Jerusalem Needs A New Logo

11 of the Fourth Month 5767

I've been meaning to post something about this logo for a while. Since the related banners and neon signs still line the streets of Jerusalem, it is still not too late. 

If you are like me, then without its caption, you might have guessed this to be a logo, but not the 40-Year Unified Jerusalem Celebration Logo. That is, in fact, what it is.

The logo is supposed to be based on the number "40." The top of the "4" is supposed to be Migdal David, Kind David's Tower, and the horizontal line of the "4" is supposed to be a crown (castle-like) motif, representing the top edge of the walls of the Old City.

That is what it was meant to be represented here in this logo. But personally, that is not at all what I see.

I see a rat.

The top of the "4" does not appear to me to be King David's Tower, but rather an ear. The crown motif does not appear to me as the Old City's wall, but rather teeth. The left-facing point of the "4" appears to me to be a nose. The "0" is the body, and the bottom end of the "4," the tail.

I suppose one could look at this like a test of visual perception, hmm...or perhaps even a test of personality, like the Rorschach Test.

But rather than judge me for what I personally see in this logo, think about what this reveals about what may have been buried [not too deeply] in their minds of the logo designers.

While we celebrate, the leaders in the Israeli government are plotting and planning to gnaw away at the country, and Holy City, not just physically, but also spiritually,...just like rats.

Haveil Havalim #121 Is Up!

Rosh Hodesh of the Fourth Month 5767

Edition #121 of the Haveil Havalim Blog Carnival is up at Random Thoughts, hosted by Jack.

It's the "Abbas's Day" Edition, as it's Fathers' Day in the U. S.

But, it's certainly NOT Abbas's day!"

Submit your blog article to the next edition of Haveil Havalim using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Arab Infiltration of K'far Tapu'ah!

Erev Shabbath Qodesh Parshath Qorah
Erev Rosh Hodesh of the Fourth Month 5767

Last night Arab thieves infiltrated K'far Tapu'ah, and stole the Hertzlich Family flock of goats and sheep, for the second time this year.

Click this link for a video report by Yekuti'el Ben-Ya'akov, which includes footage of the IDF and the Tapu'ah Response Team entering the Arab Village of Yassuf to retrieve some of the flock.

They're Still Here

Erev Shabbath Qodesh Parshath Qorah
Ereve Rosh Hodesh of the Fourth Month 5767

For years now, I have been investigating the presence of U. S. troops in Israel.

I have been laughed at, scoffed at, ridiculed, but worse, I have been told, "Yeah, so what?"

One like-minded colleague has repeatedly told me, "Ya'aqov, I'm afraid it's inevitable. Review Navi Zekhariyah, chapers 12-14...." The "Nations" are destined to take Jerusalem.

Various theories have been proposed as to how "they" will arrive. At this point, it seems likely that "they" are none other than Americans, and that "they" may be arriving in any number of ways.

First of all, some of them are already here. So, the question really isn't "How will the troops arrive," it's "How will the rest of the troops arrive."

Remember, U. S. troops have already been here since 2002, "protecting" us from potential scud attacks from Iraq, by manning anti-missile defenses.


The BBC reported that, according to Israeli government spokesman Ra'anan Gissin, only 1,000 American troops were expected.

Only 1,000? I don't have any evidence to refute that only 1,000 arrived at that particular point in time.

However, since then, several sightings have been reported of U. S. troops entering through Ashdod in the middle of the night, and heading north, possibly to a base in the Petah Tiqwah area (2005).

Sightings of U. S. Troops have also been made near the Tapu'ah Junction and the entrance to the town of Eli in the Shomron.

Yet, another 2005 report places U. S. troops in the Negev Desert, engaging in joint exercises with the Israeli Defense Forces [IDF].

And just this Sunday, Arutz 7 reported Joint Israeli-American Exercises in the South:

"Israel and the United States will carry out joint Air Force exercises beginning on Sunday. The exercises will take place in the Negev.

"The exercises will include responses to varied forms of attack. They will last for approximately one week."

So, now that U. S. Troops are here, and have been here already for a while, how WILL the rest of 'them' arrive?"

Theory 1: After Iraq, "they" would go into Syria, and then conveniently enter Israel through the Golan Heights, probably invited to do so by the Israeli government itself. It's likes the idea of "international peace-keepers," even though such endeavors have failed in Lebanon, and will undoubtedly fail in Azza, that is if the Arabs ever let them in, in the first place. The Americans, and perhaps others, will be invited to monitor any "peace" agreement with Syria. That's theory number one.

Theory 2: Americans will be invited in to assist the IDF in expelling Jews from their homes in Yehudah and Shomron (Judea & Samaria) in one fell swoop. The Israeli government's thinking is that there will be less of an issue for foreign troops to expel Jews from their homes. The government, or rather the shadow government, the ones who are really running the country, already may be anticipating that a great number of soldiers will refuse to carry out their orders to expel Jews from their homes, many more than the 62 soldiers which preferred to sit jail than to carry out such orders in Azza and the Northern Shomron.

I already mentioned hints of this plan back in the winter of 5765 (February, 2005) in Conspiracy Theory Or Possibility?

They simply do not have enough non-Jewish, nasty YaSa"Mniqs (special riot police) to accomplish the kind of operation it has in mind. Perhaps you're thinking that will never happen, now that most everyone, including those on the center-left, have acknowledged that the last expulsion from Azza and the Northern Shomron was a complete disaster, and too expensive.

Well, you now know better. The government is not terribly concerned with public opinion, unless, of course, it can be manipulated through cleverly constructed polls. Former Prime Minister Sharon's (YSh"W) Likud Party carried out a referendum on the 2005 expulsion. Sixty-three percent of Likud members voting were against it. Sharon, in his own words, "carried out the expulsion plan anyway."

Theory 3: The Americans will be joined by troops from other countries in the form of an "international peace-keeping force" in Azza, only a hop, skip, and a jump away from S'deroth, Ashqelon, and Ashdod.

Actually, foreign troops, other than those from the U. S., have already been sighted in Israel as well. Before the 2005 expulsion, protesters encountered men wearing IDF uniforms who did not speak a word of Hebrew.

Theory 4: Remember the failed "international peace-keeping force" in Lebanon? They are hop, skip, and a jump away from Methulah, Qiriyath Shemonah, and Nahariyah.

But, my money is on the proverbial "All Of The Above."

HaShem Yishmor Otanu!

May God help us.

************************************

Information on the underground base in Petah Tiqwah was provided by Barry Chamish.

The S'deroth Conspiracy

27 of the Third Month 5767

The other day, I wrote to No'am Bedein, the founder of the Sderot Media Center. I wanted to compliment him on the great interview he gave to the BBC World Service. This was an incredible feat to accomplish, as the interview was being conducted by an inherently anti-Israel news station, and even more so with an Arab resident of Azza on the line as well, spewing out lie after lie.

No'am wrote back, asking me what I thought of the situation in Sderot. To reply, I just started writing, and I ended up producing the following...

"...What do I think of S'deroth? They're all sitting ducks. The government is made up of Erev Rav for the most part. I have a theory, but no proof, that the government continually tries to gain sympathy from the 'international community' [by publicizing how victimized we are]. This time, they're not doing enough to protect the Negev, [in order] to gain that sympathy."

Where did I get that from?

Thirteen years ago, in the city of Hevron, some time before Purim, posters in Arabic began to appear, bearing phrases on lines of....

"We're going to finish what Haman started!"

The plot was well known. But then Prime Minister Yitzhaq Rabin YSh"W and Foreign Minister Shimon Peres YSh"W sat on their hands, doing nothing to prevent the impending Arab threat of Purim violence.

Then after Baruch Goldstein HY"D gave up his life in Qedushath HaShem on that very Purim, the Hevron Arabs' large weapons stash was discovered.

The Arabs were not planning a surprise Purim bash, or rather bashing, for Jews nearby. It was going to be an all out massacre!

The theory is, and I must admit, it is just a theory, that the Jews of Hevron were to be sacrificed on the "Alter Of Peace."

Israel was not only supposed to gain favor in the eyes of the international community, because of the massacre. The government would also get rid of those religious "thorns in their side," in one fell swoop....frosting on the cake.

This would even ease a withdrawal of the Jewish presence in Hevron, further demonstration to the Big Brothers in UN, US, and EU of Israel's willingness to fulfill their end of the illegally-negotiated Oslo Accords, even in the face of terrorism.

That brings us back to S'deroth. The Israeli government is perfectly capable of wiping out any and all Kassam missile threats. Instead, it sent the IDF out to bomb soccer fields. And when it finally had to start bombing the real threats, it called in advance to warn civilians to evacuate certain areas slating for bombing. Of course, the terrorists and their equipment escaped, too, but that didn't matter. All that mattered to the Israeli government was not upsetting the goyim.

Do you think that the U. S. has ever called in advance to warn civilians in Iraq or Afghanistan? No. The U. S. even has a special name for such civilians. You know it, collateral damage.

That's not how the Israel government operates, though. Repeating the same old mistakes over again, expecting different results, Israel winds up the PR machine, and lets it loose, regardless of the cost. Residents of S'deroth are sitting ducks, forsaken by Olmert and Peres, used by Livni, and I don't know what by Peretz. I'm sure he doesn't know either. Perhaps he expects them to find solace in the news that El Al is even naming it's latest Boeing 777 "Sderot." I'm sure that will drum up some additional publicity.

In the mean time, it looks like the Almighty is having mercy on us by taking care of what we should be doing:

Haniyeh's Office Hit by Fatah Shells
Fatah YSh"W Hits Hamas YSh"W

Then 27 minutes later....

Abbas's Office Hit by Mortar Shells
Hamas YSh"W Hits Fatah YSh"W

Israel looks to the goyim for validation. The Almighty uses them as tools for His work....

**************************

For your regularly-updated, inside look at news from Sderot, visit the Sderot Media Center.

Top 12 Reasons to Live in Israel

24 of the Third Month 5767

Rafi G. at Life In Israel made me do this....

Here are my Top 12 Reasons to live in Israel:

12. Not missing the same desert weather, beaches, and plant life of Southern California. It's all here!

11. You don't have to be a doctor, a lawyer, or an accountant in order to be a highly respected member of the Jewish community.

10. "Rabbi" IS an acceptable career choice for a "nice Jewish boy."

9. Jewish farmers: Yep! They really exist.

8. Not having to save up all of your sick days at work, in order to take off Jewish holidays

7. Sunday is a regular workday here; Saturday isn't.

6. You don't have to wear a tie to work...yet.

5. The simple, everyday act of commuting to work can be a lesson in ancient, Jewish history and geography.

4. Having deep discussions with complete strangers on the bus, deeper than most people in the U. S. have with their friends

3. Connecting with Jews from around the world, and having to communicate with wach other in Hebrew, because it's only language we know in common.

2. People are closer with each other; relationships are more intimate than in the U. S.


And the Number 1 reason to live in Israel is...


1. It's the Homeland of the Jewish People.

*****************************

Check out more Top 12's and other Jewish and Israeli blog posts on this week's edition of the Haveil Havalim Blog Carnival (#120).

My Journey to the U. S. Embassy

18 of the Third Month 5767

I obtained my current U. S. passport just before I hopped on the plane to Israel. That was almost 10 years ago. So, it was time to get it renewed. It was also time for me to find out if the horror stories I had heard U. S. Citizen Services in Israel were true.

U. S. Consulate, Jerusalem
Going to the U. S. Consulate on the "East Side" of Jerusalem was out of the question. I am positive it would aggravate me to no end. So, for my own mental health and spiritual state of mind, I ruled out this option.

I had written several times to Secretaries Of State Albright, Powell, and Rice about the dangers to visibly-Jewish Americans wishing to make their way to the U. S. Consulate in the eastern part of Jerusalem. I also pointed out that Americans do not live anywhere near this location. How many Arab-Americans in Israel are there? The U. S. Consulate location on Agron Street would be much more convenient for the great number of Americans living in the Rehaviah and Nahla'oth neighborhoods right down the street, with the Qatoman, Baq'a, and Ma'aloth Dafnah neighborhoods only a short bus ride away. The safety and convenience of Jews do not seem to be high on the priority list of the U. S. State Department. And, as you have already guessed, I never received a response any of the above-mentioned Secretaries of State, not Democrat, not Republican.

One horror story came to me from my friend "Derech HaMelech," who went to the consulate on the "East Side" to register his first-born child as an American born abroad. He had to go there three times, with infant in-tow, in order to accomplish his appointed task.... The first two times he was kicked out, physically removed by security. I kid you not! The first removal scenario went something like this:

Clerk: No, you don't have the correct documents. You'll have to come back.

DHM: Well, alright. Would you please tell me which documents I need to bring?

Clerk: You can look that up on-line.

DHM: Could you please give me a list of what I can bring?

Clerk: Security!

At the risk of being accused of being a racist... Yes, she was an Arab.

By the way, DHM and his wife successfully registered their child as an American born abroad. The child's place of birth was listed as "Jerusalem." notice anything missing? That's right. The U. S. government, or rather the U. S. State Department, does not recognize Jerusalem as being part of Israel, at least not in our passports.

Now that's what I call true "Islamophobia:" Fear of Islamic opinion, sentiment, and...retribution.

U. S. Embassy, Tel-Aviv
American citizens visiting the U. S. Embassy in Tel-Aviv have also reported their share of horror stories. The main complaint came from my fellow Jews living on the eastern side of something called the "Green Line." I have never actually seen any green line, but Leftists insist on its existence. They obviously haven't studied Tana"kh (Bible) as much as I have. But I digress....

The complaint was that of harassment, in the form of an interrogation regarding their respective residences:

Where's that?

Is that in the "territories?"

Why do you live there?

Etc....

I don't just live in the Shomron (Samaria); I live in the [in]famous K'far Tapu'ah. One of these days I intend to shatter the myths of this town, as it's disappointingly nothing what the media has made it out to be. But, in the meantime, I was a bit nervous writing down my correct address. Then I realized: What do I care? They'll either give me a passport or they won't. There's nothing I can do about it,...not now anyway.

Every one with whom I had spoken, who had visited the embassy before me, made the same, two recommendations:

1. Speak English,...not Hebrew... I dunno. Why wouldn't I?

2. Remember that I'm technically IN the U. S., not Israel: ACT AMERICAN, NOT ISRAELI. Again, why wouldn't I? Although I must admit, I did have to concentrate on this. There are certain words in English we [acclimated] Americans in Israel simply do not use, like "excuse me" or "hello." Instead it's "slihah" and "shalom."

Well, after my experience at the embassy, I am afraid that I will have to disappoint you. Other than the 1 hr. 45 min. wait, everything went off without a hitch. I must also tell you that the two rules above were completely useless.

All of the security guards, both inside and outside of the embassy, were Israeli. Although they all spoke English, of course, none of them even flinched when I spoke to them in my [barely ;-) ] noticeably American-accented Hebrew. These men and women are trained to detect a security threat a mile away. I suppose that was their only real concern.

I actually forgot that I was entering a U. S. government building, until I entered the main waiting area. Even then, I heard several families speaking Hebrew or "half-and-half." Not only that, but many us spoke to the [all Israeli] clerks in Hebrew as well. I began with my clerk in English, was overly polite, and asked her a question about how to answer some of the questions on the application form for a new passport, like permanent residence. Did she want a U. S. address or an Israeli address? Did she prefer that I write address on my self-addressed, stamped envelop in English of Hebrew?

I must admit that I am an airhead when it comes to these kind of things. But when the clerk responded with a hint of impatience, I knew exactly what I needed to do. I immediately switched to Hebrew, told her no problem, and speedily wrote my Jerusalem mailing address on the envelop in Hebrew.

She stuck with English, but said I could finish filling out the application on my own, and then take it to the cashier.

She didn't care where I lived.

The printable application on the embassy's website mentioned that anyone submitting photos wearing a head covering would also have to submit a declaration accompanying the photos, stating that the head covering is worn for religious reasons. Yet, none of the Americans in the waiting area, with whom I spoke, knew anything about this, nor was this mentioned to me by the clerk. Perhaps the covering of ones head is so common place in Israel, they just assume that it's for religious reasons, or more likely, this is just necessary when applying by mail. My last passport shows me with a kippah. I don't remember this ever being an issue.

We'll see for sure that neither of these issues raised an eyebrow when I actually receive my passport, reportedly within the next three weeks.

In the meantime, it's men's day at the [religious] beach, and I don't intend to waste a trip to Tel-Aviv, nor the sharav (heat wave).

******************************
Judy Lash Balint provides us with a nice overview of the current situation of the U. S. Embassy and Consulates in Israel.

Haveil Havalim #118

10 of the Third Month 5767



I would like to begin this edition of the Haveil Havalim Blog Carnival with some reflections,...some meta-blogging reflections.

But, first, I had better introduce and/or remind those of you reading this what the Haveil Havalim Blog Carnival is:

Haveil Havalim is a carnival of Jewish blogs -- a weekly collection of Jewish & Israeli blog highlights, tidbits and points of interest collected from blogs all around the world. It's hosted by different bloggers each week and coordinated by Soccer Dad. The term 'Haveil Havalim,' which means "Vanity of Vanities," is from Qoheleth, (Ecclesiastes) which was written by King Solomon. King Solomon built the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and later on got all bogged down in materialism and other 'excesses' and realized that it was nothing but 'hevel,' or in English, 'vanities.'

Before I first hosted Haveil Havalim, only about four months ago with edition #101, a fellow blogger sent me the link to a blog entry, and asked me if I had seen it, yet.

I hadn't. It was somehow connected to a "Jewish" blog which I abhorred, and found to be juvenile, ridiculous, offensive, and horribly misguided. I previous had on-line "dealings" with the owner of that blog, and found this individual to be...juvenile, ridiculous, offensive, and horribly misguided. This got me thinking. What if this individual submitted a blog post to Haveil Havalim while it was my turn to host? It was suggested to me by the same experienced and helpful, fellow blogger who sent me that link, somewhat connected with that juvenile, ridiculous, offensive, and horribly misguided blogger, that while hosting, I would have to consider including submissions of ALL blog posts, even those with which I disagreed.

I am NOT a pluralist. Although I have some surprisingly open views regarding some issues, I have even more very narrow views on others, such as Torah and Israel. I have been called a "right-wing extremist," a "religious fanatic," and even a "Jewish terrorist" (See this cute post from Satiricohen). I'm not sure where they got that last one from, unless they witnessed me not so politely, giving various drivers of UN vehicles directions to Ben-Gurion International Airport, where they would be able to catch the next flight OUT of Israel. But, that couldn't possibly be an act of terrorism, as the laughter of the UN workers clearly indicated that they had not been terrorized. Besides, where I come from originally, that's just called civil disobedience. Go figure. But I digress....

I asked myself, as someone with such narrow views, "How could I possibly host a pluralistic blog carnival?"

It was too late. I had already made the commitment. "I need to follow though on my commitments" was the repetitive response resounding in my head. So, I took it upon myself as a challenge. Recently, I had been exercising my open-mindedness muscles. This would be a test of their tolerance and stamina.

Now, to me, open-mindedness means listening, or in this case reading, as well as trying to understand,...but not necessarily agreeing with everything I read or was trying to understand.

But, still I asked myself, "Wouldn't I be compromising my principles by condoning and supporting pluralism?" Even though I was only really organizing a series of opinions on issues, could I possibly allow myself to help publicize those blogs, with which I adamantly disagreed?

I'll be completely honest. I didn't know the answer to this question; I still don't know the answer to this question.

A few months pass, and guess what happens, a blog entry I had submitted, Pork Is Still Not Kosher, was rejected because it was "offensive." OK. So, it wouldn't be the first time that one of my blog entries was considered offensive. No big whoop.

But, wait a minute. Wasn't this supposed to be a pluralistic blog carnival? Not only that, but it was considered "offensive" by none other than someone who self-identifies as "religious" (Read: Orthodox) and "right-wing."

I asked Soccer Dad what the pluralistic story was. He basically said, "Nope. There really aren't any guidelines." He said it a lot more eloquently, though.

Why I didn't ask him this question about hosting guidelines four months ago, I have absolutely no idea. Just slipped my mind, I suppose.

But, now at least you know. The cat's out of the bag. Quite possibly, many of you are already best friends with the cat or hate the cat, and have already been making informed decisions about whether to volunteer to be a host,...or not.

No guidelines, not yet, at least....

Until then, I guess blog hosts can get away with holding readers hostage with long and involved introductions. Well, hey, you could've skipped it, right?

Meanwhile, I believe that Soccer Dad is wondering why I had to turn the nice, little cat, that was in the bag for some of us, into a potentially ferocious monster.

OK. Now, let's get to it....


Torah:

In light of the fortieth anniversay of the recapture, and subsequent giving up, of Har HaBayith (Temple Mount), Rabbi David Bar-Hayim gives us an overview of our connection with the Miqdash (Temple) as a nation.

Sultan Knish takes a look at who is a Jew, or rather...who is called "Yehudi."

Reb Chaim HaQoton examines the misswah of mezuzah, and its implications for women.

Liorah, Walking On Fire, provides her take on the Parshath haSotah, while Faith at "That's So Queer" delves into the prohibition against getting tattooed.

Rafi of Life In Israel reflects on some Halachic terminology which disturbs him.

Israel:

Batya's reflections In G-d's Honor move us into the Israel section of Haveil Havalim, as it truly exemplifies the connection between Torah and the Land. Her story of traveling and trying to get into Qever Rahel reminds us that life in Israel can be adventurous, yet challenging. Was the chaos intentional?

Another spiritual connection is made with the Land by Rabbi Neil Fleischman through his reflections and poetry in Jerusalem And Other Heart Thoughts

David Bernstein of The Volokh Conspiracy gives us two posts about life in Israel, one about the Iraqi Jewish experience and one about the true identity of some non-Jews, which will probably surprise you.

To add to the recent buzz and controversy surrounding Jewish-Christian dialog here in Israel, I find that Yisrael at My Right Word decided to give it a go, and if Israel IS a "Jewish state," Yisrael wants to know why people get excited when we demand rights for Jews.

Boker Tov, Boulder! gives her team recommendations for Israeli leadership, and I tell you why I believe that the National Religious Party has really done it this time. Batya at Me-Ander seems to agree with me,...at least in part.


Israel In The News:

First up in the news, Joe Settler wants to know who's reading your mail?

Avi at Tel-Chai Nation reports on the on-going battles of the IDF vs. Hamas YSh"W. Freedom Fighter at Joshuapundit analyzes the situation and Israel's choices, and gives his recommendations. Seawitch also gives an overview of recent events in and around Azza, but also covers Lebanon, in Palestinian & Lebanese Casualties.

Marty Peretz at The Spine wonders who those "Palestinian refugees" are anyway.

By the way, who are Palestinians anyway?

Schvach Yid chimes in with his take on the Middle East.

Meryl Yourish reminds us Why Checkpoints cannot be dismantled.

Posted at Barbara's Tchatzkahs Alana Suskin shows a much different take on Israeli policy in Yehudah and Shomron. Barbara also brings us Ralph Peters A Taste For Terror.

Then there's more on the Qassam Rocket Attacks from Back Spin.

And to wrap up news from the south, I wanted to make sure you are aware of No'am Bedein's work getting the news directly out of Sderoth, and into your homes. No'am is a student at the Sderoth College, and experiences the latest headline news first hand. His latest post is video special, "Behind The Headlines." (Thanks to Sultan Knish for pointing me to this link.)

Batya muses on one result of the rocket attacks.

Regardless of ones political and religious views, attending to the news in Israel can be intense. Only yesterday, there was a shoot out in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Armon HaNatziv, as Avi reports.

On the lighter side of things, Smooth Stone posts for us "Israel's Good Deeds Around the World" from the Israel Highway.

Israeli "Slices Of Life:"

Ra'anana Ramblings fruitlessly tries to tame her father-in-law's shopping habits in "These Bags Overfloweth."

Jameel @ The Muqata recounts the true story of a Hebrew word mix-up between father and son, which may cause you to do a double-take.

And, check in with West Bank Mama how your kids' sports teams may act a little differently in Israel than in other countries.

Baka Diary gives us The Good, The Bad and The Ugly sides of life in Israel.

Finally, Doodlehead gives the ultimate slice of life in Israel of a yeshivah bokhur with some stuff, no clocks.


With Torah and Israel, the combination of the two brings us to two recent holidays:

1. Shavu'oth, not only the Z'man Matan Torah (commemoration of the giving of Torah), but also Hag HaBikkurim, the bringing of the First Fruits in the Land of Israel to the Beth HaMiqdash and Hag HaQatzir, the festival of reaping, expressed in the bringing of the two breads made from the first reaping of wheat to Beth HaMiqdash as well.

2. Yom Yerushalayim, the day commemorating the recapture and reunification of Jerusalem, this year marking its fortieth year.

Shavu'oth:

Batya asks Do You? Or Don't You? (learn all Shavuot night). And Alan of Laz-A-Fare looks into this custom of learning all night and the full meaning of its connection with Shavu'oth.

Heaven Will Split, a nice Shavu'oth memory comes from Seraphic Secret

The next two could have been placed under humor, but since it's the season....

Hesh of Frum Satire gives us,...well,...a "unique" perspective on Shavu'oth.

Dzeni of "Not Quite Perfect" also lightens things up a bit with her Shavu'ot 5767 edition of the Sinai Star Journal.

Yom Yerushalayim:


Daniel Pinner discovers a hidden miracle of the Six Day War, forty years ago.

And, David Wilder reminds us that it was also the fortieth anniversary of the Liberation Of Hevron.



Aggadoth:
(stories)

Bloggers can be great story-tellers, so why not have a special story section?

But, before you read Rafi's "Good Sportsmanship," you had better get the kleenex.

Robert of Seraphic Secret also reminds us that Jewish aggadoth can be poignant and personal in "Ties That Bind."

News from Outside of the Homeland:

Jameel @ The Muqata reports on the NYPD harassment of a YU student, and "brings it home" with a comparison to a similar situation in Israel.

Jan at Secular Blasphemy reports on the Norwegian government's tricky business...with Hamas YSh"W.

Smooth Stone and Yid With Lid and have had about enough with Amnesty International or Am-Nasty International, as Yid calls it. Yid With Lid also reports on Holocaust records being opened and their implications for the future.

Bookworm reports on a Nobel Laureate who doesn't take a British boycott of Israeli products lying down.

Former US President Jimmy Carter was in the news this week. See what Yid says regarding President Carter's comments about a certain colleague, and what Cheat Seeking Missiles says about a ruckus being caused by his book.


Media Watch:

Here's a media bias item from My Right Word, this one on the Brazenly Balanced BBC.

Soccer Dad looks at the Washington Post's Post's Leap Of Logic, regarding the current predicament of the Israeli leadership.

And Yid With Lid looks into the mind of New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman.

Photo-trickery in Azza? Elder Of Zion thinks so in Three Photographers Two Wire Services

Omri at Mere Rhetoric wants to know the answer to the question: The Zionists Are So Evil They Even Stop Ambulances At Checkpoints. Why Would They Do Such A Thing? Don't worry. This is not one of those posts which challenged my open-mindedness.

Music:

Hey, guess whose birthday was just last week. I'll give you a hint: He's musical. For the answer, though, you'll have to ask Scott of the Powerline Blog.


Sports:

Did you know that the first Israeli was recently selected to play in the WNBA?

I was not aware of that. Read more about Shai Doron courtesy of Mark at Sportsyids.


Humor:

Satiricohen of the Israeli Satire Laboratory publishes a ground-breaking interview with a little known participant in a failed genocide attempt.

Snoopy The Goon at Simply Jews tries to put to rest some myths surrounding a Zionist plot.


Meta-Blogging:
(blogging about blogging)

Dag gives us a moving, personal experience of a great side benefit to the JBlogosphere.

Rabbi Without A Cause receives a threat of being "outted", and must defend himself,...in a very clever way. He also wasn't sure if this post should be categorized as Torah, humor, or neither. I say it's meta-blogging!

And, so now that this week's Meta-Blogging Edition (Have you figured out why I called it that, yet?) of the Haveilim Havalim has been concluded, you are probably wondering how challenging it was to my open-mindedness muscles. Well, to be honest, yes, it was challenging in places. But, I believe I was fair. In other words....

Please submit your complaints to the management.

By the way, who won this year's JIB Awards anyway?! Inquiring minds want to know....

Please send your posts for next week's edition of the Haveil Havalim Blog Carnival via the Blog Carnival Submission Form. I found this to be very helpful in organizing your posts this week. Plus, it doesn't look like we have a host for next week, so there wouldn't be any other place to send your links to. If you're interested in hosting please contact Soccer Dad at dhgerstman at hotmail dot com.

...And speaking of blog carnivals, check out this month's Kosher Cooking Carnival hosted by Batya at Me-Ander, and the current edition of the bi-monthly JPix Blog Carnival hosted by Rafi at Life In Israel.

NRP: They've Really Done It This Time

Erev Shabbath Qodesh Parshath Naso 5767

Hillel Fendel of Arutz 7 reports that National Religious Party [NRP] MK Zevulun Orlev claims to have 56% public support for his recently introduced, Sabbath-Sunday Bill.

"Orlev's bill would change the official approach to Sabbath as the country's day of rest. Though businesses and government offices would continue to be closed, places of entertainment would be permitted to open - and public transportation, now banned in most cities on the Sabbath, would be available for that purpose. The bill stipulates that such transportation and entertainment would be carried out with maximum sensitivity to the religious public."

This has come up before in the Knesseth. Former MK Yosef "Tommy" Lapid of the ardently secular, and now pretty much defunct, Shinu'i Party had proposed this change.

Yes. You DID you read that correctly: The arch-secularists were the last to propose such a bill.

What is Orlev thinking?!

I'll tell you what he is thinking. Recently, the NRP voted to include non-religious party members. At the time I believed that this decision was made out of desperation, in an attempt to revive a dying political party, and to secure their precious seats in Knesseth:

The "National Religious Party: Discuss Amongst Yourselves"

Not only does this blatant act of encouraging public Shabbath desecration support my suspicions, it goes further by showing just how desperate the NRP really is.

Orlev's spokesman, Moshe Inbar confirms this, saying that:

...that lumping the two sectors [religious-zionist and traditional] together is in keeping with the NRP's new policy of "opening its gates" to the traditional community.

The blatant manipulation of the polls to produce a statistically insignificant figure of 56% is irrelevant. This proposed bill reveals even more of the already exposed true colors of the NRP:

What the people want (Read: what will get us re-elected) is more important than what The Almighty wants, following Torah.

Fortunately, Rabbi MK Yitzhak Levy, formerly of the NRP, and now of the National Union Party, remains the voice of reason within the "National Religious Camp," saying that the bill paves the way for further deterioration in the character of the Sabbath in the State of Israel.

This reveals something else, which those of you who have been paying attention have already been noticing for the past several years:

There are TWO "National Religious Camps," not one, one which cares about Torah, and holds it in place where it should be held, above Israeli, secular law, and another, which,...well...how can say this?...does not, and wants to tell you that "it's a lot more complicated than that."

It's not.

There's no better word to describe men like MK Zevulun Orlev than a word used in Yiddish:

Shaigetz*

Well, now that I've put down MK Zevulun Orlev's idiocy from the the perspective of the right, I'll go you one further, and argue from the perspectives of the center and of the left.

Remember how I mentioned that such a bill had been proposed before?

Well, for reasons, right or wrong, then Education Minister Limor Livnat (Likud) adamantly opposed Lapid's bill, suggesting that if a two-day weekend should be created, then it should be Friday-Saturday. Government offices were already moving toward a Friday-Saturday weekend, and schools could easily be adapted to do the same. Friday was already only a half-day in schools. Since the late 1990's some high schools had already begun to opt for longer school days Sunday through Thursday, in exchange for Fridays off.

In fact, then Minister Livnat eventually pushed through a shift for all schools to begin moving toward a Friday-Saturday weekend, arguing that extending the regular school day, and closing schools on the already "half-day" Friday would save millions of sheqqels.

That shift has now almost been completed, and for quite some time, we all thought the former MK Lapid's dream of turning Israel into a "proper," European country was dead.

Then, along came a spider...by the name of Orlev.

From the left, I am very surprised that no one, to the best of my knowledge, has raised the issue of the Muslim work week, in which many take Fridays off. Friday is also a celebratory day in the Muslim calendar. It would make sense to make the Israeli weekend Friday and Saturday, both for pragmatic reasons, and in order to foster unity amongst Jews and Arabs (gag!).

Perhaps Mere"tz Party members are also more concerned with their precious seats in Knesseth, than with their Arab buddies, knowing full well, that your average Israeli on the street is right of center, and couldn't care less about Arabs, and wouldn't even flinch, and maybe even crack a smile, as well as crack open a bottle of champaign, if they were to disappear suddenly.

***********************************

*Shaigetz - adapted from the Hebrew sheqetz, a reference to creepy-crawly things on four legs as an abomination, not to be eaten (Lev. 11:20-23).

The Pigs Frown Today

3 of the Third Month 5767

Previously, I opined on the issue of Jewish-Christian dialog and cooperation in Pork Is Still Not Kosher.

A special committee of the Chief Rabbinate in Israel was debating whether to allow such participation in an upcoming Jewish-Christian womens event.

I am happy to announce that after some reconsideration, the rabbinic Committee to Stop Missionary Dissemination reaffirmed its ruling to ban participation in this event.

Rabbi MK Benny Elon, head of the Knesset Christian Allies Caucus, was not pleased by the decision, but said he would, of course, honor it.

The committee members ruling unanimously against event participation included:

Rabbi Simha Kook, Chief Rabbi of Rehovoth
Rabbai Yitzhak Peretz, Ra'anana
Rabbi Sha'ar-Yashuv HaKohen,* Chief Rabbi of Haifa

(*replacing the absent Rabbi Yehuda Deri, Be'er Sheva)

In addition, Ze'ev Shtieglitz of the anti-missionary organization Lev L'Achim believes that he can put any questions to rest regarding the motivations and activities of organizations previously considered "innocent" of any wrong-doing.


...he has evidence of actual missionary activity by these groups. "For instance," he told Arutz-7, "ICEJ Liaison Officer Doron Schneider is the head of the Messianic Jewish community in Maaleh Adumim... The pastor of the Brit Olam Jewish-messianic congregation received his salaray from Bridges for Peace... But more than that: Dr. George Giacumakis, the one-time Chairman of the Board of Trustees of ICEJ, has said straight out that it is hoped, through various 'friendship' organizations with Jews, and by giving financial and political support to Israel, that Jews will start showing interest in Christianity."

I'll bet you never knew there was a "messianic Jewish community" in Ma'aleh Adumim.

...or in Ariel

...or in Beth-Shemesh

It' time that you knew.

The full story by Hillel Fendel about the committee's ruling can be read here.