for you this morning is simple: How can one be happy right now when we reflect on the Jewish condition in the world? What does Adar contain that would allow us to overlook and disregard the threats that Israel confronts, the isolation it experiences and the challenges our people face?

One year ago today, the beautiful Fogel family was brutally murdered in what was the most heinous and vicious attack in Israel's young history. Udi and Rut Fogel, together with their children Yoav, 11, Elad, 4, and three-month-old Hadas had their throats slit while they slept in their beds. Their three surviving children, Tamar, Roi and 3 yr old Yishai live today with their grandparents who have at an advanced age heroically taken on the role of parents to these young children.

This atrocity happened in Adar a year ago today, and as we mark the first yahrzeit we can't help but ask, where is the simcha of Adar? How can one feel a sense of joy when incidents like this still happen to our people?

But it isn't only brutal animals like the sub human murderer of the Fogel family that threaten our people. Today, we are not safe even among the intellectual elite, even at the highest academic institution in America. Ruth Wisse, a professor at Harvard wrote an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal this week, courageously challenging her own employer. You see, in a few days, students of Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government will host a conference entitled: "Israel/Palestine and the One-State Solution," and you can be sure, that one State is not Israel. One featured speaker is Ali Abunimah, creator of the website Electronic Intifada, who opposes the existence of a "Jewish State." Also presenting is Harvard's own Stephen M. Walt, co- author of the anti-Israel book called "The Israel Lobby."

Sure, some Harvard graduates have written to the University's President to protest their hosting this conference. But, perhaps as appalling as the actual conference, is the relative silence of Jewish groups on campus. Where is the outrage? Where are the rallies, letter writing campaigns, protests, sit-ins?

Where is simcha of Adar, when a virulently anti-Israel group can freely present their hate filled rhetoric and advance their one state free of Jews solution, on the most prestigious campus in America, davka in Adar?

But it isn't only savage animals who physically murder our innocent children while sleeping in their beds. And it also doesn't stop with the boycott and divestment from Israel movement growing on college campuses around this country. No, today, in the year 2012, even a candidate for public office is not afraid to reveal his blatant anti-Semitism.

Just this week, Arthur Jones, a republican candidate for Congress in Chicago said the following - "As far as I'm concerned, the Holocaust is nothing more than an international extortion racket by the Jews." Jones, who organizes neo-Nazi events in commemoration of Hitler's birthday, continued by saying, "the Holocaust is the blackest lie in history. Millions of dollars are being made by Jews telling this tale of woe and misfortune in books, movies, plays and TV." Thank God, Republicans have not put him on the ballot because of his views. But here is the scary thing. He has collected over 1,000 signatures on a petition to allow him to run. That means that there are more than 1,000 other people in Chicago that share his insane, anti-Semitic views. His candidacy comes now, in the month of Adar, supposedly the most joyous of all months. Where is the simcha?

"Va'yomer Haman la'melech Achashveirosh yeshno am echad mefuzar u'mefurad bein ha'amim...there is a nation scattered abroad and dispersed among the nations." On Wednesday night, Rav Dovid Miller, currently the Mashgiach of Yeshiva University gave a talk over skype to a few of us here in Boca, and he pointed out the following gemara in megillah 13b.

When Haman targeted the Jews for annihilation, he said to Achashveirosh - "let's destroy the Jews." Achashveirosh replied, "Not so fast. I am afraid of their God lest He do to me what He did to my predecessors." Haman relieved the King of that fear when he said "yeshno am echad," which translates literally as there is a certain nation. The gemora quotes Rava who explains that Haman was telling the King something much more strategic and insightfull. Not yeshno am echad, there is a certain nation, but rather yoshnu am echad, there is a sleeping nation. "They have been negligent of mitzvos, they are divided, fighting with one another and divisive. They are asleep as to what is important and what threatens them," said Haman.

You see, we were vulnerable and literally on the brink of elimination and extinction as a people because we were asleep. Our eyes were closed to what was happening around us. We didn't take the threats seriously, and we didn't stand up for our right to simply exist. Haman, like so many of our shrewd enemies throughout Jewish history, understood that going about business as usual, living with our eyes closed and sleep walking through life exposes us and makes us particularly vulnerable and susceptible to attack.

Haman recognized that, yoshno am echad, there is a nation that is sleeping. All he had to do was continue to lull the Jewish people into a false sense of security, to breed complacency and apathy and at that moment he could accomplish his goal of ridding the world of our people.

So how did we survive? What spoiled his plan? Why did we ultimately triumph over Haman such that we are here and he is a distant memory? The answer is simple: Mordechai and Esther, two heroes who stood up and like an alarm rang and rang until they woke up our people from their practically comatose sleep.

Mordechai understood that the antidote to yoshno am echad, there is a nation that is sleeping, is lech knos kol ha'yehudim, go and wake them up. He understood that the response to heim am mefuzar u'mefurad bein ha'amim, they are weak because they are scattered, is to bring them together in fasting and praying. That wake up call saved our people and ignited a response that provided not only the spark that led to military victory but attracted people of Shushan to want to join the Jewish people.

My friends, yoshno am echad, I look around and I can't help but think our people have been lulled asleep and into a false sense of security once again, and we are therefore vulnerable at this time. Our enemies are no less evil than Haman, their plans no less nefarious, and their goal no less threatening to our very existence. And yet, for so many, it is business as usual, eyes shut to what is happening and threatening us. Now is the time to wake up, now is the time for lech k'nos kol ha'yehudim, to come together in prayer, and in fasting, in letter writing, phone calls, advocacy, lobbying and any way that we can raise our voice on behalf of our people.

Raise your hand if you think Israel is going to attack Iran? Raise your hand if you think no attack will take place and Iran will be allowed to go nuclear? My friends, do you realize that either option is an absolute disaster, potentially devastating and earth shattering? Do you truly understand the scenario and the casualties if Israel attacks Iran? Can you even imagine the rockets raining down throughout the country, terrorist attacks, condemnations from around the world seeking to isolate Israel, a possible embargo? And if no attack happens, do you understand the threat and reality of a nuclear weapon held at Israel's head?

And if we do understand, how can we possibly remain asleep, go about business as usual, spend no time in seeking to make a difference and to impact our people's very future? Purim is unfolding again right before our very eyes. Iran is modern day Persia and Ahmanadinijad is modern day Haman sharing the same explicitly stated goal. If he is successful, he can accomplish in minutes what it took the gas chambers years, to kill 6 million Jews and with it the Jewish homeland. We MUST NOT allow that to happen.

We read zachor this morning, the obligation to remember Amalek and what they sought to do to us. The Torah is very clear, it isn't enough al tishkach, to not forget. You can be asleep and yet not forget somewhere buried in your memory that there were once enemies. No, we must be zachor, we must remember at all times what our enemies are capable of and never feel a false sense of security.

The time has come to wake up, to remember the Fogel family and to hold accountable people who celebrate such a murder. The time has come to wake up and to raise our voices in protest of anti-Israel conferences at Harvard and at other universities in this country. The time has come to wake up and to vocally reject the candidacy of a man who can deny the Holocaust. And the time has come to wake up and do everything that we can to make sure Iran does not go nuclear.

Perhaps the joy of Adar is the happiness of waking up, of rising from our sleep of recognizing what we confront and stepping up to make a difference. Rav Miller suggested that simcha is being alive, responsive and alert, ready to face whatever challenges may come and to be confident that we will be triumphant as we ultimately have been throughout our illustrious history. Mi'shenichnas adar, marbim b'simcha. When Adar begins, we remember enemies past like Amalek and Haman and we focus acutely on our present enemies and stopping them. When we wake up and confront them, marbim b'simcha, that in itself is a source of joy.

This week 140 members of BRS will attend AIPAC and join 13,000 delegates lobbying on behalf of Israel. But you don't have to attend AIPAC to make a difference. Every single one of us, anywhere and at any time can lobby the ONE who can make the biggest difference, Hashem. You cannot claim to truly understand how grave a threat Iran is and not include defeating them in your tefillah regularly. I beg you, say an extra perek of tehillim every day. Make an effort to attend Minyan more often. Grow in mitzvos, chesed or learning in the merit of our people. Just do something. We cannot afford to remain asleep at the wheel.

On Sunday, June 7, 1981, on the eve of Shavuos and under the order of then Prime Minister Menachem Begin, Israel unilaterally attacked the Iraqi nuclear reactor in Osirak and carried out a perfect mission that afterwards even US military could not believe was possible. Ambassador Yehuda Avner, recalls in his incredible book "The Prime Ministers," that moments after they received the phone call saying the mission was a complete success and the boys are on their way home, Begin dictated a communique to President Reagan that he concluded with the following:

Let the world know that under no circumstances will Israel ever allow an enemy to develop weapons of mass destruction against our people. If ever such a threat reoccurs, we shall take whatever preemptive measures are necessary to defend the citizens of Israel with all the means at our disposal.

On this Monday, again a Prime Minister of Israel and a President of the United States will meet to discuss red lines, military options, points of no return and timing. Let us pray that they come together and share the fortitude, tenacity and resolve to do what is necessary to protect not only Israel, but the free world.

As I said, I don't if it is Gog U'Magog, but I do know that it is time to wake up and please God if we do, may we truly enjoy this month of Adar and with it welcome simcha, joy and happiness.

h/t Aussie Dave
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How Women and Men See Colors

h/t Aaron (from Daily Statistic)
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Aharon Davidi z'l

My Israel wanted some coverage after the passing of a man they view as an Israeli hero – not zero coverage of Houston’s untimely passing. Their political leaning shouldn’t be the reason their stance on Davidi is denounced, nor a reason their valid concerns about the media’s attention to ratings (versus all that is newsworthy) should be ignored.

To read my first piece in the Times of Israel, please click here.
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9 Lives

Been too busy to write something meaningful for #9 ... #9 ... #9 ... #9 (I'm sure someone gets it)!

Other aliya'versary blogs: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

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Judge Every Person Favorably, V

Rabbi Noah Weinberg z"l was speaking to a group about judging people to the good. He was asked how to deal with people who seem so negative and evil. He replied, "Imagine you were at a corner ready to cross at a light. All of the sudden from behind someone shoves you into the street. You fall and get up scratched and dirty; you turn, ready to give the person who shoved you some of the angriest words you know. When you turn around, ready to pounce, you see that the person behind you is wearing dark glasses and holding a white cane. How do you feel now? Instantly you calm down, and your anger dissipates. He couldn't help it. he was blind."

"That," Rabbi Weinberg said is how we deal with people who appear to us to be evil and mean. "The person is blind. S/he doesn't wake up in the morning and decide to hurt people that day. The person literally doesn't know what they are doing. They are blind". "The next time your parent, in-law, coworker etc. does something to make you crazy, picture them wearing dark glasses and holding a white cane. They are blind. They can't see that they are doing wrong. Help them, guide them, and show them gently the error of their ways. But don't expect them to change. A blind person can't see overnight. It takes time, and sometimes they will never see."

This is taken from Lori Palatnik & Bob Burg's Gossip.
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Judge Every Person Favorably, IV

Over the past few months, E. has been a regular member of the Kurdi beit knesset I pray at. When you see him, you can tell - unfortunately - that something is wrong. He's been through something. After wishing him 'Shabbat Shalom' a few weeks ago, a friend came over and said, "Do you know who that is?" Obviously I didn't, so he proceeded to tell me, "That's E. - he was the last 'casualty' of the hitnatkut." Curious as always, I asked for more information, "A terrorist attack resulted in tank fire, and a tank mortar exploded right next to him." My friend continued, "He was in a coma for months, and the doctors told his parents he'd never come out of it." I guess E. had something to say about that. He's married now, and while the trauma of what he went through will sadly always be visible, the man breathes, jokes and smiles.

E. has talked to me about that day. He's quite a character, a man who's will to live pushed him through hell. I guess that just as one can actually get to hell, one can also come back out. I know I won't be looking at him the same way again.
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Judge Every Person Favorably, III

** In light of recent tensions in Israel, I thought this would be worth sharing **

There's a man who joins us for mincha (afternoon prayer) every few weeks. He's always wearing the same attire - black pants and a white shirt. He has short peyot (long side burns) and a black kippah. He's haredi - one of 'them.'

I saw this man at arvit (evening prayer) a few weeks ago. He came in a minute or so late. His attire? The green pants and shirt of the IDF. His ranking? Segen (Platoon Commander). What's this 'them'?
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Full of Torah but ...

The great Talmudist, R' Pinchas Horowitz, author of the monumental Talmudic commentary, Haflaah, heard of the chassidic master, the Maggid of Mezeritch, and was curious to investigate Chassidut. He visited the Maggid, and was unimpressed by what he observed. When he took leave of the Maggid, the latter suggested that he engage R' Zusia in a scholarly discussion.

R' Zusia kept his erudition a secret. No one ever saw him studying. Rather, he was sweeping the floor or stoking the fire, or otherwise tending to the needs of the house of study. When R' Pinchas approached him, R' Zusia said, "There must be some mistake. I am not a scholar and there is nothing you can discuss with me." At R' Pinchas' insistence, R' Zusia said, "I can only tell you something I overheard the others say."

"I heard the students reading a portion of the Talmud where R' Huna says, 'Nine men and the aron kodesh (the ark containing the Torah) can constitute a minyan.' R' Nachman challenges this, saying, 'Is then the ark a person?' (Berachot 47b). Now what kind of a question is that? R' Huna knew full well that the ark is not a person, yet he felt that it could be counted toward the minyan. If R' Nachman wished to disagree with him, he should have simple said so. To ask, 'Is the ark a person?' makes no sense. R' Huna made the statement even though he knew very well that the ark was not a person. Perhaps you can explain that to me," R' Zusia said.

R' Pinchas was taken aback. In spite of his enormous erudition, he had no answer to such an obvious question.

R' Zusia shrugged his shoulders, "Maybe the Talmud meant it this way," he said. "R' Huna was of the opinion that since the ark was full of Torah, it could contribute to a minyan. R' Nachman's challenge was, 'Granted, the ark is full of Torah, but can you can be full of Torah and still not be a mentsch.'"

This is taken from Rabbi Twerski's Visions of the Fathers.
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Secret of our Strength

One Friday, we were here on the Mt. of Olives with a group of soldiers from officer training school, and late Friday afternoon we went down to do Shabbat prayers at the Western Wall with a little dancing. We made a huge circle around the whole square. 284 cadets, officers, the whole battalion. We danced and sang 'Am Yisrael Chai.' A huge circle. We came in close and sang a few more songs. 'Shabechi Yerushalayim.' 'Kol Ha'Olam Kulo.' We danced and sang for 20 minutes. And after that, whoever wanted stayed for prayers, and whoever wanted went on a tour. After Shabbat, we did a concluding program. Some of the cadets spoke about their thoughts.

Near the end, a cadet got up and said, "Hi, may name is Awad. I am a Druze from Kfar Yaka in the Galilee, from the Herev Battalion. All Shabbat people were asking me, 'How do you feel here ... Shabbat is for Jews ... Jerusalem ... etc. And I didn't answer them. But now I will answer you. Here in front of everyone. This was the most amazing Shabbat of my life. But the most amazing moment was watching you dance at the Western Wall. I stood and watched religious, secular, Sepharadim, Ashkenazim, Olim (immigrants), natives, left wingers, right wingers and Haredim (ultra-orthodox) who joined the circle. And suddenly I understood the secret of your strength. When you are together, no one can beat you. And the strength, you get from here ... from Jerusalem ... from the Western Wall.

Rabbi Yonatan Milo, senior lecturer to the IDF (From this video).
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Begin on 'Coming Home'

לא פעם שאלתי את נפשי: לו מותר היה לנסוע לבריסק, כפי שאפשר לנסוע ליוהנסבורג או לנוי-יורק, ההיית קם ושם פעמיך אל העיר בה בילית את שנות הנעורים השמשיות? מדי שאלי את השאלה הזאת תתעטף הנפש אבל ותלחש מרה: לא תבוא עוד בשערי העיר בה נולדת ולמדת וחלמת וסבלת ושמחת - כי איננה. אומנם, ייתכן כי הבית הקטן בו אור האהבה ותוגת העוני שימשו בערבוביה עודנו עומד על תילו; אך הבית, בית אמא ואבא, איננו ולא יהיה. מה כי אבוא "הביתה", אשוט ברחובות, אשאל ולא איענה, אבקש ולא אמצא. צללים ילווני; אך הם אפילו לבית קברות לא יביאוני. כי אנחנו, בני דור-ההשמדה, אף זה לא זכינו: לקבר-אבות.

לא, לא אלך אחרי הצללים; בתוכי המה. הם לא נטשוני מן היום בו הגיעתני זעקת הדמים, אשר מרה הימנה לא נשמעה מיום בריאת העולם; אני לא אעזבם עד יומי האחרון עלי אדמות. צללים חיים הם; לא ימושו. צללים חיים הם; לא ימותו. בי הם; מה כי אלך בעקבותיהם

This is taken from מנחם בגין דיוקנו של מנהיג
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Begin's Lesson for the Left

Begin didn’t jump ship because he couldn’t get his way; he worked to effect change.

In last week’s column, I discussed the lessons Israel’s far right ought to learn from Menachem Begin. But the left is no less in need of Begin’s wisdom today – and once again, the Altalena incident shows why...After 2,000 years of exile, Begin understood that any Jewish state was better than none, and that civil war would be its death knell – a lesson, as I noted last week, amply proven by Jewish history, but that right-wing hooligans clearly haven’t learned: Their irresponsible attacks on Israel Defense Forces soldiers could easily spark an escalating cycle of fratricidal violence.

Yet it seems leftists haven’t learned it either, judging by how easily they advocate civil war – something you almost never hear rightists doing. For the more people talk of civil war as a reasonable option, the more likely it is to someday come to pass.

It’s bad enough coming from the radical leftists of Haaretz, who have been urging civil war against the settlers for years now. But it’s truly frightening when it spreads to the mainstream, moderate left – like former Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer (Labor), who last month said, unblushingly, that IDF soldiers should have opened fire on stone-throwing right-wing extremists. Or Jerusalem Post contributor Daniel Gordis, who equally unblushingly urged the government last month to deal with right-wing and ultra-Orthodox extremists the way Ben-Gurion dealt with the Altalena – in other words, to shoot them.

...Indeed, most leftists would be appalled at the suggestion that soldiers shoot Palestinians engaged in non-life-threatening hooliganism; they would correctly insist on sticking to routine law enforcement techniques. Yet they unabashedly advocate the use of live fire to suppress Jewish hooliganism, even though most of the vandalism, arson and rioting to date, while outrageous, hasn’t been life-threatening. Are Jewish lives worth less to them than Palestinian lives? Has it not occurred to them that opening fire in such circumstances could easily drive the extremists to retaliate with far worse violence, since these hooligans don’t have a Begin to restrain them? Or have they simply not grasped Begin’s key insight: that civil war is always the worst option?

But that isn’t the only lesson the left needs to learn from Begin. Equally instructive was his behavior after the Altalena bloodbath: Instead of saying “if this is the kind of Jewish state we’re going to have, I want no part of it,” he sent Irgun troops into the thick of the fighting in the War of Independence and then spent three decades serving as the government’s loyal opposition, patiently using the tools of democratic politics to try to bring Israelis around to his views. This effort finally paid off only in 1977, with his election as prime minister.

But too many on the left aren’t willing to work patiently to get their views accepted. They present their fellow Israelis with an ultimatum: Accept our dictates as to how the Jewish state should look, or we’re all going to jump ship.

Gordis made this threat implicitly when he said that many Israelis prefer to “live in America because what’s unfolding in Israel is so thoroughly unappealing to them.” Haaretz columnist Ari Shavit, another moderate leftist, has repeatedly made it explicitly. In June, for instance, he declared that the left’s willingness to fight in Israel’s defense depended on the government’s willingness to accept its policies on the peace process. In November, he went even farther, declaring that if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu didn’t kill various bills opposed by the left, then left-wing scientists, intellectuals and entrepreneurs would all emigrate: “That elite will simply not be here. It will hand over the keys to the Putinists, the Shas party and the settlers, and leave them to enjoy one another's company.”

This brings us back to Begin’s insight that any Jewish state is better than none. First, this is because, even if Israel were as “illiberal,” “medieval” and “undemocratic” as its leftist critics claim (which I don’t for a moment accept), it would still fulfill functions that moderate leftists like Gordis and Shavit deem important. For instance, Israel still offers sanctuary should any Jewish community worldwide ever need it – a role no other state, even friendly America, can be counted on to play (if you doubt it, just look at how America closed its doors to Iraqis who helped it during the Iraq War).

Secondly, however, no country is immune to going through bad patches; look at the current woes in “enlightened” America and Europe. The question is how its citizens respond: by saying “my way or the highway,” or by engaging in long-term political efforts to make things better. The latter option is obviously preferable for any country, but it’s particularly vital for the Jewish state.

Because as long as the state exists, so does the possibility of reforming it, assuming opponents of its current policies are willing to invest the time and effort that Begin did. But if we abandon this Jewish state out of disgust with its flaws, we may well have to wait another 2,000 years to try again.

H/T Begin Center Diary
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Haaretz's Silence

Haaretz has always been eager to quote R' Ovadia Yosef when he makes controversial comments, often times deliberately misrepresenting his words to slander the Torah sage. I was expecting them today to quote R' Ovadia when he slammed the idea of hadarat nashim (exclusion of women), "There are Haredi people who are committing acts that are not allowed. That our Torah forbids us from doing - we need to denounce them". R' Ovadia continued, "The actions of a few that are creating hatred between Haredim and non-Haredim is chilul ha'shem (desecration of G-d's name)." Ynet, Maariv and Nana ran the story as it is important - the Gadol Ha'Dor (leading Torah scholar of the generation) denounced the actions of these 'religious' Jews - and yet, quiet from Haaretz (it's already past 8:00pm). If this doesn't show their sickening agenda and bias towards the man, nothing will.
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In my Heart, In my Soul

Liverpool has been a part of me since I was growing up in Israel. I'm still not sure who got me into the footy team, but since I was 8/9, I was a fan of Liverpool FC. A few years later, I was hooked on the Beatles after being a part of a 'She Loves You' skit while in Club Med in Italy. The passion for both took on another level when my parents sent me to Carmel College in 1992, a boarding school in Oxfordshire. Unfortunately, I never made it up to Liverpool and when my family moved to the US in '94, it seemed like the dream of seeing the city would be put on hold indefinitely. With the development of the internet, following Liverpool became easier and so that passion, as well as listening to the tens of Beatles CDs I had now accumulated, became an every day activity. Fast forward through high school and uni, and I moved to Israel. Within a few years, I was working for IDT Telecom and finding myself in London once to twice a year. In 2010, I managed to see Liverpool live for the first time, a 2-1 Carling Cup defeat to Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. It was time I decided - I had to get up to Liverpool.

When my boss told me he wanted me in London from November 28th to 30th, I quickly glanced at Liverpool's schedule. YES! Liverpool were playing Manchester City at Anfield on the 27th, not to mention the added bonus of playing Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on the 29th. I started looking for tickets, and soon, a family friend (Ian) from Leicester struck gold. I had tickets ... The dream was about to be realized at the ripe old age of 31! I arrived in England on Nov 25th, and made my way up to Manchester to spend some time with friends I met in Israel. It was a pleasant Shabbat, and on Sunday morning, I made my way to Liverpool for the first time.

I arrived at Liverpool's Lime Street Station around noon, and met Ian. The next two hours were spent touring the city: From St. Luke's Church, to the Cavern Club, to the schools that John, Paul and George attended, to the Albert Dock, to the Royal Liver Building, to seeing the Mersey, to Penny Lane, to Strawberry Fields, and to a few other landmarks. The last landmark was what I was anticipating for decades ... Anfield.

Before the walk there, I stopped at King Harry, a pub frequented by many of my mates from SixCrazyMinutes.com, a Liverpool forum. It was nice to put faces on people I've been talking to for years. After a pint, I had to run. I wanted to go into the stadium a bit early and soak up the atmosphere. As I walked towards Anfield, it was an incredible feeling. I've been waiting for this for so long, a childhood dream that became an adult dream that was finally being realized. Here it was ... and I was smiling as if I'd just won the lottery. I stopped and bought a scarf - how else was I going to sing You'll Never Walk Alone with the 40,000 other Liverpool fans? I passed the gates and there was the statue of Shanks, the mythical manager. A quick picture, and I started walking with Ian towards the gate. I was in footy heaven.

We started walking up the stairs towards the pitch and I caught a glimpse of the green grass. I started smiling like a little child again. As I walked in, I saw the Liverpool lads warming up and the famous Kop. I was actually there ... Anfield. I sat down, and started staring, filming and taking photos. I was on cloud nine and it was only 30 minutes before kick off! As the clock ticked down to kick off, the players walked onto the pitch. A minute of silence. Gary Speed, a fantastic player in his day and the current manager of Wales, had committed suicide in the morning. Anfield was silent. You could hear a pin drop. The whistle blows, and the famous anthem starts ... You'll never walk alone. Goosebumps ... I have sung this song many times with the fans, but it was always in front of a TV monitor or the PC, but now I was singing with 40,000 Reds. "When you walk through a storm ..." "Walk on with hope in your heart ..." It was special. The whistle interrupts the high ... kick off!

The first twenty five minutes were very frustrating. Liverpool gave Man City far too much room, and in the process, the back four was harassed continually. It felt like only a matter of time really, and City duly obliged with a Vincent Kompany goal off a corner. "Great," I thought to myself, "Let's hope we can find a way to stay in this." Before I even had a chance to finish my next thought, Charlie Adam had equalized thanks to a wicked deflecion. 1-1. Game on! That goal changed the momentum of the game. From then on, Liverpool were on top and creating chance after chance. A few minutes later, we all jumped thinking 2-1 but Joe Hart produced a great save off Adam after some great work from Dirk Kuyt & Luis Suarez. A few more half chances, and it's half time. Lucas, the much maligned Brazilian, has been dominant. Our defense has been strong. We're on top here, and there's a sense that we're about to hand City their first loss this season in the league. What a great 45 minutes - I'm loving every minute of this.

The second half kicks off. The first 30 minutes are ok - with neither side managing to dominate. It's back and forth, with a few half chances but neither keeper is troubled. Kuyt seems a shadow of the player he was last year - either bereft of confidence, or on one of his regular 2-3 month slumps. The first real chance for Liverpool in the 2nd half comes around the 80th minute, a great ball from Jordan Henderson finds Stuart Downing. His shot (or cross?) is hit brilliantly but misses the net and the onrushing Kuyt. Downing has had an ok game, but the amount of money we've spent on him, you'd want a goal or an assist every few games. He's yet to register one, though that was close. The last 10 minutes are looking tense for both clubs, but it swings Liverpool's way with a second yellow for Mario Balotelli. He's a nutter, but a player I've loved since his days at Inter. It may be harsh, but Liverpool fans are all too happy to boo him off. The last few minutes are going to be great!

The game picks up. Suarez, on a nice link up with Henderson, forces Hart into a great save. Big Andy Carroll is now on the pitch. As the fans sense a late winner, City almost hit us on the counter with a great run by Edin Dzeko leaving David Silva one on one with Pepe Reina. Reina comes out so fast that Silva hesitates, and by the time he shoots, 3 Liverpool players await the shot on the line and clear without much commotion. Three minutes added on. The seconds are ticking away, and I'm hoping for a miracle to end this great day. Great cross from GlenJo, Carroll gets a head on it - and another brilliant save from Joe Hart, extending to his left. Suarez gets the rebound, and Hart keeps it out again, with Downing's follow up effort booted over the bar. The whistle blows. It's over.

A great game, but I left absolutely gutted. 1-1? We should have won. With my voice almost gone, Ian and I started discussing the game. Pity, a real pity. The result wasn't what I wanted, but the last seven hours were. Seeing the city that has been a part of me for almost 25 years, meeting mates and watching the mighty Reds at Anfield in one day? Sheesh, very few non-family events can compare to this experience. As we made our way back down to Leicester, I told Ian I'd be back. You can't do this just once ...

For more photos, click here (they include pictures from Liverpool's game at Stamford Bridge - an experience which I hope to write about in the next few weeks).
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Who am I?

He was one of the most important Jewish leaders during WWII ... Do you know who he is?

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At Any Cost?

There isn’t a place in Israel where you couldn’t see his face over the past five years, be it on bumper stickers, billboards or large road signs. His name was on the tongues of politicians, reporters and ordinary citizens over the same time period. He became a celebrity of sorts, and thousands rallied for him across Israel and major cities worldwide, including London, Rome, Paris and New York. On October 18, his popularity reached its peak—Gilad Shalit was coming home after almost 2,000 days as Hamas’s hostage. How did this soldier become such an iconic figure worldwide?

A year and a half after Shalit’s abduction in June 2006, Noam and Aviva Shalit turned to the media in order to ensure their son was front-page news as often as possible. The Israeli PR firm Rimon-Cohen-Shinkman worked tirelessly to ensure Shalit remained in the country’s daily thoughts. Their stickers, billboards, flags and iconic blue and white picture of the soldier struck gold. With full media support (they referred to Shalit as “The child of all of us,” or “The boy”—and not “the soldier in captivity”) and little opposition to the idea of a deal from politicians (career suicide?), porters, pressure continued to pressure grew on Bibi Netanyahu’s government to strike a deal with Hamas. The deal Bibi eventually struck was a costly one (90% of Israelis polled thought the price was too high), but one the Israeli public supported (80%) – 1,027 Palestinian prisoners would be released, amongst them some of the most evil terrorist minds Israel had arrested. The days that led up to, and those that followed, the release were extremely intense – a nation united around this joyous occasion despite the other side – a side of mourning, anger and fear.

There wasn’t one family in Israel that wasn’t happy for Gilad Shalit and his family. The soldier, who had been in captivity for over five years, was finally home. The pictures of Shalit on the phone with his family, saluting Bibi after disembarking, hugging his father or just smiling united the country. It was a feel good story – one that showed how much importance Israel places on our soldiers’ lives and how important of a figure Shalit had become in the Israeli psyche. However, despite this immense joy, there was another side. The wounds of families who had been ripped apart by the actions of some of the terrorists we released were inevitably reopened, and little to no attention was afforded them by the media or Supreme Court, whom they petitioned to stop the deal. Their pain and anger at this neglect highlighted how the “other side” was marginalized in the Gilad Shalit debate.

The other side of the “at any cost” campaign waged through the media cast, and will cast, a shadow on this deal for many years. The deal clearly shows terrorist groups that kidnapping Israeli soldiers works – an open invitation to capture the next Shalit. It also sadly ends the idea of a prison sentence, no matter how long, being a potential deterrent for terrorists; far too many of the terrorists released had so-called life sentences, and now they’re free with a university degree (courtesy of Israel). Many of the terrorists released have vowed to continue killing Jews, or helping educate the next generation of terrorists how to do so.

Since Israel released 435 prisoners for Elhanan Tannenbaum and the bodies of two Israeli reservists in 2004, 27 Israelis have died as a direct result of those prisoners’ actions. Israel has directly endangered the lives of many Israelis by releasing so many cold-blooded, unrepentant killers in this deal. The Tannebaum deal strengthened Hezbollah’s position within the Arab world, and likewise, the Shalit deal has strengthened Hamas and greatly increased their popularity amongst the Palestinians. They sadly seem to be the biggest winners here.

Some have said that halachically this deal was a must as it fell under Pidyon Shvuyim (Redemption of Prisoners; the Talmud calls it a mitzvah rabbah, a great mitzvah, as captivity is viewed as worse than starvation and even death [Bava Batra 8b]). However, many rabbis have said that the issue is far more complicated due to the danger the released terrorists will pose to Israeli society. Despite the many worrying issues, Bibi’s government pushed through the deal. Gilad Shalit is home…but at what cost?

When Shalit was released, I went through a wide array of emotions. I was happy for him and his family. I sincerely hope he can get back to being “anonymous,” and that the media leaves him alone. I was also greatly saddened by the difficulty and pain the trade was causing victims of the terror attacks, as the perpetrators returned home as heroes, brandishing victory signs to the celebrating masses. At the same time, I was angry—we’ve freed killers who will kill again. If a few Israelis are killed because of these people, were their lives really worth less than Gilad Shalit’s? Perhaps my feelings, and those of many combat soldiers, have been best expressed by “Y,” a Shayetet 13 (Navy Seals) soldier:

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If, heaven forbid, I should be abducted by a terrorist organization, I request the following from you:

Please do not organize any demonstrations, please do not conduct any interviews, please do not talk about how much this is hurting you and please do not organize any festivals or musical competitions on my behalf. Any novice in business knows that that is not the way to lower the asking price.

I am not “everybody’s child.” I am a combat soldier in captivity. Please do not use me as a pawn. I do not want the entire world to know who I am and what my name is, while nobody can remember the name of the soldier who died right by my side. I don’t need the media to use me as a freebee. I don’t want to become a tool for furthering all sorts of political agendas, power games or manipulations.

I don’t want to become the national beacon, nor do I want to be the entry ticket to the Israeli consensus. I don’t want the idea of my release to become official dogma that is forbidden to be questioned.

I do not want the people who dare think differently to be silenced on my behalf.

I don’t want the media to use me to get better ratings.

I don’t want entertainers to write a song about me to improve their Google results.

I am not a bottle of shampoo: Do not make a logo of my picture. Do not add my face to your Facebook profile. Do not stylize my silhouette to make a slogan.

Do not hire a public relations firm to mold public opinion and that of the decision makers. Do not set up “creative teams,” “optimization teams” or “marketing teams.” Do not set up a “headquarters.” Do not hold any staff meetings with burekas and slideshows. Do not hold any brainstorming sessions and do not create any “critical mass,” do not arrange any advertising budgets or market penetration. Do not write any strategy sketches, do not build any chart-, cross section- or graph-analysis of the population.

I do not want any “panel of experts” or conferences. I don’t want anybody counting the number of days of my captivity. I don’t want any “depression merchants” making a career off my story.

Do not produce any pins, ties, flags or t-shirts. Do not hold any marches, demonstrations or parades for me. Do not set up any on-campus petition booths for me. These things will decrease my chances of being released. These things only serve to confuse our decision makers. I am not a reality show. I don’t want you to photograph me with my father as a souvenir while thousands of murderers are being released on my behalf.

I don’t want you to wave any blue-white flags when really, we are in a white-flag atmosphere.

I don’t want the cold-blooded murderer of 16 people smiling as he is being released, having gained some weight within the few years since he directed a victory sign at the families of the murder victims in the court room.

I am not prepared for the hundreds of families who only recently buried their babies, who are rightfully filled with rage, to be presented as “party poopers.” I am not prepared for the kid who went with his father, mother and three brothers to eat pizza and came back alone, to watch the murderer eat baklava in his “victory hut,” a mere 20 kilometers away. I don’t want the murderers released to eastern Jerusalem to ride the light rail together with my niece. I don’t want families whose entire world has just caved in on them to read in the paper that the man who murdered their boy is going on a Club Med vacation in Turkey. I don’t want their pain to receive a mere one-eighth page coverage, just before the sports news, because “reporting-wise it is better that way.” They already know that the blood of their beloved sons is cheap; they don’t need to have their hearts crushed completely.

I feel just so comforted to know that the president has “pardoned but not forgiven them.”

I don’t want the next Intifada to be named after me.
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