מדינת ישראל הכי טובה בטיפול קורונה או בהפרת זכויות האדם? / Israel: the Best in Dealing with COVID-19 or in Violating Individual Rights?

ו׳ לחודש השנים עשר תשפ״א

English follows the Hebrew.

YNET: להתחסן או להיבדק: החוק נגד סרבני החיסונים שמקדם שר הבריאות

שיעורי ההתחסנות המדאיגים בקרב צעירים ועובדי הוראה עשו את שלהם – ובמשרד הבריאות כבר מקדמים חקיקה בנושא. החוק המתגבש אמור לאפשר כניסה למקומות עבודה של עובדים מול קהל רק אם התחסנו, החלימו מקורונה או עברו בדיקה שלילית. אלא שהמהלך צפוי להיתקל בקשיים משפטיים, וכבר נמתחת עליו ביקורת: "הדרישה פוגעת בפרטיות ובחירות" (המשך...)

אדיר ינקו 17.02.21

עשר אגורות (2¢):

חברי ממשלת ישראל אוהבים לפרסם את התקדמות לחסן את כל האזרחים שלנו. ועכשיו יש דיון על כפיית אזרחים להתחסן.

ידוע לכולנו ששופטי בג״ץ פוסלים את החוקים שהם לא אוהבים למרות שנציגי העם, ח״כים יצרו ואישרו אותם. בדרך כלל הם פוסלים את החוקים האלה בכדי להפחית את השפעת התורה למדינת ישראל וכוללים כשרות, גיור, אזרחות, חינוך, ובנייה ביהודה ושומרון.

עכשיו שופטי בג״ץ עומדים לפסוק דין לגבי כפיית מורים (ושוטרים, ועובדי ביה״ח וכיוצא בו) להתחסן. אני כבר כתבתי על איך כולנו מפסידים כשלומדים מרחוק.

איזה קבוצת אזרחים הבאה ממשלת ישראל תרדוף מאחריה?

איזה זכויות האדם ממשלת ישראל תבטל בשלב הבא?  

ממשלת ישראל תרדוף מאחריכם?

שר הבריאות יואל ״יולי״ אדלשטיין
Minister of Health Yoel "Yuli" Edelstein

YNET: Health officials draft bill to weed out unimmunized teachers from schools
Right groups warns law could constitute violation of privacy laws, could be discriminatory; bill expected to include teachers, police officers and medical teams as well as professions involving direct contact with large populations

Adir Yanko | 02.17.21

The Health Ministry has already drafted a legislation that would "significantly limit" the presence of unimmunized (sic) teachers at their places of work, in an apparent effort to promote vaccination against coronavirus.

The government has been pushing for a bill that would compel members of "essential" professions to receive the vaccine or be required to provide a negative coronavirus test before being allowed to enter certain premises and interact with the public. The officials, however, ran into many hurdles in an attempt to draft the legislation due to legal difficulties. (cont.)

Esser Agaroth (2¢):

The Israeli Government has loved to brag about how quickly it has been vaccinating its citizens. Now, there is even debate about forcing Israelis to get vaccinated, whether they want to be or not.

The Israeli Supreme Court is well-known to intervene in issues related to Judaism, when it is neither qualified nor allowed to do according to Torah Law. Such issues include, but are not limited to, kosher certifications, conversion, rights to citizenship, Jewish education, and building in Yehudah and Shomron (Judea and Samaria). The influence of Torah and the character of the State of Israel is the High Court's greatest nemesis. 

Israel's Highest Court Legislators from the Bench now stand to rule on the legality of forced vaccinations, in particular for teachers, police officers, healthcare workers, and others. Are these judges our last hope in the protection of our individual rights, which have become increasingly few and far between?

I have already written about how we all lose with "distance learning," teachers, students, and parents. 

Which group will be the next target of the Israeli Government after teachers?

Will you be the next target? Will your rights be the next to be violated?

לוחצים למורים להתחסן; ואפילו לוחצים למתפללים להתחסן / Israeli Teachers are the Latest Targets. So are ALL Religious Jews.

ערב שבת קודש פר׳ יתרו תשפ״א

English follows the Hebrew.

YNET: קבינט המומחים ממליץ: לאסור על מורים ללמד בכיתות אם לא התחסנו

03.02.21

ישיבת קבינט המומחים המליצה כי רק עובדי הוראה שיתחסנו יוכלו ללמד בכיתות בבתי הספר ומי שטרם התחסן ימשיך ללמד דרך הזום, אך יש להבהיר כי לא ברור בשלב זה האם למהלך יש היתכנות משפטית. נציין כי מנתוני משרד הבריאות עולה כי רק 53% מעובדי ההוראה קיבלו את המנה הראשונה של החיסון (27% את השנייה), על אף שקודמו בוועדת התעדוף של המשרד. עוד המליצו המומחים להתיר תפילות באוויר הפתוח במסגרת של יותר מ-20 איש, בהתנייה שהמשתתפים כבר מחוסנים.

(אדיר ינקו ותמר טרבלי חדד)

עשר אגורות (2¢):

מגילת אסתר
The Scroll Of Esther

ומה קורה למורים [הבוחרים] שאין להם שרות אינטרנט בבית? עד כאן, המורים והתלמידים כאלה מתחברים לפגישות זום דרך מס׳ טלפון. וכן יש דבר כזה. זאת אומרת שהתלמידים החרדים ללא שרות אינטרנט בבית מקבלים שיעורים רק דרך קול המורה, בלי תמונות בלי כתיבת המורה על הלוח ובלי עוד הרבה. כל תלמיד הלומד דרך הטלפון מפסיד.

ומה עם התלמידים בעלי קושי לימוד? התלמידים כאלה כבר מתוסכלים. בעתיד פשוט יהיו יותר מתוסכלים. ומה קורה לתלמידים דתיים מתוסכלים? הם זורקים את הכיפה.

זה מה שכוחות שלטון רוצים? אני בכלל לא משוכנע שלא.

עוד המליצו המומחים להתיר תפילות באוויר הפתוח במסגרת של יותר מ-20 איש, בהתנייה שהמשתתפים כבר מחוסנים.

האם ימנעו מיהודים מלשמוע את קריאת מגילת אסתר בחג הפורים? המצוה הזו קודמת כל המצוות כולן חוץ ממת מצוה. אפילו מצות קריאת המגילה קודמת לתלמוד תורה ובזמן קיום בית המקדש קודמת לעבודת הכהנים בהר הבית.

האם הם יגידו לנו לשמוע את מגילת אסתר דרך זום למרות שלא יוצאים מידי חובה ככה?

אני כבר התרעתי לכם שאם אנו לא ״מתנהגים יפה״ בחג הפורים אז ייתכן שניענש בחג הפסח.

וואלה! פנייה לרמטכ"ל: כפיית חיסונים על חיילים - פגיעה חמורה בזכויות יסוד

אמיר בוחבוט, 31.01.2021

במכתב שנשלח גם לשר הביטחון ולראש אכ"א, דרשה מועצת החירום למשבר הקורונה לטפל ב"לחצים פסולים" שמופעלים על חיילים. הורים טענו כי בשבועות האחרונים ילדיהם נתקלו באיומים שלא יישלחו לקורסי פיקוד אם לא יתחסנו ואף הוענשו בעיכוב היציאה לביתם. "מנוגד לחוק הבינלאומי"

בע״ה לא ילחצו לחיילי צה״ל להתחסן והחיילים המחליטים הלא להתחסן לא ייענשו.

אבל גם לאזרחים רגילים אמורים להיות אותן הזכויות. נכון?

YNET: Health experts back banning unvaccinated teachers from schools
Teachers Union calls the proposal illegal and says those who choose not to get vaccinated, shouldn't get punished; so far only 53% of teaching staff have received the first dose of the vaccine and 27% the second

Adir Yanko, Tamar Trabelsi-Hadad | 02.03.21

The panel of health experts advising the coronavirus cabinet formulated a series of recommendations for opening up Israel’s education system, including preventing teachers who have not received both doses of the coronavirus vaccine from teaching in class. (cont.)

Esser Agaroth (2¢):

זום Zoom

What happens to those teachers who choose not have Internet service at home? Until now, these teachers and students connect through the Zoom conferencing service through a local telephone number. (Yes. There is such a thing.) This means that Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) students without internet service at home receive material only by way of the teacher's voice. This means no pictures nor graphics, save for what is included in their text books, no writing nor drawing diagrams on the board, etc. In other words, every student who learns over the phone loses out.

And what about students with learning difficulties? Such students are already frustrated. They are only destined to become even more frustrated. And what happens to frustrated religious students? They throw off their kippot (skullcap/religious observance).

Is this what powers that be want?

I have already warned you that if we don't "behave" like good little Jewish boys and girls on Purim, then we may very well get punished for Passover.

The report continues...

"The experts also recommended allowing open-air prayers for up to 20 people, provided all participants have been vaccinated."

Does this mean that Jews may be prevented from hearing the reading of Megillath Esther (Scroll of Esther) on the holiday of Purim? The reading of Megillath Esther takes precedence over all other mitzvoth (Torah commandments), save for burial of the dead. It even takes precedence over Torah study, and when the Beth HaMiqdash (Temple) stands, it takes precedence over the work of the Kohanim (Temple priests).

Will the government tell us to hear the Megillath Esther on Zoom, even though this does not fulfill this mitzvah?

Sure. Why not? What does the government the powers that be care about mitzvoth?

Arutz 7 reports that so far "...no sanctions will be taken against [IDF] soldiers who refuse to be vaccinated." Nor should their be. But shouldn't civilians also be entitled to the same rights?

תלמידות סמינר שרות באוטובוס ציבורי / Sem Girls Singing on the Bus

י"ב לחדש התשיעי תשע"ט

English follows the Hebrew.

מישהו יכול להסביר לי למה תלמידות סמינר אמריקאות שרות פסוקי תנ"ך עם טעמי המקרא באוטובוס?

הן אמרו לי שלומדות למבחן למחר. ולכן היו צריכות לתרגל? או היו צריכות ללמוד? זה לא כל-כך ברור לי.

איזה מבחן? המבחן על טעמי המקרא?

או אולי, הם לומדות להשתמש טעמי המקרא כמו טכניקה כדי לזכור קטעים באופן יעיל יותר? לדעתי זו האפשרות היחידה שיכולה להיות הגיונית. ברור שמותר לנשים לקרוא פומבית מגילת אסתר עבור נשים אחרות. אבל הן בהחלט לא תרגלו את טעמי המקרא של מגילת אסתר.

האם נשים לומדות את טעמי המקרא כדי ללמד חומש לבנים? אם כן, איזה דבר מאכזב מאוד! ולא רק בגלל הפמיניזם הנסתר בדבר כאן. אלא גם בגלל חוסר הגברים המוכנים ללמד הילדים בכיתה א' ו-ב'. ולכן הנה עוד סיבה למה יש הדתיים הלאומים שולחים את בניהם ללמוד בתלמודי תורה חרדים.

שאלתי את אחת הבחורות אם היא חושבת שהנוסעים האחרים באוטובוס רוצים לשמוע אותן לשיר. ואכן, שאלתי אותה כי הן שרו בקול רם חזק מדי, ולא בגלל האיסור של קול אישה. אוטובוס ציבורי במדינה "דמוקרטית ופלורליסטית" נכון? ( עיניי מתגלגלות)

היא ענתה שאם אני רוצה שהיא תפסיק, אני פשוט צריך לבקש ממנה. אמרתי לה שאני לא אעשה דבר כזה. אנחנו נוסעים באוטובוס ציבורי, והיא יכולה לעשות את מה שהיא רוצה לעשות. אבל, אולי היא תרצה להתחשב על הנוסעים האחרים בסביבתה, ואז להחליט מה לעשות לבד.

האם ככה אני הייתי תוקפני-פסיבי? מה אתם חושבים? (קריצה)

Would someone please 'splain to me why American "sem girls" are singing holy texts with ta'amei hamiqra (trope, Torah musical notation) on the bus?

According to one of these young women, they had an "exam" the next day.  And they had to practice? Or they had to study? That was not so clear to me.

An exam? In ta'amei hamiqra?

Or perhaps, they were taught to use ta'amei hamiqra as a technique to memorize passages more efficiently? This is the only possibility which would make sense to me. It is, or course, permissible for women to read publicly Megillath Esther FOR OTHER WOMEN. However, they were definitely not practicing the ta'amei hamiqra for Megillath Esther. 

Do women learn ta'amei hamiqra in order to teach Humash (Torah) to boys? That would, indeed, be very disappointing, and not just the thinly disguised feminism, but also the lack of men willing to teach first and second grade boys. This is yet another reason why Religious Zionists are sending their boys to learn in Haredi Talmud Torah.

But, I digress...

I asked the young woman closer to me if she thought that maybe people on the bus wanted to hear them singing. And, actually, I was asking her because they were too loud, and not because of qol isha (the prohibition related to women's singing). After all it was public bus, and we live in a "pluralistic democracy." (eyes rolling)

She responded that if I wanted her to stop, then I should just ask her. I told her that I wasn't going to do that. It was a public bus, and she could do what she wants. But, that maybe she may want to consider those other passengers around them, and then decide what to do.

I don't know. Was that passive-aggressive?  (wink)

The Answer to Arab Terror: Learn Arabic!

י״ג לחודש השמיני תשע״ו

Five months ago today, MK Oren Hazan (Likud) introduced a bill, requiring Israeli first graders to begin learning Arabic. Today, his proposed bill advanced to the next stage toward becoming law, with its approval by the Ministerial Committee for Legislation.

Times of Israel: Arabic to be taught starting first grade
October 25, 2015

The Ministerial Committee for Legislation approves a bill mandating that all students in Israel will learn spoken Arabic starting in the first grade.

“Especially during these days, in which terrorism grows and coexistence is undermined, it is important to lower the flames and create a bridge of language, cultural understanding and rapprochement between citizens,” said MK Oren Hazan, who advanced the bill.

“There is no better way to do so than to learn the language in order to understand the culture and mentality of a million and a half Arab citizens in Israel and hundreds of millions of Arabic speakers throughout the Middle East,” he said.

Esser Agaroth (2¢):

MK Oren Hazan
(Likud)

From an educational standpoint, this is ridiculous. When kids are still making reading and writing errors in their first language, they do not need the addition of new vocabulary and grammar thrown into the educational mix, no matter how similar they are to Hebrew.

Those schools which already offer Arabic, begin teaching the Arabic alphabet by the fourth grade. Plus, English is generally begun by the third grade, with its alphabet introduced by the end of the third grade year.

It makes makes absolutely no sense. Three languages and three alphabets by the age of nine. The multilingual education in Europe is at least based on something much more practical and less confusing: One alphabet, and not three. In The Netherlands, German and English are taught, languages related to the nation's Dutch. In multilingual countries, such as Belgium and Switzerland, the second languages learned at an early age can actually be used on a regular basis.

Naftali Bennett
Minister of Education (Jewish Home)
...working his magic...again!

The only result of MK Oren Hazan's new spanking educational bill is more integration between Jews and Arabs, and thus more intermarriage, and not just with Muslims, but with the supposedly Jewish-friendly, Arab Christians, now know by the misnomer Aramaens. It is inevitable. Meanwhile, the Yishma'elim (Arabs/Muslims) will continue their goal of annihilation of the Jewish People, and wiping Israel from off of the map, which will be made easier, by the closer ties and easier communication with Jews.

As usual, educational bills are passed without much thought to educational principles. They are passed, with only the politicians agenda in mind. I guess no one ever thought to funnel the money for Arabic language instruction into something more worthwhile, such as Torah study, huh?

On My 18th Aliyah Anniversary, Here's My Story!

 מוצש״ק פר׳ מטות-מסעי תעש"ה

This post was inspired by Tomer Devorah's Aliyah Advice For Those Who Are Interested.

Coming up on my 18th anniversary of not only making aliyah, but arriving in Israel for the first in my life, I realized, thanks to Tomer Devorah, that I had never written about my personal aliyah story. Even though I have written tips on aliyah, before, during, and after, based on personal experience.

Eighteen years ago today, I landed at Ben-Gurion International Airport for the first in my life, and I stayed.

My flight took off from Los Angeles, where I was living for the last nine months of my life in the U. S. There was an hour stopover in Chicago, and then it was onto Israel. When we took off from Chicago, my thought was, "This is it!"

"Fly El Al - most of the pilots are former Israeli air force pilots who aren't afraid..." @ASoldiersMother

Periodically glancing at the real time, flight map at the front of the cabin, I saw when we were over international waters, and then past the half-way point of crossing the Atlantic Ocean. There was no turning back now. But, the truth was, I knew that I was never going back, at not permanently, and I never have. In fact, I only left for a two-week course in England, in 1998. That means I have not left Israel in 17 years. For years, I either did not have the money, or I did not have the time off from work. Now, I do not have any interest in leaving Israel at all.

My journey to Israel, however, actually began years before I actually landed here.

You see, I had already tried to come to Israel several times beforehand.

In 1985, I wanted to come for my junior year of study abroad. In 1994, I tried coming for a year of study in yeshivah. In both of these cases, I did not have the money to go. Remember that Birthright did not exist back then. Even though it is just over 10 years old, many Jews do not realize that it is...just over 10 years old.

In 1996, I visited with the shali'ah (State representative) in Los Angeles to "apply" for aliyah.

Taking his suggestion, I wrote several options as to what I would actually be doing Israel, to show how open and flexible I was. I wrote IDF service, yeshivah, ulpan (intensive Hebrew study) and work. I had already wrote to the Ministries of Health and Education to get my professional degrees and certifications recognized, and was in contact with the Israeli branch of my professional association.

But, in the end I was "rejected," for not being focused. Of course, the facts that I had never even visited Israel, nor knew anyone here, worked against me. But, what no one ever told me explicitly was that my only loss would be a paid flight, and help with a place to stay.

Finally, in 1997 everything fell in place very quickly. I believe very strongly that I was meant to come at this time, and not before.

A friend of mine found an ad for a teachers program in Israel, co-sponsored by the LA Federation, the City of Tel-Aviv, and the Jewish Agency. In April, 1997, I interviewed for the program, and was accepted. I was told not to worry about money. This program really took care of me. So, I must give credit where credit is due.

In June, I found a cheap, one-way ticket, from someone with whom I volunteered a couple times a month, who turned out to be a travel agent.

Only a week before I was to fly, I lost my passport. But, I was able to get a new one, with special, yet pricey, three-day service, and a cool boss who let me come into work late a couple of times, so that I could deal with this.

Although Nefesh b'Nefesh did not exist back then, and handouts of chunks of money had been cancelled, at least for Americans, and other olim (immigrants) from Western countries, I managed. The shali'ah in Los Angeles had told me that I should bring at least $11,000. with me, as a single person. Yeah, right! As if!

I stepped off the plane with just $300 in my pocket, a duffel bag, and one carry on bag. Of course, I had a job and a place to live lined up. Like I said, everything just fell into place. I might even say miraculously so.

I even had a place to stay in a merkaz qelitah (absorption center) for two years, which is unusual. Most olim do not even receive more than a year. Rent was only about $86. per month, as I distinctly remember that the rate of exchange was 3.5 sheqqels to a dollar back then.

I soon obtained a student visa, good for a year. Just over a year later, a came back to the Ministry of the Interior at 6:30am, yet I was still only 13th in line. Hours later, I met the same clerk who had given me my student visa. I brought my birth certificate, passport, and letter from my rabbi in San Diego, stating that I was Jewish. I had heard it recommended to bring in your mother's kethubbah (marriage contract) as well, but I did not, as I did not have access to it.

The clerk glanced over everything, but took only the letter and stamped my U. S. passport with my request, and told me to come back in 30 days. I did, and he gave me my te'udath zehuth (identity card), stood up, shook my hand, and said Mazal Tov.

One tip I discovered about the process, which I feel is important to share is that each rabbinical association has its own list at the Jewish Agency of recognized rabbis. The application is sent there for confirmation of ones Jewish status. I called the Jewish Agency in advance of my submission of documents at the Ministry of the Interior. When I mentioned the name of the rabbi who had signed my letter, I was told that his name was absent from the list.

I almost started to freak-out. But, then a thought came to me.... I asked the person on the phone which list she had checked. She said the Orthodox Union [OU] list. Then I asked if Young Israel had its own list. She said yes, and sure enough, found the name of my rabbi on this list. I made a point of telling this to the Interior Ministry clerk, just in case.

I believe this insured that everything went as smoothly as it did. So, check to make sure that your rabbi is listed. I believe that Chabba"d also has its own list.

Almost a year and a half ago, I renounced my U. S. citizenship. I know that this is not the choice for everyone. You can read about my experiences with this, including how the process works, and about reporting ones income, and assets, or lack thereof, for the final time to the IRS.

After living in Tel-Aviv for two years, I moved around. Jerusalem, Beth-El, Ofra, and eventually to K'far Tapu'ah for five years. For the past six years I have been back in Jerusalem.

I have been homeless in Israel, in debt, unemployed, and survived a suicide bombing. I have interviewed, worked, learned, lived, and dealt with government offices. I have job hunted, apartment hunted, friend hunted, and community hunted. It has not been easy. We are even warned in the Talmud that it is not easy. But, this is home, and it is where all Jews belong, not in the U. S.

Arabs Leak Israeli High School Final Exams,...AGAIN!

כ"ג לחודש השני תשע"ה

Israeli public school students are required to take a minimum of six years of English as a Foreign Language, just like Americans must take a minimum number of years of a foreign language, either as a high school requirement or in order to be accepted to a university.

Yesterday was the scheduled, national, Bagrut (final) examination in English, which students from around the country take at the same time. The examinations include a listen comprehension component, which students receive via radio.

The examinations were disrupted, when it was discovered that the exams had been leaked on social media.

According to  Zalmy Kinn, a friend of mine taking the exams, students found out very quickly what was going on from a Israeli Channel 2 News report.

JPost.com: Education Ministry director comes under after two more matriculation exams leaked
Hayah Goldist-Eichler, May 11, 2015 

The education ministry decided to move forward with the exam and use alternate questionnaires. 

Two English-language matriculation exams were leaked onto social media on Monday, hours before the exam was due to begin. 

The Education Ministry decided to move forward with the exam and use alternate questionnaires. 

It later announced it was extending the allotted time for the exam by half an hour. 

The leak is thought to have come from an Arab village in the north of Israel. 

This comes just days after two Hebrew-language exams for the Arab sector were found leaked onto social media. Those two exams were postponed to a future date. 

Education Ministry director-general Michal Cohen said last week upon learning of the leaked exams that it is unfortunate that a small group of lawbreakers is hurting everyone in the system. 

“These offenders are not just harming the students but the education system and society as a whole,” she said. Cohen instructed the department of examinations to hand last week’s case over to the police for investigation. 

Meretz MK Esawi Frej called upon Cohen to immediately resign from her position “in view of her responsibility for the failure of the matriculation exams that is becoming more serious and widespread every day.” 

Frej went on to accuse Cohen and the ministry of systemic failure to “protect the integrity of the exams.” He added that if Cohen herself does not resign, it will be Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s responsibility, in his role as current education minister, to remove her from her position and to take the necessary steps “to return the confidence of Arab society in the Education Ministry, first and foremost by investing all the necessary resources to catch the criminals and to prevent the recurrence of these incidences in the future.”

Rabbi Shai Piron
(Yesh Atid)
Ex-Minister of Education

Esser Agaroth (2¢):
Although criticism of director-general Michal Cohen is certainly justified, and the attempt by a Meretz MK to detract the blame from Arabs is no surprise, I would like to know why outgoing Minister of Education Rabbi Shai Piron is escaping any blame for the poor state of affairs.

This is not the first in which Arabs have been caught cheating. In a previous year, an Arab teacher was involved in leak of examinations.

Meanwhile, English teachers, on the ETNI - English Teachers Network in Israel Facebook group, have been venting the hell they had to suffer, calling it everything from "crazy" to a "nightmare and a scandal."

"So was this day crazy or what??"

"Yesterday's exam was a farce..."

"I am furious!!!!!! Today was a nightmare and a scandal! Making us fotocopy 100 exams just in order to switch the order of the questions is outrageous!!!!!"

"How pathetic was it today? T.G. we are an organised school with an amazing English staff. Our kids got the new forms within 15 minutes of being sent to us and all went smoothly with the exception of a few hiccups of C students, who understandably did not realize that question 5 did, in fact, exist. The whole thing was a total disgrace."

I was also informed that many schools never even received the e-mailed replacement examinations.

Parashath Sh'moth: What's In A Name? (Part 1: People)

ערב שבת קודש פר' שמות תשע"ד

וְאֵלֶּה, שְׁמוֹת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, הַבָּאִים, מִצְרָיְמָה: אֵת יַעֲקֹב, אִישׁ וּבֵיתוֹ בָּאוּ. שמות א,א

Now these are the names of the sons of Israel, who came into Egypt with Jacob; every man came with his household: (Exodus 1:1)

Once upon a time, there was a class of boys in a religious school in New York. The class had three Ephraim's in it. To differentiate among these boys, the teacher came up with a clever idea. He would call one of these boys Ephraim, one of them Effie, and one of them Jeff, his English name.

This was a religious school? This was Jewish school?

I suppose the thought never occurred to this teacher to call each of these boys "Ephraim ben...[father's name]."

Another man I know made aliyah when he was a teenager. His name was "Joshua," and that is exactly what he had been called all of his life. Yet, he looked forward to changing his name on his freshly issued Israeli ID Card to Yehoshu'a. When the time came, when his turn at the Ministry of the Interior came up, he submitted his name-change request. The clerk actually discouraged him, saying, "You're in luck! Foreign (non-Hebrew) names are very popular. Keep yours!"

This was in Israel at a government agency, in a country where the official language is Hebrew? And this is a supposed to be a Jewish State?

So, why are there still rabbis, not just outside of Israel, but IN Israel going by goyshe names? What kind of example does that set?

Sorry, but there is NO excuse for "rabbis" in Israel to be called by their slave names such as "Jeff," "Steve," or "Richard." Even "Mark" is considered by some in Israel as a nickname for "Meir" (Merik/Mark).

Ephraim and Joshua at least made some effort to go by their Hebrew names. When Ephraim came to Israel, he was called Effie in the army [IDF]. But, after that, try as he may, everyone continued to call him Jeff. Kol HaKavod to the IDF. Go figure.

Years ago, I was teaching Hebrew at a "Reformist" institution,...fourth grade boys. It was not the kind of place which would have even heard of thing such as gender segregation. I was simply given the small group of students with so-called "attention difficulties," which happened to have been made up of only boys.

I started the year with an announcement to my students that during class, as this was a Hebrew [and Judaism] class, we would be using our Hebrew names.

So as not to embarrass anyone, I immediately qualified this by saying that one or more of them might not yet know his Hebrew name or even have one, and that this was [unfortunately] not uncommon. The boys were to go home, and ask their parents about this, and if they did not already have a Hebrew name that, with the help of their parents, they could pick their own.

I actually adapted this use of Hebrew names in Hebrew class from my own junior high school Spanish experience, in which we had to pick Spanish names to use during class.

One boy Craig came to the next class, quite pleased with himself that he had a Hebrew name that he could present to me and to the class.

He said that his parents told him that his Hebrew name was Hanan. Like with all of the students, I explained what I knew about their names, in order that their names would have even more meaning to them. Of coruse, some of them were named for deceased relatives. For that aspect of their names, they would have to ask their parents, or in some cases their grandparents, about those relatives for whom they were named. In addition to providing them with meaning to their own names, they would be engaged in keeping the memories of those relatives alive, which is the point of naming children after them. But, this assignment was also designed to get their parents more involved with their Jewish education,...hopefully in a painless manner.

I explained to Hanan a little bit about his name.

Hen = charm (He really liked this one! ie. charming)

Honen HaDa'ath = implanter/endower of wisdom

Hananiah (AKA "Shadrach," Daniel 1:1-3:33)

He insisted that I only call him Hanan, even outside of class. Uh-oh, I thought. Did I create a monster? Would I receive a phone call from parents complaining that I was brainwashing their son?

That's OK. I was willing to take that risk. And, as it happened, I did not receive any phone calls from irate parents. Parental trust in their Jewish institution? Parental apathy? I would never know.

רב הונא אמר בשם בר קפרא בשביל ד' דברים נגאלו ישראל ממצרים שלא שנו את שמם ואת לשונם ולא אמרו לשון הרע ולא נמצא ביניהן אחד מהן פרוץ בערוה לא שנו את שמן ראובן ושמעון נחתין ראובן ושמעון סלקין לא היו קורין ליהודה רופא ולא לראובן לוליאני ולא ליוסף לסטיס ולא לבנימין אלכסנדרי. -ויקרא רבה לב,ה

...Rav Huna said in the name of Bar-Qafra for the sake of four things, Israel was redeemed from Egypt, they did not change their names, nor their spoken tongue, and they did not say lashon hara', and there was not one found among them who acted lewdly. They did not change their names: Reuven and Shimon when they entered; Reuven and Shimon when they left. They did not call Yehudah Rofe, and not Reuven Luliani, and not Yosef Listim, and Binyanin Alexandrei.... (Wayiqra Rabba 32:5)

I am willing to bet that wherever Craig is, and whatever Craig is doing with his life, he will at least always have a positive, Jewish identity. Who knows? Maybe it will lead him to more.

Maybe it already has, due to the power of having an authentically Jewish name.

*********

Craig/Hanan is his real name. He would be about 30 years old by now. The Reform schul above is on the East Coast of the U. S. I mention this on the unlikely chance that he, or someone he knows, will read this, and I could perhaps find out what really happened to student who made my day.

Who knows what kind of Jewish identity he was being raised with, but it seemed that his Jewish name was what clicked for him.

Ephraim and Joshua were not really named these names. However, those stories did occur, as they were related to me.

World Trend: Countries Protecting their Systems of Indoctrination

אסרו חג העצרת תשע"ד

I frightening trend has been manifesting itself on the world scene. However, it is far from being a new trend. World Net Daily [WND] reports on it. Here are some of the highlights:

WND: Frightening new assault on homeschooling
[Dutch] Education chief: Parents should not be allowed to teach

Bob Unruh, September 25, 2013

1. Among major democratic nations, homeschooling already is banned in Germany, under a Hitler-era law, and in Sweden, where authorities have taken offspring out of their family’s arms to crack down on the educational method.

2. Scotland is taking a different approach, demanding that all children be assigned a “nanny” at birth to make sure they get educated. [This means that] the government is proposing a plan that  “would assign a government social worker to ‘promote, support or safeguard the wellbeing’ of every child from birth.” That “named person” would have great authority to order what the child – and parents – must do throughout life, regarding schooling, health, social activities and the like.

3. Now officials in the Netherlands are looking to join the crackdown on parents.

4. A report from the Examiner has listed nations where homeschooling also is illegal, including mostly socialist-leaning or former communist territories. They include Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia, Brazil, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, El Salvador, Georgia, Greece, Greenland, Guatemala, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Trinidad and Tobago and Turkey.

5. The Obama administration has argued in court that parents essentially have no right to determine how and what their children are taught, leaving the authority with the government.

6. “I want the American homeschool community and other friends of liberty to take note – this mindset isn’t limited to Germany. Many U.S. policymakers and academics agree. … They are even working to see them realized here. So far, thankfully, homeschooling isn’t a legitimate reason (anymore) for the government to kidnap your children if they don’t go to state approved schools,”
- Michael Farris, Chairman, Home School Legal Defense Association [HSLDA]

7. [There are] “already too many voices in the United States that want to advance the idea that the state must control education for the safety of the state or other reasons.”
- Michael Donnelly, director of international relations, HSLDA

8. “And this is the same rationale of the German government in perpetrating deplorable acts like this,” he said. “Why should we think it couldn’t or won’t happen here?”
- Michael Farris

9. “Can’t a government that can order you to get health care tell you that you don’t qualify for certain life-saving treatments, tell parents they can’t allow their children to get certain kinds of counseling or that they must have a particular kind of medical treatments or that certain religious speech is intolerant and may not be permitted or must be punished, or that only national curricular standards are acceptable for all children, etc. – can’t a government like that order you to send your children to school? And then punish you if you don’t?”
- Michael Donnelly

Esser Agaroth (2¢):
I believe that this piece really speaks for itself. I will add only a few personal observations and professional experiences.

As a school psychologist in the California public schools, I saw first hand how children were expected to fit into a box. I'll never forget when I when I asked to observe a child in his Kindergarten classroom, because while standing with the other children, singing the ABC song, he was double tapping his feet. The teacher found this quite disturbing, and was almost ready to cry "ADD." I, on the other hand, was almost ready to cry, "So what if he's tapping his feet. Get over it!" I knew that this teacher would simply not hear it. Even after only a couple of hours in the classroom, I was pretty sure that this kid was a kinesthetic learner, and not the disruptive student and burgeoning sociopath this Kindergarten teacher was making him out to be.

"Sheeple" (Sheep + People)

But, fitting children in neat little boxes was from the worst thing that could have been done to them. Sitting still, absorbing information fed to them, and refraining from questioning authority are only a few which I personally recall. Being kept in numbed out, within the illusion of having "freedom" and a "say in government policy" through elections were the masterpieces I can now see in retrospect.

To get a better picture of children's learning styles, and how they fit in, or rather, how they are not allowed to fit into the "traditional" American classroom, I recommend reading the very short story Animal School, attributed to George H. Reavis, Assistant Superintendent of Schools in Cincinnati, Ohio (1940's).

This brings me to Israel. In a nutshell, those of us in Israel need to be aware, and to keep watch over government crackdowns on homeschooling, independent, alternative, and semi-private educational institutions. As a teacher in Israel's public religious and secular schools, I saw that the indoctrination process simply has different appearance than that in the U. S. The goals are the similar, though:

1) Increase and maintain citizens' trust in the State.

2) Increase and maintain citizens' loyalty to the State, through reward, as well punishment.

3) Discourage independent thinking, and loyalty to anything else besides the State and its laws, including The Almighty, and His Torah.

Sitting still and absorbing information is not the Israeli focus, when it comes to indoctrination into a loyalist society. In the religious schools, students ask questions, and are encouraged to do so. But, the answers are all in line with government policy, or else that teacher does not last very long. In high schools, the government is sometimes presented as correct. This is when any mass opposition is expected. When the government is presented as being flawed, this is immediately followed with the need to respond with patience and love, and to remember that The Almighty's hand was in the forming of the State. The fact that the State's constant battle against the Torah is staring these teachers and students right in the face simply falls by the waste side, and parents allow it to remain so.

The State is to be held in such high regard, even if it appears to be leading Am Yisra'el down a path toward communal suicide. Civil disobedience is out of the question, and an soldier can never refuse to carry out an order which violates the Torah, because the students and future soldiers are that there is just no such thing. They are taught that it is all just "part of the path toward ge'ulah (final redemption)." (sigh)

In the secular schools, attempts at removing all Holiness from the Tana"kh (Bible) is the order of the day.

Now you know why Haredim are so protective of their school systems. Whether they are not simply doing the same thing with their communities, to "keep them in line," and whether they should be taking any money from the State of Israel in order to fund them are discussions for future posts.

Of course, there are parents, those who can afford it, who send their children to private schools, semi-private schools, even Haredi schools, not to mention those who go to battle with the Ministry of Education for the "right" to home school their children. The harassment some of these parents receive is truly unbelievable.

Threats from the Ministry, threats from the front line soldiers, the State's social workers are regular occurrences, all in the name of making certain that Israeli children receive a "proper" education, emphasis on the word "proper." What "proper" means, is determined by the government, not the parents, and certainly not by rabbis, who have been demonized for their "disloyalty" to the State.

I Want Arabs To Succeed!

צום החמישי תשע"ג

Fast of the Fifth Month (Tisha b'Av) 5773

I want Arabs in Israel to succeed.

It's true. I do.

When I taught elementary school English to Arabs in Yaffo, I wanted them to succeed. I encouraged sixth-grader Mustafa and fourth-grader Walid, by telling them how good they were doing, and how talented they were in learning English. I told them how amazing it was that they were gaining mastery over not just a second language, but a third!

While teaching at this school, I was friendly with a fellow English teacher, an Orthodox Christian Arab. Her English was near perfect, and I told her so.

All of my positive comments to my Arab students and colleagues were true. I stand behind every one of them.

Not only was I just fulfilling the duties of the job for which I was being paid, but I was also fulfilling a misswah. Which one, you ask? Read on.

After two years in Tel-Aviv, I moved to Jerusalem, and was fortunate enough to find a job fairly quickly. It was also as an English teacher, but for mostly adults. Then in the summer, I taught in a summer program for junior high and high school students.

When I taught Arab students, I wanted them to succeed, the Kindergarten teacher and police officer from Abu-Ghosh, and the 7th-grader from Jerusalem.

Many Arabs want to leave Israel, having no connection to the land whatsoever, and wanting to be left alone, raise their families, and stay out of the way of Hamas, Fatah, Islamic Jihad, etc.

Improving their English skills will help them become more marketable both to potential employers in their new home country, not to mention that country's immigration services.

I had the same kewanna (intent) the year before while teaching in Yaffo, both when interacting with students, and when encouraging that fellow English teacher, I mention above, that yes she would do quite well in Canada. Her husband was an Arab Canadian, who was considering a move back with his wife.

If Arabs want to leave Israel, then who am I to stand in their way?
Hopefully, we will not end up having a bunch insane Leftists begging them to stay, like in 1948.

If the Israeli Government is not going to do the right thing,...not to mention passionately doing the wrong things, over and over and over again,...then maybe some encouragement and a gentle push will accomplish what the Israeli government is unwilling to do by force or by bribery.

Warning to Hilltop Youth: Here comes the Israeli Ministry of Re-Education

ח' לחודש השלישי תשע"ג

Arutz 7: Education Ministry to Rehabilitate Hilltop Youth
In an attempt to suppress potential Price Tag vandalism motivation, the Education and Justice Ministries in conjunction with the Shin Bet intend to round up hilltop youth, ideologically-driven high school dropouts, in order to provide them with an education along with emotional therapy, in addition to identifying potential school rejects before they actually get to the hilltop.

(Tip Credit: The Lion of Beth Shemesh)

Esser Agaroth (2¢): 
Let's take a look at the definition of "rehabilitate," according to Merriam-Webster.com. Don't worry about the translation from Hebrew. The translation is just fine. I have highlighted in red what I believe to be the most disturbing aspects of this word, and thus what I believe to be the most disturbing aspects of the Israeli government's plan for these idealistic, Jewish kids.

re·ha·bil·i·tate

transitive verb \ˌrē-ə-ˈbi-lə-ˌtāt, ˌrē-hə-\

re·ha·bil·i·tat·edre·ha·bil·i·tat·ing

Definition of REHABILITATE

1

a : to restore to a former capacity : reinstate

b : to restore to good repute : reestablish the good name of

2

a : to restore to a former state (as of efficiency, good management, or solvency) <rehabilitate slum areas>

b : to restore or bring to a condition of health or useful and constructive activity

— re·ha·bil·i·ta·tion noun

— re·ha·bil·i·ta·tive adjective

— re·ha·bil·i·ta·tor noun

Examples of REHABILITATE

1. The clinic rehabilitates drug addicts.
2. He's still rehabilitating the knee he injured last summer.
3. They try to rehabilitate horses that have suffered injuries.
4. The program is intended to rehabilitate criminals.
5. The country has rehabilitated its image since the war.
6. The city plans to rehabilitate its slum areas.

Related to REHABILITATE

Synonyms

habilitate, reclaim, redeem, regenerate, reform

Related Words

reeducate; amend, improve, refine; cleanse, purify, restore

Re-educate pretty much sums it up. Although reclaim, redeem, reform, refine, cleanse, and purify support the strength of the radical transformation desired, when one forces "rehabilitation" on

And who should be held responsible for this plan of action? How about the current Minister of Education for starters? And who could that be, but none other than Shai,...excuse me,... RABBI Shai Piron from Yair Lapid's Yesh Atid ("There is a future") Party. 

Rabbi Shai Piron, Minister of Re-Education
Boy, that face sure inspires confidence, doesn't it?
(Photo Credit: Yo'av Dudekevitch)

With a future that the likes of Yair Lapid, and suppose Rabbi Piron, have in mind, who needs a horribly traumatic past?

(Photo Credit: Yossi Aloni)

Gee. That hand gesture looks awfully familiar. But, I can't quite place it. Hmm....

C'mon! Gimme a break! They are not talking about "re-education;" they are talking about indoctrination, which just a euphemism for brainwashing.

Sure. Some of these kids could use some guidance. However,...

1. The traditional, Western educational system which secular, Ashkenazi, Israeli, elitist society expects all to pass through, may not actually be the most efficient for these kids. How about that?

2. Most of these kids are not interested in conforming to Western/assimilationist standards. (Thank God!) They are disillusioned and/or disenfranchised by an Israeli government which throws Jews out of their homes, hands over Biblical Jewish lands to Arab terrorists, and does little if anything at all effective in preventing their parents, siblings, and neighbors from being murdered.

3. Many of these kids are receiving the necessary guidance and/or Torah necessary to provide them with the skills to become "productive members of society," as well as tax payers. The Israeli Ministry of Education should be overjoyed at all the money it is saving due to such informal, self-education programs.

But, of course, that's not really the goal of the Ministry of Education, to provide assistance to these Jewish kids. Fast forward this video to time marker 1:50 to learn all about its real intentions. Thank-you very much, Labor Zionist, Erev Rav.


"Resistance is futile. Your life as it has been is over. From this time forward, you will service us."

"ההתנגדות היא חסרת תועלת. החיים שלך כפי שהיו כבר נגמרים. מעתה והלאה תשרתו אותנו."

For those unfamiliar with Star Trek and the "Borg," The "Borg" is a collective consciousness, whose primary purpose is to assimilate the cultures of others into its own.

Am I Still A Racist?

חג פורים דפרזים תשע"ג

With Purim having arrived in most of the world, fast approaching here in Jerusalem, and in light of my recent piece Gee, I Guess I'm A Racist, I thought that I would check and see if I am, indeed, still a racist.

"What does this have to do with Purim?" you ask.

Over the years, the holiday of Purim has been and sometimes even referred to as an outright "racist" holiday by the Far Left.

Who could forget former MK Yossi Sarid's (Meretz) suggestion that we cancel the reading of Megillath Esther (Scroll of Esther) because of how racist it is, which led to his being cursed by Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef, prominent Sepharadi spiritual leader?

First a story.  Then I will examine Megillath Esther, to see if it is indeed racist.

Years ago, I taught in a Jewish, secular school, which was made up of 2/3 Jews and 1/3 Arabs, both Muslim and Christian.

Why was I teaching at this school?  One of those "American Jewish Organizations," which feigns pluralism, helped me to come to Israel.  Who says that these organizations can't do anything right, at least once in a while.  Apparently, they can.  But, in my case, it was now payback time. 

I was told that the middle class Arabs of this town typically went to the type of school where I was teaching.  The wealthy Arabs sent their kids to private schools. (Yes, there ARE wealthy Arabs.)

Two of the teachers at this school were Arabs, and I have to say that they were nicer to me than most of the assimilated, Israeli galuth-ified Jews, teaching their students how Adam and Eve must have "felt," when they were kicked out of the Garden of Eden.  "Was that fair?" the first graders were asked.  God help us with teachers like these in our State schools!

But, I digress....

My relatively high level sixth-grade English class at this school included "Rinah," whose mother was Jewish and father Muslim, her best friend "Elizabeth," an Arab Christian, "Ahmed," a self-described product of an Arab mother and "Palestinian" father, and his best friend "Shlomo."

I could not have taught at a more potentially politically correct school.  Those American Jewish Organizers must have been kvelling over us.

In retrospect, I have to say it was a great learning experience.  Not the least of which was picking up little tidbits, that would never be mentioned in the news or in textbooks, such as how "Rinah's" brother was exempt from IDF service, even though he was Jewish (according to Jewish Law).  Apparently, even the Israeli government was suspicious of the loyalties of the children of mixed marriages.

During this year, the Hebrew month of Kislev and the Muslim month of Ramadan coincided, while December conveniently overlapped the other two.

This was the perfect opportunity for a final writing assignment: Write about a holiday.  I made mention of the calendrical coincidence to my students, and told them that I thought it interesting.

We reviewed the elements of a paragraph, that I would even expect of an average American sixth-grader:

6 Sentences:
1 Introductory sentence
1 Explanatory sentence
3 Detail sentences
1 Concluding sentence

I assumed that my students would write about Hanukkah, Christmas, or Ramadan/Idr Fitr.

I was right.  But, when it came time to grade "Ahmed's" paper, I saw that he had written about Hanukkah, not Ramadan/Idr Fitr, as I had expected.  When I called "Ahmed" up to receive his grade of 10 (A+), I pointed out what was particularly good about his paragraph.  But, then I asked him how he decided to write about Hanukkah, and not Ramadan/Idr Fitr.  He did a "Homer Simpson" by smacking his forehead, and shouting "Doh!"

I reassured him that there was nothing wrong with what he had done.  On the contrary, I emphasized his perfect grade.  I was just curious.  But, he didn't have an answer.  So, I let it go. 

No doubt there are those who would identify this incident as a result of "Ahmed's oppression," probably the same people who would also call Hamas and Islamic Jihad suicide bombers, "freedom fighters."

I liked "Ahmed'."  I liked all of my students, Jew, Christian, and Muslim.  Each and every one of them received my care and attention equally.  I did my job, and I even enjoyed it.

...but when "Ahmed's" picks up a rock, and in my experience, "Ahmed's" will, more likely than not, eventually pick up a rock, or something else, "Ahmed" will no longer be my student; he will be a soldier, or an enemy combatant.  Take your pick.

What am I supposed to do?  Reason with him?  Tell him that I was that nice, religious Jew he had ages ago as his English teacher, who praised him and encouraged him?

No.  I don't think so. I'm going to defend myself.  And when then Israeli police comes to arrest me for doing so, as they have done SO many times to Jews already, not only in Yehudah and Shomron (Judea and Samaria), but also in the Negev and in the Galilee, then,...well, I guess I'll just have to burn that bridge when I get to it.

Sure, there are Arabs like "Mahmud," the mechanic who lives in the Shomron, who just wants to support his family.  He often asks his customers who are dual Israeli/U. S. citizens if they can sponsor him and his family so that they can get out.  He, too, sees the dangers of his own "Palestinian Authority," and knows that they have no historical connection to the land of Israel.

I will go a step farther and tell you about "Yassuf."  He and I are members of a support group.  Although he and I live in different cities, when I see him, we are happy to see each other, and even help each other toward the common goal we have being members of this group.

Great.  But, so what?

But, I am not willing to take the chance that the one or possibly the one million Arabs who want to destroy me and my people get let off the hook for the sake of "Mahmud" in the Shomron or "Yassuf" in Tel-Aviv.

You are all familiar with the silly, yuppy expression, "Some of my best friends are Arabs." (...or African-Americans, or nuclear free whales, or radical lesbian separatists, or what have you...)

This post is not about that, not in the least.  However, no one can say that I have never met Arabs, spoken with Arabs, worked with Arabs, taught Arabs, or even liked Arabs.

So, what's the Purim connection?

אסתר פרק ח
 יא  אֲשֶׁר נָתַן הַמֶּלֶךְ לַיְּהוּדִים אֲשֶׁר בְּכָל-עִיר-וָעִיר, לְהִקָּהֵל וְלַעֲמֹד עַל-נַפְשָׁם--לְהַשְׁמִיד וְלַהֲרֹג וּלְאַבֵּד אֶת-כָּל-חֵיל עַם וּמְדִינָה הַצָּרִים אֹתָם, טַף וְנָשִׁים; וּשְׁלָלָם, לָבוֹז  יב  בְּיוֹם אֶחָד, בְּכָל-מְדִינוֹת הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ--בִּשְׁלוֹשָׁה עָשָׂר לְחֹדֶשׁ שְׁנֵים-עָשָׂר, הוּא-חֹדֶשׁ אֲדָר. יג  פַּתְשֶׁגֶן הַכְּתָב, לְהִנָּתֵן דָּת בְּכָל-מְדִינָה וּמְדִינָה, גָּלוּי, לְכָל-הָעַמִּים; וְלִהְיוֹת היהודיים (הַיְּהוּדִים) עתודים (עֲתִידִים) לַיּוֹם הַזֶּה, לְהִנָּקֵם מֵאֹיְבֵיהֶם.

Esther Chap. 8
11 that the king had granted the Jews that were in every city to gather themselves together, and to stand for their life, to destroy, and to slay, and to cause to perish, all the forces of the people and province that would assault them, their little ones and women, and to take the spoil of them for a prey, . 12 upon one day in all the provinces of king Ahasuerus, namely, upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar. 13 The copy of the writing, to be given out for a decree in every province, was to be published unto all the peoples, and that the Jews should be ready against that day to avenge themselves on their enemies.

Avenge?  How could they avenge something that had not happened yet?  But, something had happened, the preparation to annihilate us was apparently enough for revenge, as opposed to defending ourselves.  

Then, before any killing or victory had taken place,...

טז  לַיְּהוּדִים, הָיְתָה אוֹרָה וְשִׂמְחָה, וְשָׂשֹׂן, וִיקָר.  

16 The Jews had light and gladness, and joy and honor. 

Most of you will recognize this last verse from your Havdalah nusah, said at the conclusion of Shabbath.

We were happy because we were going to kill peopole, who had yet to lift a hand to us?  Happy, yes, but not out of blood thirst, but out of the opportunity to counter the impending Hillul HaShem (desecration of His Name).

On this Purim, we must commit to continue our work in battling the Hillul Hashem, by defending ourselves, and once  again preventing the destruction of the Jewish People.  If that means racial profiling, limiting the service of Arabs in the IDF, and sending spies into Arab communities to keep tabs on their activities, then so be it.

And, so I ask you, "Am I still a racist?"

A Hebrew Freebie

15 of the Tenth Month 5771

Last night at work, a woman ask if she could correct something I said in Hebrew. I could see it coming by the look on her face, when I finished speaking.

It turns out that this woman is a teacher in Ulpan, Israeli, Hebrew language program, designed for the oleh hadash (new immigrant).

She first asked me if I minded if she corrected me. I said no. I explained that as a teacher myself, I often have people trying to get a free English lesson out of me. I tell them that I take NIS 75 an hour for a private English lesson, so they might want to consider speaking to me in Hebrew.

If this professional teacher wanted to correct my Hebrew, I would gladly accept her “freebie.”

She pointed out while giving her some information regarding tonight's activities, I said הלילה. She explained that in this form actually signifies in the middle of the night. When this all took place, it was 8:30 pm, in which case, she said that one should say הערב this evening.

Normally, she told me, she does not mix in this, and does not approach people to correct their Hebrew. However, in this case, she felt that it was חשוב מאוד very important.

Why?

Well, her reasoning was that if I ever asked a woman if she was available “tonight,” I should make sure to say הערב, because הלילה would have a significantly different meaning.

Did you get it?

It was kind of odd hearing this from a woman in a sheitel. Nonetheless, she smiled and raised an eyebrow, and I laughed.

But, then she started to recount this incident to her colleagues walking in. I lightly objected by letting her know that she did not have to tell everybody the story. We all laughed, and I just took it in stride, remembering one of the first things taught to me, shortly after getting off the plane at Ben-Gurion Airport 13 years ago.

You simply can not be embarrassed in Israel.

Rain Song (Teaching Tool)

14 of the Tenth Month 5771

Rain, rain, come and play.

Rain, rain, come to stay.

Come to water the fields, and so

All the trees and flowers will grow.

This is something I wrote while teaching elementary school English as a Foreign Language [EFL].

Often, EFL teachers write their own songs, chants, poems, and stories. Regardless of how good the available teaching materials are, this is done in order to fine tune the focus of the materials to the needs of students.

I introduce the above in the fall, as this is the time for Jewish prayers for rain.

I then remind the students of this song around Tu b'Sh'vat, the New Year of the Trees.

Reading and spelling wise, the words of this song contain several vowel pairs, and vowel-consonant pairs (e. g. ai, ay, ie, ow), including pairs which have different possible pronunciations and different pairs which have the same pronunciation.

One kind find many other examples in this song for reading and spelling words which are unique.

Most teachers do not like to explain grammar, especially at the lower levels. They do not see it to be terribly helpful.

However, one rule I find very helpful to tell students is the following:

יש הרבה כללים באנגלית. אבל יש גם הרבה פעמים כשאגלית לא הולכת לפי הכללים!

There are many rules in English. But there are also many times when English does not go according to the rules!

May our prayers for rain be answered, and may we succeed in passing on the importance of all prayers to our children.

More Soldiers

Mossa'ei Shabbath Qodesh Parshath Mass'ei 5768

Early last week, while tremping into work, I bumped into two more soldiers.

One was only just released from the army a couple of hours beforehand and was on his way home to shower and sleep for a very long time. Next on his agenda is to travel. I encouraged him to travel throughout Israel, instead of leaving for destinations unknown, like the popular avodah zarah-filled India. He agreed, and has planned to hike the Shvil Yisrael from Metulah in the north to Eilat in the south. He seemed intrigued by leaving for adventures outside of Israel after that, but hopefully not. I suggested that no one can escape from places of avodah zarah completely unscathed.

He eventually wants to go to college to study biology.

Just before he and I got into a tremp, another soldier appeared on the scene, a former student of mine, taking eighth-grade English with me seven years ago. I had just mentioned him, too, in the context of who I knew in his yishuv (town), Kokhav Ya'aqov.

He didn't have the greatest time in my class, but apparently I made up for it in the end. I came with his class on its end of the year trip to the Gallil and Golan. I was one of the few people who thought to bring a camera, before the prevalence of digital everything. I took photos of everyone and sent copies to those who were in each of them.

He smiled, and said he still had that photo from seven years ago. I haven't traveled much in Israel, but that trip was one of the best I've taken. Let's hope this soldier makes it through the next few months, the last of his service.

That night, I bumped into another former student. This one has been in yeshivah for the last four years, and expects to begin his IDF service shortly. In order to do so, he will have to leave his current yeshivah, and transfer to a yeshivath hesder. He will be leaving, albeit temporarily, his mamlachti yeshivah, and probably be going to Merkaz HaRav Kook. I told him that I approved of the change. Unfortunately, I did not have a chance to list the books he will be able to read at "Merkaz," "unwelcome" at his current yeshivah, like Rav Moshe Tzuriel's shlit"a Mafte'ah to the Torah of Rav Kook ztz"l, and the compilation of Rav Kook's writings found in the Merkaz HaRav Kook genizah.

(Gee! I wonder how they ended up there? Could it be that someone, or some people, didn't want us to read certain writings of Rav Kook?)

It is crucial to protect our soldiers spiritually, as well as physically, something which the IDF does not do, rather the opposite.

My soldier friend who came to visit last Shabbath told me about the educational trip he was forced to take to the Kotel, the Western Wall. His unit was lectured on Islam and Christianity, not the two items highest on a Jew's list of topics he associates with an "educational" trip to the Kotel. The two topics were taught as fact, not within the context of the history of Israel's occupation by foreign forces.

One of the soldiers questioned the lecturer's take on Islam as one of the "truths" in the world.

He was "written up" for that.

So, where is this blog post going? I'm not sure. I suppose this is what some bloggers, and others, call a rant. Although, I always thought that "rant" had a negative connotation.

There are some yishuvim (towns) and many hill top communities whose residents would prefer to guard their own neighborhoods, rather that allow soldiers to do so. I agree. Not only will it make things less complicated, when "they" come to throw us out of our homes, it is an important act of taking responsibility for our own security, a move toward increased autonomy. (Did I say "autonomy?" I meant independence, of course.)

I am just exploring my own relationships with soldiers, the sons, and brothers, and fathers, and friends. Yet, I will also have to explore my relationships with the Jews who have to make decisions, decisions to follow orders contrary to Torah, or to refuse them.

Many soldiers avoided participation in the expulsion of Azza Jews three years ago. Golani and Nahal Haredi Brigades were kept far away from Azza, for fear of mass refusals to carry out orders. Yet, the IDF only wants you to know about the 62 soldiers who actually sat in jail for refusing orders.

If you're a soldier, and you're reading this, ask yourself this question: Which soldier will you be?

There's no shirking responsibility this time, no saying...

"I'm just 18 years old, and I'm confused by conflicting rabbinical opinions."

You had better do your research, and talk to your rabbis now, asking for hallachic sources, and rejecting "feeling" and hashqafic ones.

You are going to have to face this decision sooner than you think.

In the meantime, you'll have Jews like me on your back, pressuring you to think for yourselves and hallachicly so, and hopefully encouraging you as well.

Job Hunting

3 of the Eleventh Month 5768 After living in Israel for 10 years plus, I have to admit, I have been going through I pretty rough time lately. It happens. I have been unemployed for quite some time, and it is really beginning to get to me. After making a lot of money at my previous job, I decided to take some time off, and relax a while. I hope to learn from this mistake, and not fall into the same trap again. Others can get away with this. However, I have found that I am just one of those people who needs to be working. It has been really frustrating because even though I have been doing the necessary groundwork [or so I thought]. Actually, I found my first job in Jerusalem by pounding the pavement, looking in store windows. I happened along a private English-language school, now closed, in the middle of Downtown. I found my first teaching job by sending resumes to schools I found listed in the Israeli Yellow Pages. Here is an additional on-line resource currently available, the Bezeq Directory, with its English companion, the Gateway to the Bezeq Directory. Don't forget Israel's on-line Reverse Look-Up. You never know when that will come in handy. And while I am on the topic of on-line, telephone resources, I was recently introduced to Free Fax Israel. Fax your resumes and other doc and pdf documents anywhere in Israel for free, even without a fax machine. Here are links to some job sites:

When you arrive in Israel, you will soon learn the meaning of the word "potexia" (connections). Here are some job opportunities advertised on your own personal, English-speaker protexia sites:
JANGLO Job Opps (Jerusalem Area)	TANGLO Job Opps (Tel-Aviv Area)
...and here are some more job sites in English:
AACI's Jobnet	Israemploy
Job Central Israel	Jobs In Israel
The popular Craig's List has even reached Israel:
Craig's List Jerusalem	Craig's List Tel-Aviv
And here is the main site in Hebrew I have been monitoring:
Drushim

Anyone interested in teaching English in Israel definitely needs to see the English Teachers Network in Israel [ETNI] site. You should also make a to your local Mefaqe'ah/at (Inspector). There are two for Jerusalem, one for the city and one for the surrounding area, which includes Bet-Shemesh, Mevaseret Tzion, Ma'aleh Adumim, Efrat, and Bet-El. There offices are located in the Ministry of Education Offices at Kanfei Nesharim Street 22, in the Givat Sha'ul shopping area, not far from the Nefesh b'Nefesh office. I suggest you call first to find out their office hours, 02-5602712. The Tel-Aviv Inspector is Beverly Topaz. Her e-mail address is beverlyto (at) education (dot) gov (dot) il, and her phone number is 03-6896382. Any professional requiring validation of college degrees needs to do so at the Ministry of Education, Diploma Bureau. The Jerusalem office is located in the same building as the English Inspectors. You will need to bring the original diplomas and transcripts, and submit copies of them. They receive the public on Mondays and Wednesdays. Call ahead, though, as the schedule is subject to change. Appointments are not necessary. Physicians, nurses, psychologists, pharmacists, and I believe physical therapists need to apply for certificate through the Ministry of Health. The Jerusalem office of professional certification is located at Yaffo Street 157. Please help me to keep this information updated by e-mailing me or posting a comment. I hope this information has been at least a little helpful. My experience is that new immigrants tend to get the most help from fellow new immigrants. I was very pleased recently to have received a call from Nefesh b'Nefesh. I had sent them a resume. They did not have anything available. However, the representative gave me some tips, which I found to be very helpful. She did not have to call me, but she took the time to do so anyway. This was my first experience with Nefesh b'Nefesh. It was not around when I moved to Israel. I must say I was impressed by its caring attitude. Meanwhile I am still looking for a job, and am getting a bit nervous. Although I have been getting interviews. I had a job helping to tile a bathroom, which was good for me in more ways than one. The bank is on my case big time. My phone will be turned off soon, hopefully just the outgoing calls, so I will still be able to receive calls from prospective employers. I tremp (hitchhike) into Jerusalem, so transportation costs are down. HaShem help me when it rains and snows! Food wise I am getting by, Barukh HaShem. My least favorite stereotype of Americans in Israel is that we are wealthy. There may be a little truth to that. I don't know. What I do know is that I am not one them. In fact, I don't believe I know any of these supposedly wealthy Americans. I assume they exist, because sometimes it's a American who propagates this stereotype. More than once when I have said that "I didn't have any money," it was an American who told me to go an automatic teller machine. Looking back at him in disbelief, I would say, "No. Really. I don't have ANY money." In equal disbelief, he would laugh, thinking that I was only joking. Then seeing my face, he would eventually realize that I wasn't. He could not possibly fathom how it could be that an American Jew didn't have money, but he would accept it as truth. I have long since learned to accept such reactions from my fellow American Jews. I sometimes get free coffee out of the deal, as anyone who has had this conversation with me refuses to let me pay for coffee when we go, even when I have money. Go figure. What Americans lack due to their occasional cluelessness in the "Hello! Jerusalem is not a neighborhoods in New York!" department, they make up for in the "love and caring" department. But, I digress.... As I mentioned above, I am frustrated. Everyone tells me how "employable" I am. Yet, no one seems willing to "employ" me. After teaching for eight years, obtaining jobs with ease through my professional connections, I found myself in a similar situation in which I find myself today, unemployed and broke. My last school of employment "ran out" of money. That was after a year and a half of not receiving regular paychecks. At the end, we were not getting paid at all, but stuck around because we did not want to let our students down their national matriculation exams (bragruyot). Fortunately, I had neighbors who gave me a job at their Internet cafe in Jerusalem. It was the frumest Internet cafe in Israel, if you believe there is such a thing. For six months, I worked the "graveyard shift," six nights a week. It was a lot of fun and hard work combined, but also with all the nuttiness of working at night in big city. I will spare you the details for now. Unfortunately, this place was closed down as well. After a period of employment, I got a job working at a company called IDT Global, which employs a countless number of new immigrants. It's a great company, owned by Howard Jonas. He has personally given countless Jews their first jobs in Israel. I cannot tell you how powerful it is to be able to work and get paid in Israel. It can be a big boost to ones attitude and self-esteem in the face of dealing with a new country and culture. It was kind of weird be back around mostly Americans, many of whom had only been in Israel for a short time. I found myself being "accused" of acting Israeli once or twice, which, I took as a compliment. My project at IDT eventually closed. There did not seem to be anything else available for me. Although the people IDT made every effort to find positions for those of us completing a project. I worked there for a year. I made a lot of money, especially by Israeli standards. Living out in the middle of the Shomron (Samaria), which, albeit not for everyone, certainly made it easy to survive off of savings due to the relatively inexpensive rent. The Ramba"m states that it is a higher level to assist someone to support himself than simply to give him money. When I was in my last year of graduate school, I attended a group consultation with a psychiatrist. I thought of how fascinating it would be to get consultation from a well-known, local psychiatrist who has,...well, seen it all. It was fascinating, but only in that he was so practical. Anytime a colleague mentioned a depressed client, this psychiatrist's first question was, "Is he employed?" If the answer was "no," his response would always be the same, "Help him get a job." Not much has changed since the Ramba"m first espoused this wisdom. The intention of this blog is to encourage aliyah, not discourage it. However, I am also not interested in covering up the, sometimes grave, realities of living here. motivations (religious, spiritual, nationalist, etc.) for coming to live in Israel aside, I believe that my life is better now that I do live here. The challenges of life do not disappear, though. They are just,...well, different. It is hard to put it into words. I will simply say that with every challenge there is a solution, even though it may be difficult to see at first. Even I have pondered jumping on the next plane to the U. S., assuming I had the money, which I do not. For me, that is not the practical solution. Money and dealing with a "new culture" tend to be the reasons why half of all North American immigrants return to North America within five years. That's what the statistics were 10 years ago. I believe that they are changing. THe funny thing is that when you have been in Israel as long I have, you too, will probably joke about what a culture shock it would be going back to the U. S. (or Canada, or the U. K., or wherever), even for a visit. My goal here is to lay out the truth, share some of my experiences with you, and perhaps help you to get through some of the same difficulties, which invariably occur. 

When you arrive in Israel, feel free to leave a comment here to be in touch. Let me know what I can do to help you. What may seem overwhelming to you, I may think is old hat. If I do not know the answer, I will probably know how to ask. But, there is a catch. Well, it is not really a catch, at least not one you will mind. When you have been here, even for just a short while, please try to be available to help the next immigrants who arrive. This is the key: Immigrants identifying with one another, understanding what it is like, learning, sometimes stumbling, getting up again, and then passing it on to the next immigrant.