The latest publication to chime in on the idea of excommunication for Bernie Madoff is the Evening Standard, across the pond. From the quotes they used, it looks like they translated from the Hebrew interview in Ha'aretz. See the comments at http://londonersdiary.standard.co.uk/2009/01/barred-from-bar.html
To see all of my Madoff postings, click on Madoff .
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Israel and Gaza: Required Reading for Jan. 11
From the feedback I've been getting, people are really looking to understand what's going on, and in particular, to be able to respond to all the distortions that are out there. So, as we wait for the ice to melt this morning, some Israel-related material to look at:
On the local level, check out Rhonna Rogol's letter to the Advocate today .
For the latest, see http://www.dailyalert.org/
Israel: No More Restraint in Face of Rocket Fire - Lally Weymouth
Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said in an interview: "I don't like the term 'ceasefire,' since it looks like an agreement between two legitimate sides. At the end of the day, this is not a conflict between two states but a fight against terror." "In six months Hamas has changed the range of its missiles from 20 kilometers to 50 kilometers. This now threatens 1 million Israelis. We need to know that at the end of this military operation, we will not face the rearmament of Hamas." "We are not looking to reoccupy Gaza and we do not want to control the Palestinians....The only way to continue the peace process is not only by continuing the dialogue with their pragmatic leadership, but also by weakening those who are not willing to live in peace in this region." (Newsweek)
IDF YouTube Channel (Israel Defense Forces)
Jerusalem: "Diplomatic Window for Truce Still Open" - Roni SoferJerusalem sources said on Sunday that the window of opportunity for arriving at a diplomatic agreement for a ceasefire in Gaza will remain open for two to three more days. Israel is giving the diplomatic process a chance, but, barring any groundbreaking political surprises, there will be no choice but to expand the military operation. (Ynet News)
Liberate the Palestinians from Hamas - Bernard-Henri Levy (New Republic)
No government in the world would tolerate having thousands of shells falling on its cities year after year. The most remarkable thing in the affair, the true surprise, is not Israel's "brutality"; it is its restraint.
The fact that Hamas' Kassam and, now, its Grad missiles have caused so few deaths does not prove that they are inoffensive, but that the Israelis protect themselves, that they live burrowed under shelter: a nightmarish existence, with the sound of sirens and explosions.
The fact that the Israeli shells create so many victims does not mean that Israel is engaging in a deliberate "massacre," but that the leaders of Gaza have chosen to expose their populations, relying on the old tactic of the "human shield."
The Palestinians' worst enemies are the extremist leaders who have never wanted peace, have never wanted a state and never conceived of one for their people other than as an instrument and as a hostage.
IDF: 300 Hamas Men Killed in Ground Operation - Hanan GreenbergA senior IDF officer estimated Saturday that roughly 300 Hamas men have been killed since the army launched its ground incursion in Gaza. "Hundreds of people were killed in the various combat sectors," the officer said. "Some Hamas companies were simply wiped out. We also see cases of desertions." Earlier Saturday, the IDF killed Hamas' rocket chief in the Gaza City area, Amir Mansi. The senior officer said that shortly before his death Mansi clashed with his subordinates, who refused to come out of their hideouts. Mansi was left with no choice but to launch mortar shells himself, and was killed after being identified by the army. (Ynet News)
Hamas Rejects Diplomatic Initiatives - Ron Ben-Yishai The Security Council's resolution and the Egyptian-French efforts aimed at securing a stable ceasefire have failed thus far. The resolution is no more than a declaration aimed at appeasing Arab foreign ministers and showing that the United States and Europe are willing to mitigate the pressure exerted on them in the Arab world. The resolution's text contains no practical steps that would advance Israel's demand for a stable, long-term ceasefire. Hamas rejected the Security Council's decision and continued to fire rockets at Israel. The Egyptian-French mediation effort is also stuck because Hamas rejected it. (Ynet News) See also The Egyptian-French Plan to Bring Fatah Back to Gaza - James Bone and Martin Fletcher (Times-UK)
Palestinian Rockets Hit Beersheba Sunday - Yanir YagnaTwo rockets fired by Palestinians in Gaza on Sunday struck the Israeli city of Beersheba. On Saturday, at least 21 Palestinian rockets hit Israeli territory, wounding 14 people. Kassam rockets slammed into apartment buildings in Ashkelon, while the city center sustained another Kassam strike. Two Grad rockets were launched into Ashdod. (Ha'aretz)
In Defense of Israel - Editorial
The paramilitary overlords of the Gaza Strip use civilians routinely for protection in the knowledge that many will be sacrificed to Israeli airstrikes. Unlike the IDF, they deliberately target civilians with their own rockets. At least 70 such rockets were launched from Gaza into Israel in December. This was the criminal act that triggered the current crisis. Hamas has explicitly rejected a two-state solution. It exists chiefly to promote a nihilistic doctrine of self-defense through terror, and to foster a delusional pan-Islamism with no tolerance for unbelievers, let alone a Jewish state. The way to end this war is not to abandon Israel. It is to defeat Hamas. (Times-UK)
Arab Reaction to Gaza Conflict: Anger at Israel, But Scant Support for Hamas - David PollockEven after two weeks of fighting in Gaza, Arab officials are showing remarkably little support for Hamas, even as they express strong outrage at Israeli behavior and sympathy for Gaza's civilians. Contrary to common perception, no evidence exists that this situation is "radicalizing" or "destabilizing" the region, or even strengthening Hamas politically. So far, Arab reactions suggest a real opportunity to weaken, isolate, and ultimately marginalize Hamas. (Washington Institute for Near East Policy)
No Way Forward While the Hamas Hydra Lives - Amir Taheri
Hamas has forged an alliance with Iran based on President Ahmadinejad's strategy of "wiping Israel off the map." Israelis see Hamas as one of the two arms of a pincer, along with Iranian-funded Hizbullah in Lebanon, that Tehran is building against them. Israel's war aims are clear: end the rocket attacks, reopen Gaza to other Palestinian parties and eliminate the Iranian presence. This means creating a new status quo in which Hamas is not the dominant party in Gaza. Hamas is part of a pan-Islamist movement with global messianic ambitions. Creating a Palestinian state in Gaza and the West Bank is not its aim. Hamas is the Arab acronym for "Islamic Resistance Movement," making it clear that the movement regards Palestine not as a nation in its own right but as a small part of the ummah, the community of believers. Cutting Hamas down to size would be good not only for Israel but also for the Palestinian people, more specifically the people of Gaza. (Times-UK)
Israel's Gaza Offensive Also Confronts Iran - Con Coughlin
While the Israeli military's immediate focus is to destroy Hamas' ability to terrorize Israel's southern border, the military campaign should be seen within the wider context of Israel's growing resolve to deal with the combined danger of Iran's continuing support for Islamic terrorist groups and its controversial uranium enrichment program. The Israeli government sees both of these as direct threats to the country's existence. The Israeli authorities are deeply alarmed by Iran's continued support for radical Islamic groups located on the country's northern and southern borders, both of which are committed to Israel's ultimate destruction. The Grad rockets provided by Iran mean that Hamas now has the capability to hit targets deep within Israel's heartland, a development that precipitated the Israeli government's decision to launch the current offensive in Gaza. Few in Israel are under any illusions that the main enemy they have to confront, whether it is in Gaza or South Lebanon, is Iran, and that the military offensive against Hamas is merely the start of a broader campaign to curb the Iranian threat. (Telegraph-UK)
From my colleague, Rabbi Jack Moline, on Religion and Ethics Newsweekly: Is Gaza A Just War?: War is very bad business. No one with an ounce of compassion wants to cause suffering to innocents, heartbreak to parents or terror to civilians. But when those without that ounce of compassion promote suffering, heartbreak or terror, then the only inappropriate response is no response at all.
Olmert: IDF closer to achieving its Gaza goals, will press ahead
European Jews plan series of rallies to counter anti-Israel sentiment across continent (Ha'aretz)
Thousands turn out for London, Manchester pro-Israel rallies
'It was important for Anglo-Jewry to show solidarity,' says participant; organizers: 20,000 at rally
IAF: Hamas tried to down plane with anti-aircraft missile Aircraft undamaged in weekend incident; 24 Palestinians reported dead in clashes in Gaza City suburb of Sheikh Ajleen. (JPost)
Families in the South find welcome respite from the war Thousands of Israelis have opened their homes.
An open letter to Annie Lennox For your information, this country is full of civilians, too.
Obama Won't Deal with Hamas (Jerusalem Post) The incoming Obama administration will not abandon President George Bush's doctrine of isolating Hamas, the Obama transition team's chief national security spokeswoman, Brooke Anderson, told the Jerusalem Post. President-elect Barack Obama "has repeatedly stated that he believes that Hamas is a terrorist organization dedicated to Israel's destruction, and that we should not deal with them until they recognize Israel, renounce violence, and abide by past agreements," she said in a statement.
There's nothing better than first hand information: A listing of some good Israeli blogs can be found at http://judaism.about.com/od/israeliblogs/Israeli_Blogs.htm
From www.Jewcy.com
WHEN ROCKETS HIT YOUR HOME
By Neal Ungerleider
(Not Quite) Live From Beersheva
I was going to write a post about how American students and expats in Beersheva were dealing with being under rocket attack. But apparently, a Grad landed behind my apartment complex a few hours ago.
Shmuel Rosner: The Two-Sided Argument Over Gaza
Material from Barry Rubin, of the Gloria Center, an Israeli think tank:
Ending The Gaza War: Choices, Not Solutions Last December, Hamas unilaterally ended its ceasefire with Israel and escalated the kind of cross-border attacks continually attempted even during the ceasefire. [more]
The Gaza War: A Small Part of The Nationalist Islamist Conflict In decades to come, when the Middle East's history for this era is written, the current war in Gaza will be deemed a skirmish in the great Arab-Persian; Sunni-Shia; Arab nationalist-Islamist [more]
The Rules of War and The Rules of Logic A major problem in debating about international issues nowadays is that it is so often hard or even impossible to respect our adversaries. It is quite possible to disagree with someone but [more]
Recent Quotes from Hamas:
“Neither the liberation of the Gaza Strip nor the liberation of the West Bank or even Jerusalem will suffice us. Hamas will pursue the armed struggle until the liberation of all our lands. We don’t recognize the State of Israel or its right to hold onto one inch of Palestine.”
Dr. Mahmud Al-Zahar, Hamas leader in Gaza, Jerusalem Post, August 18, 2005
Hamas Charter
“Israel will rise and will remain erect until Islam eliminates it as it had eliminated its predecessors.”
“For our struggle against the Jews is extremely wide ranging and grave, so much so that it will need all the loyal efforts we can wield, to be followed by further steps and reinforced by successive battalions from the multifarious Arab and Islamic world, until the enemies are defeated and Allah’s victory prevails.”
From a mother of a new Israeli soldier who was called up:
Our son finished his 17-month gruelling training in an elite commando unit last Thurs night. On Friday his unit prepared equipment, then returned home for Shabbat. He was called to report for service on Shabbat eve, before we had benched. This was the first time the phone had rung in our home on Shabbat that we recall. In the hour before he left, we read together some poetry, Coleridge and Blake, Wordsworth--romantics who defied social institutions with their embodied eros, and Mary Wollestonecraft's introduction to Vindication of the Rights of Women. I shiver with our embrace at the threshold of our home, at the threshold of shabbat and desecration, at the seam of peace and war.
We have not yet heard from him. It is impossible to imagine this, the most difficult thing that I have ever faced. There are no words to describe the anguish of killing and vulnerability, the mixture of Zionist conviction and empathy with suffering, how much humanity is compromised in the struggle for safety for our human life. The sheer fear for the life that we birthed, nurtured, raised, love beyond any comprehension.Bezalel is a builder of sacred vessels. May he and all of our dear ones speedily return to their life missions, bodies and souls intact.I share with you love in the midst of blood.
May we create peace.
On the local level, check out Rhonna Rogol's letter to the Advocate today .
For the latest, see http://www.dailyalert.org/
Israel: No More Restraint in Face of Rocket Fire - Lally Weymouth
Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said in an interview: "I don't like the term 'ceasefire,' since it looks like an agreement between two legitimate sides. At the end of the day, this is not a conflict between two states but a fight against terror." "In six months Hamas has changed the range of its missiles from 20 kilometers to 50 kilometers. This now threatens 1 million Israelis. We need to know that at the end of this military operation, we will not face the rearmament of Hamas." "We are not looking to reoccupy Gaza and we do not want to control the Palestinians....The only way to continue the peace process is not only by continuing the dialogue with their pragmatic leadership, but also by weakening those who are not willing to live in peace in this region." (Newsweek)
IDF YouTube Channel (Israel Defense Forces)
Jerusalem: "Diplomatic Window for Truce Still Open" - Roni SoferJerusalem sources said on Sunday that the window of opportunity for arriving at a diplomatic agreement for a ceasefire in Gaza will remain open for two to three more days. Israel is giving the diplomatic process a chance, but, barring any groundbreaking political surprises, there will be no choice but to expand the military operation. (Ynet News)
Liberate the Palestinians from Hamas - Bernard-Henri Levy (New Republic)
No government in the world would tolerate having thousands of shells falling on its cities year after year. The most remarkable thing in the affair, the true surprise, is not Israel's "brutality"; it is its restraint.
The fact that Hamas' Kassam and, now, its Grad missiles have caused so few deaths does not prove that they are inoffensive, but that the Israelis protect themselves, that they live burrowed under shelter: a nightmarish existence, with the sound of sirens and explosions.
The fact that the Israeli shells create so many victims does not mean that Israel is engaging in a deliberate "massacre," but that the leaders of Gaza have chosen to expose their populations, relying on the old tactic of the "human shield."
The Palestinians' worst enemies are the extremist leaders who have never wanted peace, have never wanted a state and never conceived of one for their people other than as an instrument and as a hostage.
IDF: 300 Hamas Men Killed in Ground Operation - Hanan GreenbergA senior IDF officer estimated Saturday that roughly 300 Hamas men have been killed since the army launched its ground incursion in Gaza. "Hundreds of people were killed in the various combat sectors," the officer said. "Some Hamas companies were simply wiped out. We also see cases of desertions." Earlier Saturday, the IDF killed Hamas' rocket chief in the Gaza City area, Amir Mansi. The senior officer said that shortly before his death Mansi clashed with his subordinates, who refused to come out of their hideouts. Mansi was left with no choice but to launch mortar shells himself, and was killed after being identified by the army. (Ynet News)
Hamas Rejects Diplomatic Initiatives - Ron Ben-Yishai The Security Council's resolution and the Egyptian-French efforts aimed at securing a stable ceasefire have failed thus far. The resolution is no more than a declaration aimed at appeasing Arab foreign ministers and showing that the United States and Europe are willing to mitigate the pressure exerted on them in the Arab world. The resolution's text contains no practical steps that would advance Israel's demand for a stable, long-term ceasefire. Hamas rejected the Security Council's decision and continued to fire rockets at Israel. The Egyptian-French mediation effort is also stuck because Hamas rejected it. (Ynet News) See also The Egyptian-French Plan to Bring Fatah Back to Gaza - James Bone and Martin Fletcher (Times-UK)
Palestinian Rockets Hit Beersheba Sunday - Yanir YagnaTwo rockets fired by Palestinians in Gaza on Sunday struck the Israeli city of Beersheba. On Saturday, at least 21 Palestinian rockets hit Israeli territory, wounding 14 people. Kassam rockets slammed into apartment buildings in Ashkelon, while the city center sustained another Kassam strike. Two Grad rockets were launched into Ashdod. (Ha'aretz)
In Defense of Israel - Editorial
The paramilitary overlords of the Gaza Strip use civilians routinely for protection in the knowledge that many will be sacrificed to Israeli airstrikes. Unlike the IDF, they deliberately target civilians with their own rockets. At least 70 such rockets were launched from Gaza into Israel in December. This was the criminal act that triggered the current crisis. Hamas has explicitly rejected a two-state solution. It exists chiefly to promote a nihilistic doctrine of self-defense through terror, and to foster a delusional pan-Islamism with no tolerance for unbelievers, let alone a Jewish state. The way to end this war is not to abandon Israel. It is to defeat Hamas. (Times-UK)
Arab Reaction to Gaza Conflict: Anger at Israel, But Scant Support for Hamas - David PollockEven after two weeks of fighting in Gaza, Arab officials are showing remarkably little support for Hamas, even as they express strong outrage at Israeli behavior and sympathy for Gaza's civilians. Contrary to common perception, no evidence exists that this situation is "radicalizing" or "destabilizing" the region, or even strengthening Hamas politically. So far, Arab reactions suggest a real opportunity to weaken, isolate, and ultimately marginalize Hamas. (Washington Institute for Near East Policy)
No Way Forward While the Hamas Hydra Lives - Amir Taheri
Hamas has forged an alliance with Iran based on President Ahmadinejad's strategy of "wiping Israel off the map." Israelis see Hamas as one of the two arms of a pincer, along with Iranian-funded Hizbullah in Lebanon, that Tehran is building against them. Israel's war aims are clear: end the rocket attacks, reopen Gaza to other Palestinian parties and eliminate the Iranian presence. This means creating a new status quo in which Hamas is not the dominant party in Gaza. Hamas is part of a pan-Islamist movement with global messianic ambitions. Creating a Palestinian state in Gaza and the West Bank is not its aim. Hamas is the Arab acronym for "Islamic Resistance Movement," making it clear that the movement regards Palestine not as a nation in its own right but as a small part of the ummah, the community of believers. Cutting Hamas down to size would be good not only for Israel but also for the Palestinian people, more specifically the people of Gaza. (Times-UK)
Israel's Gaza Offensive Also Confronts Iran - Con Coughlin
While the Israeli military's immediate focus is to destroy Hamas' ability to terrorize Israel's southern border, the military campaign should be seen within the wider context of Israel's growing resolve to deal with the combined danger of Iran's continuing support for Islamic terrorist groups and its controversial uranium enrichment program. The Israeli government sees both of these as direct threats to the country's existence. The Israeli authorities are deeply alarmed by Iran's continued support for radical Islamic groups located on the country's northern and southern borders, both of which are committed to Israel's ultimate destruction. The Grad rockets provided by Iran mean that Hamas now has the capability to hit targets deep within Israel's heartland, a development that precipitated the Israeli government's decision to launch the current offensive in Gaza. Few in Israel are under any illusions that the main enemy they have to confront, whether it is in Gaza or South Lebanon, is Iran, and that the military offensive against Hamas is merely the start of a broader campaign to curb the Iranian threat. (Telegraph-UK)
From my colleague, Rabbi Jack Moline, on Religion and Ethics Newsweekly: Is Gaza A Just War?: War is very bad business. No one with an ounce of compassion wants to cause suffering to innocents, heartbreak to parents or terror to civilians. But when those without that ounce of compassion promote suffering, heartbreak or terror, then the only inappropriate response is no response at all.
Olmert: IDF closer to achieving its Gaza goals, will press ahead
European Jews plan series of rallies to counter anti-Israel sentiment across continent (Ha'aretz)
Thousands turn out for London, Manchester pro-Israel rallies
'It was important for Anglo-Jewry to show solidarity,' says participant; organizers: 20,000 at rally
IAF: Hamas tried to down plane with anti-aircraft missile Aircraft undamaged in weekend incident; 24 Palestinians reported dead in clashes in Gaza City suburb of Sheikh Ajleen. (JPost)
Families in the South find welcome respite from the war Thousands of Israelis have opened their homes.
An open letter to Annie Lennox For your information, this country is full of civilians, too.
Obama Won't Deal with Hamas (Jerusalem Post) The incoming Obama administration will not abandon President George Bush's doctrine of isolating Hamas, the Obama transition team's chief national security spokeswoman, Brooke Anderson, told the Jerusalem Post. President-elect Barack Obama "has repeatedly stated that he believes that Hamas is a terrorist organization dedicated to Israel's destruction, and that we should not deal with them until they recognize Israel, renounce violence, and abide by past agreements," she said in a statement.
There's nothing better than first hand information: A listing of some good Israeli blogs can be found at http://judaism.about.com/od/israeliblogs/Israeli_Blogs.htm
From www.Jewcy.com
WHEN ROCKETS HIT YOUR HOME
By Neal Ungerleider
(Not Quite) Live From Beersheva
I was going to write a post about how American students and expats in Beersheva were dealing with being under rocket attack. But apparently, a Grad landed behind my apartment complex a few hours ago.
Also see.. (from Jewcy)
How Liberals Arrive at "We Are Hamas"
by Josh Strawn, "WE ARE HAMAS," said protestors in London on January 3rd. Welcome to 2009, and to the thoroughly postmodern, ahistorical, depoliticized, world in which we live. And if the reader will kindly forgive the initial barrage of academic ... [Read more]
How Liberals Arrive at "We Are Hamas"
by Josh Strawn, "WE ARE HAMAS," said protestors in London on January 3rd. Welcome to 2009, and to the thoroughly postmodern, ahistorical, depoliticized, world in which we live. And if the reader will kindly forgive the initial barrage of academic ... [Read more]
Tough Love: Moral Choices in the Gaza War By Haim Watzman, Making Difficult Choices in Wartime
Shmuel Rosner: The Two-Sided Argument Over Gaza
Material from Barry Rubin, of the Gloria Center, an Israeli think tank:
Ending The Gaza War: Choices, Not Solutions Last December, Hamas unilaterally ended its ceasefire with Israel and escalated the kind of cross-border attacks continually attempted even during the ceasefire. [more]
The Gaza War: A Small Part of The Nationalist Islamist Conflict In decades to come, when the Middle East's history for this era is written, the current war in Gaza will be deemed a skirmish in the great Arab-Persian; Sunni-Shia; Arab nationalist-Islamist [more]
The Rules of War and The Rules of Logic A major problem in debating about international issues nowadays is that it is so often hard or even impossible to respect our adversaries. It is quite possible to disagree with someone but [more]
January 11, 2009
Let's say that you love the Palestinians, are sympathetic to Arabs, and are indifferent to Israel.
Presumably, you would favor an immediate ceasefire to stop Palestinian suffering. But what else? What next? What is the solution from your point of view, from the Palestinian point of view?
The answer is: you should support the downfall of the Hamas government in the Gaza Strip. Let me explain why:...
Presumably, you would favor an immediate ceasefire to stop Palestinian suffering. But what else? What next? What is the solution from your point of view, from the Palestinian point of view?
The answer is: you should support the downfall of the Hamas government in the Gaza Strip. Let me explain why:...
Recent Quotes from Hamas:
“Neither the liberation of the Gaza Strip nor the liberation of the West Bank or even Jerusalem will suffice us. Hamas will pursue the armed struggle until the liberation of all our lands. We don’t recognize the State of Israel or its right to hold onto one inch of Palestine.”
Dr. Mahmud Al-Zahar, Hamas leader in Gaza, Jerusalem Post, August 18, 2005
Hamas Charter
“Israel will rise and will remain erect until Islam eliminates it as it had eliminated its predecessors.”
“For our struggle against the Jews is extremely wide ranging and grave, so much so that it will need all the loyal efforts we can wield, to be followed by further steps and reinforced by successive battalions from the multifarious Arab and Islamic world, until the enemies are defeated and Allah’s victory prevails.”
From a mother of a new Israeli soldier who was called up:
Our son finished his 17-month gruelling training in an elite commando unit last Thurs night. On Friday his unit prepared equipment, then returned home for Shabbat. He was called to report for service on Shabbat eve, before we had benched. This was the first time the phone had rung in our home on Shabbat that we recall. In the hour before he left, we read together some poetry, Coleridge and Blake, Wordsworth--romantics who defied social institutions with their embodied eros, and Mary Wollestonecraft's introduction to Vindication of the Rights of Women. I shiver with our embrace at the threshold of our home, at the threshold of shabbat and desecration, at the seam of peace and war.
We have not yet heard from him. It is impossible to imagine this, the most difficult thing that I have ever faced. There are no words to describe the anguish of killing and vulnerability, the mixture of Zionist conviction and empathy with suffering, how much humanity is compromised in the struggle for safety for our human life. The sheer fear for the life that we birthed, nurtured, raised, love beyond any comprehension.Bezalel is a builder of sacred vessels. May he and all of our dear ones speedily return to their life missions, bodies and souls intact.I share with you love in the midst of blood.
May we create peace.
A Blessing for Dina
In yesterday's portion of Vayechi, Jacob blesses his sons. But his one daughter, Dina, goes unblessed. In a modern midrash, TBE's Karen Hainbach rectifies that problem, imagining what a blessing for Dina would have (ou should have) contained, as uttered not by Jacob, but by her mother Leah. My thanks to Karen for this creative feminist midrash, which had its "world premier" at our Sisterhood Shabbat yesterday:
D’Var Torah for Parashat Vayechi
By Karen Hayworth Hainbach
Temple Beth El, Stamford, CT
The only mention of Leah’s death in the Torah consists of 5 words, when Jacob charges his sons to bury him in the Cave of Machpelah with his ancestors: “there Abraham and his wife Sarah were buried; there Isaac and his wife Rebekah were buried; and there I buried Leah”.¹ In contrast, no fewer than 73 verses of Vayechi are devoted to Jacob’s demise.²
There is a simple explanation for this disparity. A shepherd, watching the green grass grow as his sheep graze, enjoys plenty of time to record His-Story, chiseling events painstakingly in stone. A multi-tasking mother of seven, bouncing a baby on her hip while stirring a savory lamb stew, supervising her toddlers, and otherwise overseeing the household, lacks leisure for this pastoral pastime. Instead, she relates her tale to her daughters, as they spin, weave, sew,
and sweep the endless sand drifts out of the tent. And her daughters pass on Her-Story to future generations by word of mouth, and this is how we know………..
The Midrash of Dina’s Blessing
Dina: When Aunt Rachel died in childbirth on the journey from Beth El to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem,³ my father Jacob was inconsolable in his grief. My mother Leah, mourning the loss of her childhood playmate and confidante and all the happy times they shared before Father drove a wedge between them, shared his loss and strived in vain to comfort him. But, as always, Leah was no substitute for Rachel in their husband’s eyes. Insensitive as ever, my father rejected Leah mercilessly.
I blame the double loss of Rachel’s and Jacob’s companionship, as much as my mother’s anguish over my rape at the hands of Shechem,4 for her untimely death, shortly before our arrival at Mamre, at Kiriat-arba – now Hebron. Weary from child-bearing and -rearing, and endless trudging through the desert, not to mention watering all those camels!, my mother Leah summoned all the women of the camp, when she sensed her impending demise. And thus did she bless me, for all to hear:
Leah: “Following the tradition of Abraham and Isaac, Jacob will surely bless his sons before he dies.5 But I doubt that he will take much notice of his only daughter, especially since she was born unto me, instead of his beloved Rachel. But, Dina, thou, too, art worthy of parental blessing! Therefore, will I bless thee this day, before all the women of our household, for I know not how many days are left unto me.
“My darling daughter Dina, thou art a builder of bridges, a peaceful proselytizer, a wounded wanderer. With 12 brothers and no sisters as exemplars, it is no wonder that thou didst develop into a strong, independent and fearless adventuress. When, one by one, the youths left thee behind in order to tend their flocks, thy curious nature did prompt thee to explore the wider world beyond our tribe.
“Thou ventured forth alone to meet the daughters of the land,6 and stretched forth thy hand in peace to all whom thou encountered. Thou didst form friendships with the maidens, studying their skills and their songs. And thou didst spread the fame of our One God, Adonai, the loving, merciful God of Sarah, Rebecca and Rachel. Thou didst dream of uniting all the children of Adonai in harmony.
“Alas! All the good that thou accomplished was destroyed by Shechem’s act of violence and thy brothers’ savage vengeance.7 Generations will come and go, before peace will be restored between the children of Israel and their neighboring nations.
“In your distress, may ye be comforted and sustained amidst the sisterhood of our household. Through their ministrations, will Adonai grant thee a refuah shlema for thy ravished body and vanquished spirit. Thy confidence in thyself and thy faith in mankind must be restored. Then shalt thou regain the courage to embrace strangers, and once again offer gracious hospitality, following the tradition of Sarah, Rebecca and Rachel.
“Thou shalt be blessed with the loving loyalty and devotion of a gentle husband who adores thee as thy father did cherish thy Aunt Rachel. Thou art destined to become the mother of multitudes, bringing forth even more sons and daughters than were granted unto me. May thy faith in Adonai be steadfast, and may Adonai always answer the worthy prayers of thy heart.”
Dina: And upon finishing this blessing, my mother Leah was gathered unto her ancestors, amidst great lamentation and weeping. And Jacob did lay her to rest in the Cave of Machpelah, where she lies to this day, his eternal companion, with no rival at last.
¹ Gen., Ch. 49, v. 31
² Gen., Ch. 47, v. 28-31; Gen., Ch. 48, v. 1-22; Gen., Ch. 49, v. 1-33; Gen., Ch. 50, v. 1-14
³ Gen., Ch. 35, v. 16-21; Gen., Ch. 48, v. 7
4 Gen., Ch. 34, v. 2
5 Gen., Ch. 24, v. 36; Gen., Ch. 25, v. 5-6; Gen. Ch. 27, v. 1-40; Gen. Ch. 28, v. 1-4
6 Gen., Ch. 34, v. 1
7 Gen., Ch. 34, v. 25-29
D’Var Torah for Parashat Vayechi
By Karen Hayworth Hainbach
Temple Beth El, Stamford, CT
January 10, 2009
Among other events chronicled in Vayechi, we learn of the passing of our Matriarch Leah, and Jacob’s deathbed blessing of his sons. However, the text is silent as to the details of Leah’s last days, the cause of her death and the funeral rites accorded to this venerable mother of six of the 12 Tribes of Israel.
The only mention of Leah’s death in the Torah consists of 5 words, when Jacob charges his sons to bury him in the Cave of Machpelah with his ancestors: “there Abraham and his wife Sarah were buried; there Isaac and his wife Rebekah were buried; and there I buried Leah”.¹ In contrast, no fewer than 73 verses of Vayechi are devoted to Jacob’s demise.²
There is a simple explanation for this disparity. A shepherd, watching the green grass grow as his sheep graze, enjoys plenty of time to record His-Story, chiseling events painstakingly in stone. A multi-tasking mother of seven, bouncing a baby on her hip while stirring a savory lamb stew, supervising her toddlers, and otherwise overseeing the household, lacks leisure for this pastoral pastime. Instead, she relates her tale to her daughters, as they spin, weave, sew,
and sweep the endless sand drifts out of the tent. And her daughters pass on Her-Story to future generations by word of mouth, and this is how we know………..
The Midrash of Dina’s Blessing
Dina: When Aunt Rachel died in childbirth on the journey from Beth El to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem,³ my father Jacob was inconsolable in his grief. My mother Leah, mourning the loss of her childhood playmate and confidante and all the happy times they shared before Father drove a wedge between them, shared his loss and strived in vain to comfort him. But, as always, Leah was no substitute for Rachel in their husband’s eyes. Insensitive as ever, my father rejected Leah mercilessly.
I blame the double loss of Rachel’s and Jacob’s companionship, as much as my mother’s anguish over my rape at the hands of Shechem,4 for her untimely death, shortly before our arrival at Mamre, at Kiriat-arba – now Hebron. Weary from child-bearing and -rearing, and endless trudging through the desert, not to mention watering all those camels!, my mother Leah summoned all the women of the camp, when she sensed her impending demise. And thus did she bless me, for all to hear:
Leah: “Following the tradition of Abraham and Isaac, Jacob will surely bless his sons before he dies.5 But I doubt that he will take much notice of his only daughter, especially since she was born unto me, instead of his beloved Rachel. But, Dina, thou, too, art worthy of parental blessing! Therefore, will I bless thee this day, before all the women of our household, for I know not how many days are left unto me.
“My darling daughter Dina, thou art a builder of bridges, a peaceful proselytizer, a wounded wanderer. With 12 brothers and no sisters as exemplars, it is no wonder that thou didst develop into a strong, independent and fearless adventuress. When, one by one, the youths left thee behind in order to tend their flocks, thy curious nature did prompt thee to explore the wider world beyond our tribe.
“Thou ventured forth alone to meet the daughters of the land,6 and stretched forth thy hand in peace to all whom thou encountered. Thou didst form friendships with the maidens, studying their skills and their songs. And thou didst spread the fame of our One God, Adonai, the loving, merciful God of Sarah, Rebecca and Rachel. Thou didst dream of uniting all the children of Adonai in harmony.
“Alas! All the good that thou accomplished was destroyed by Shechem’s act of violence and thy brothers’ savage vengeance.7 Generations will come and go, before peace will be restored between the children of Israel and their neighboring nations.
“In your distress, may ye be comforted and sustained amidst the sisterhood of our household. Through their ministrations, will Adonai grant thee a refuah shlema for thy ravished body and vanquished spirit. Thy confidence in thyself and thy faith in mankind must be restored. Then shalt thou regain the courage to embrace strangers, and once again offer gracious hospitality, following the tradition of Sarah, Rebecca and Rachel.
“Thou shalt be blessed with the loving loyalty and devotion of a gentle husband who adores thee as thy father did cherish thy Aunt Rachel. Thou art destined to become the mother of multitudes, bringing forth even more sons and daughters than were granted unto me. May thy faith in Adonai be steadfast, and may Adonai always answer the worthy prayers of thy heart.”
Dina: And upon finishing this blessing, my mother Leah was gathered unto her ancestors, amidst great lamentation and weeping. And Jacob did lay her to rest in the Cave of Machpelah, where she lies to this day, his eternal companion, with no rival at last.
¹ Gen., Ch. 49, v. 31
² Gen., Ch. 47, v. 28-31; Gen., Ch. 48, v. 1-22; Gen., Ch. 49, v. 1-33; Gen., Ch. 50, v. 1-14
³ Gen., Ch. 35, v. 16-21; Gen., Ch. 48, v. 7
4 Gen., Ch. 34, v. 2
5 Gen., Ch. 24, v. 36; Gen., Ch. 25, v. 5-6; Gen. Ch. 27, v. 1-40; Gen. Ch. 28, v. 1-4
6 Gen., Ch. 34, v. 1
7 Gen., Ch. 34, v. 25-29
Friday, January 9, 2009
Shabbat-O-Gram for January 9
There are weeks when Shabbat comes just in the nick of time. Come to think of it, that happens just about every week for me! So that's why I figured with all the bad news going on in the world, I'd begin this Shabbat-O-Gram with a photo of a Pidyon ha-Ben ceremony we had in our chapel just yesterday morning. Mazal tov to Jeff and Theresa Gladstein, parents (and to Gary Gladstein, grandfather), to our Resident Cohen, Kenneth Jay Cohen and most of all to Matthew Ryan Gladstein, the guest of honor.
This Shabbat we welcome Anne Lapidus Lerner of JTS as our scholar in residence.
Please join us for all three lectures:
Friday evening: Rereading Creation: Is Gender Hierarchy Part of the Divine Plan? Services begin at 7:30 p.m (NOTE THE TIME). We'll be in the lobby, using our new siddurim and new service guides for the first time!
Shabbat morning following morning services: The Fruit Uneaten: Fresh Approaches to the Knowledge of Good and Bad
Saturday following lunch: From Expulsion to Celebration: Eve in the Real World
The Synaplex Scholar in Residence Program is sponsored by Penny and Michael Horowitz in memory of Bessie Silver and Millie Reiss, z”l. We are most grateful to them.
Click here for the full Synaplex schedule for tomorrow. There's lots happening!
Special thanks to Karen Hayworth Hainbach and Linda Simon for the love and effort that they put into Sisterhood Shabbat, which tomorrow will be extra special, as we'll be using our new Shabbat siddurim for the first time. Thanks also to Norma and Milton Mann, for sponsoring the new, revised service guides that we'll also be unveiling.
Shabbat Shalom - let it be a Shabbat of peace and good news for us all!
Israel and Gaza: Required Reading for January 9
My comments from last night's Solidarity Rally:
A prayer – a prayer for all the children…
For Jews and for Arabs, Israelis and Palestinians. For Isaac and for Ishmael.
A prayer for Jafar, the Palestinian infant from Gaza who was given life-saving heart surgery this past week at the Wolfson Medical Center near Tel Aviv. Jafar joins the 1,000 or so Palestinian children, and 1,000 more children from developing countries, who have received vital surgery in Israel from the medical volunteers thanks to the Israeli charity known as Save a Child's Heart.
A prayer for the children of Gaza, held hostage, sometimes literally held, by Hamas terrorists in their heartless, callous strategy of employing human shields to cover up their inhuman, cowardly tracks.
A prayer for the children of Sderot and southern Israel – for Tamir Abukasis, whose body was shielded from the shrapnel of a Kassam missile by his older sister Ella, one day a few years ago. Tamir escaped with relatively minor wounds when the rocket fell and exploded alongside them, but Ella was fatally wounded.
A prayer. A prayer for my children, and your children and grandchildren, and Barack Obama’s children.
A prayer that this madness cease so that they might grow up in a world without fear, without the chance that our world will be ruled by those who target the weak and the innocent, by those who do not hesitate to put children directly into the line of fire, without a moment’s pause or a hint of conscience.
Thank God for the state of Israel, a state that values innocent life so much that they call you on your cell before defending themselves from terrorists seeking refuge in your building.
Thank God for the state of Israel, a state that values innocent life so much that they call you on your cell before defending themselves from terrorists seeking refuge in your building.
Thank God for the people of Israel, a people that opens its arms to all who seek peace, to all who truly wish to live in harmony with them.
Thank God for the armed forces of Israel, who again and again have been the first line of defense for the entire civilized world against those whose mortal enemy is hope and prime target is innocence itself.
Thank God for the partnership between America and Israel, which is so rock-solid and bi-partisan, and so based on common values that not even the most cynically distorted presentations in the media can break it.
And thank God for the Jewish people, whose loyalty to what is right and good never shakes, whose love of Israel is unbounded and who heed, every day, the lessons taught by our Torah- that above all we must love our neighbor, and that love must radiate outward to the entire world.
But most of all, we pray… for the children.
On the UN Truce Resolution: It all seems to come down to how to prevent Hamas from re-arming.
From Ha'aretz:
Israel rejects UN truce resolution, continues Gaza operation
See also: EU diplomats: Egypt's refusal to station foreign troops on Gaza border holding up truce
And ANALYSIS / What happens next in Gaza depends largely on Mubarak
From the Jerusalem Post:
The anti-Israel lobby
Olmert: Gaza op to continue, UNSC resolution not practical -Security Cabinet rejects permanent cease-fire resolution; Livni: Israel's actions are based solely on its security needs and right for self-defense.
David HorovitzThe foulest fight
Time running out for an escalationThe pause can't last long as the IDF is most vulnerable when it's static.
And for a little comic relief: Live from Gaza, it's ... Joe the Plumber?
From YNet:
Is world being distracted (Is this an Iranian ploy to cover it's nuclear program)?
Disaster in Gaza : Killing of civilians in Gaza a terrible disaster and should be acknowledged as such
From Israel 21c:
Finding the Other Voice in Gaza and Sderot- Can one man's voice start a revolution? In the Middle East, not one, but two men's voices have united in the hopes of creating peace in the region. Under the aliases of "Hope Man" and "Peace Man," the two men blog together about the human and emotional side of the ongoing conflict from their homes in Gaza, the Palestinian Authority, and Sderot, Israel. Their voices have sparked a mini-revolution that leads to daily and weekly phone calls between Israelis and Palestinians, a unique lifeline of hope and support for the people in the rocket-hit communities of Sderot and Gaza.
From the Shalom Hartman Institute
War and ethics in the IDF ethical code: The ethical code integrates proportionality and restriction into IDF operational policy, our attempt at maintaining moral integrity in way we handle conflict militarily
The latest from Israel: Myths and Facts:
The UN Security Council has adopted Resolution 1860 calling for a cease-fire in Israel's war with Hamas. It is a remarkable document that acknowledges only one party in the conflict and it is not the one that started the war. While Israel is mentioned five times in the resolution, the word "Hamas" shockingly does not appear once. Well, it would be shocking to anyone unfamiliar with the UN's history.
The resolution talks about Israeli withdrawal, the humanitarian issues in Gaza, and declared that Gaza will be part of a Palestinian state. Nowhere, however, does it condemn the more than 450 rockets that Hamas has fired just since the war began, let alone the roughly 6,000 it launched at Israeli civilians in the preceding three years.
What is more surprising is that the Bush Administration abstained on the resolution even though it had earlier said it would not accept such a one-sided resolution, and a few years ago said it would not support resolutions that did not explicitly mention the name of the terrorist organizations responsible for violence against Israel.
As in the case of the Hizballah War, the UN has stepped in to prevent Israel from exercising its legal right, and moral obligation to defend its citizens. If Israel prematurely accepts the resolution it is likely to end this war as it did the last, with its enemies able to claim victory and the Hamas leadership and arsenal sufficiently intact to resume its terror campaign in the future.
Stories From The Gaza War You May Have Missed 2 (January 8, 2009)
Videos
Hamas Mortar Crews Operating in Jebaliya Hours Before Incident at UNRWA School (Hamas' al-Aqsa TV 1/6/09)
Palestinian Terrorists Use UN Ambulance [LiveLeak]
Two Palestinian Girls Killed By Qassam Misfire
Five-year-old Hanin Abu Khoussa and her 12-year-old cousin, Sabah Abu Khoussa were killed in their home on December 27, 2008, by a missile fired by Hamas. These two young girls don't live in Israel; they lived in Beit Lahiya, in northern Gaza. They died when a missile intended to kill Israelis misfired and killed them instead.
- Jerusalem Post (December 27, 2008)
Humanitarian Aid for Gazans
On 4 January CARE and partner organizations delivered 7,000 blankets to Gaza residents along with plastic sheets and heaters.
-UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
On January 7, 2009, the IDF suspended its operation for three hours to allow Palestinians to acquire basic necessities, replenish stock and seek aid from the various international organizations operating within the Gaza Strip. Israel also allowed approximately 80 trucks carrying medicine, medical supplies and basic food commodities to pass into Gaza along with approximately half a million liters of heavy duty diesel and 60,000 liters of fuel.
The day before Israel allowed into Gaza 57 trucks loaded with flour, powdered milk, barley, animal feed, medical supplies and medication. Israel also transferred a shipment of hypochlorite to meet water needs and worked with the International Committee of the Red Cross to repair a power line leading in to Gaza City.
Also, Nahal Oz fuel depot operated and conveyed 215,000 liters of heavy duty diesel (required for the Gaza power station), 93,000 liters of diesel for the use of various UN organizations and 50 tons of cooking gas for domestic uses.
In addition to allowing thousands of tons of humanitarian aid into Gaza, Israel has transferred 2,000 units of blood donated by Jordan; 5 ambulances donated by Turkey; and 5 ambulances transferred from the West Bank on behalf of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society.
-Embassy of Israel, Washington, DC, (January 6-7, 2009)
The Fundamentalism of Hamas
On "Meet the Press," David Gregory read an excerpt from a book by panelist Jeffrey Goldberg of The Atlantic, who wrote about Nizar Rayyan, the Hamas leader who was killed by Israel during the current offensive. Goldberg, who had interviewed Rayyan, wrote:
"The question I wrestle with constantly is whether Hamas is truly, theologically implacable. That is to say, whether the organization can remain true to its understanding of Islamic law and God's word and yet enter into a long-term nonaggression treaty with Israel. I tend to think not, though I've noticed over the years a certain plasticity of belief among some Hamas ideologues. ... There was no flexibility with Rayyan. This is what he said when I asked him if he could envision a 50-year hudna (or cease-fire) with Israel: 'The only reason to have a hudna is to prepare yourself for the final battle. We don't need 50 years to prepare ourselves for the final battle with Israel.' There is no chance, he said, that true Islam would ever allow a Jewish state to survive in the Muslim Middle East. 'Israel is an impossibility. It is an offense against God.' ... What are our crimes? I asked Rayyan. 'You are murderers of the prophets and you have closed your ears to the Messenger of Allah,' he said. 'Jews tried to kill the Prophet, peace be unto him. All throughout history, you have stood in opposition to the word of God.' Can Israel achieve deterrence with someone like that?"
-"Meet the Press," January 4, 2009
With the Senate's resolution behind us, now all the attention turns to the House:
From NORPAC
House to Vote TODAY on Resolution Affirming Israel's Right to Self-Defense
Urge House members to cosponsor, vote for and make floor statements in support of the resolution
A bipartisan coalition of House leaders, led by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH), has introduced H. Res. 34, a resolution recognizing Israel's right to defend itself against attacks from Gaza and reaffirming the United States' strong support for Israel.
The resolution calls on Hamas to end rocket and mortar attacks against Israel, recognize Israel's right to exist, renounce violence, accept previous Israeli-Palestinian agreements and verifiably dismantle its terrorist infrastructure. The resolution also encourages the Administration to work toward a durable and sustainable cease-fire that prevents Hamas from threatening Israel in the future.
As Israel faces intense international criticism for exercising its legitimate right to self-defense, it is critical for Congress to speak out and demonstrate its support for Israel. This resolution will send a strong signal to Israel and the rest of the world, that the U.S. government stands by Israel in her hour of need. This morning, the U.S. Senate passed the Reid/McConnell resolution by unanimous consent, expressing the Senate's strong support for Israel during the current conflict.
Click here to read the full text of the House resolution.
ACTION
Please call your member of Congress TODAY and ask them to cosponsor, vote for and make floor statements in support of the Pelosi/Boehner resolution. House members can be reached through the Capitol switchboard at (202) 225-3121.
TALKING POINTS
In June 2008, Israel tested whether Hamas would move toward peace by accepting Egypt’s proposal for a six-month lull in the fighting. During that period of time, Hamas, with the aid of Iran, significantly enhanced its arsenal and fired hundreds of rockets and mortars at Israeli civilians. Despite Hamas’ aggression, Israel continues to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance and is acting to limit civilian casualties in Gaza.
Since Israel's 2005 withdrawal from Gaza, Hamas has indiscriminately fired more than 6,300 rockets and mortars - more than 1,000 in the past month - at Israeli population centers. This resumption of violence by Hamas forced Israel to take action to defend its citizens.
Since Israel's 2005 withdrawal from Gaza, Hamas has indiscriminately fired more than 6,300 rockets and mortars - more than 1,000 in the past month - at Israeli population centers. This resumption of violence by Hamas forced Israel to take action to defend its citizens.
If our civilian population was being terrorized by daily, indiscriminate rocket fire, we would certainly act to defend ourselves and would expect no less of our government.
Israel remains committed to peace and has held intensive negotiations with the Palestinian Authority during the past year amid continuing attacks by Hamas.
The best chance for a successful peace process is for Israel and others in the region to ensure that Iran’s effort to incite conflict in the region through proxies such as Hamas and Hizballah is not allowed to further disrupt Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.
In carrying out its defensive operations in Gaza, Israel is using an appropriate application of force and is taking dramatic action to minimize civilian casualties while degrading Hamas’ military capabilities.
Israel puts the lives of its own soldiers at risk by providing advance warning to Palestinian civilians that it intends to carry out operations in specific locations. In contrast, Hamas deliberately attacks Israeli civilians and intentionally uses its own people as human shields.
Israel is working closely with humanitarian organizations and is setting up a special situation task force to deal with aid requests. During the first 10 days of Israel’s operations, it has facilitated the delivery to Gaza of more than 450 trucks loaded with more than 10,000 tons of food and medicine
TBE Bar/ Bat Mitzvah Commentary: Lily Schacht on Parashat Mikketz
Shabbat Shalom and Happy Hanukah- oh, and Happy Rosh Chodesh too!
Some people have said it is hard to be a Jew in December, but I think I’ve come up with a solution. All we have to do is keep piling on new Jewish Holidays and no one will notice that other holiday that occurs this time of year. Look at today’s service - we have three distinct holidays that we are celebrating, and that is before we even consider that it’s my Bat Mitzvah.
AND, it’s my birthday too. I think I learned in math class that Hanukah plus birthday definitely adds up to one great winter holiday. I can tell you I’ve always gotten really good presents and here we are, the 27th of the month and all my non-Jewish friends started returning their presents but I’m still getting them. Though, for me, it’s not really just about the presents. I’ve always loved Hanukah and this time of year and most of my friends feel the same way. Here are my top eight reasons I love Hanukah, one for each day.
- Number Eight. I love latkes; especially my mother’s served on our cool latke plate.
- Seven. I have a big Winnie the Pooh dreidel.
- Six. I love Hanukah songs including a song that is based on my haftarah which we always sing at camp- Not by Might.
- Five. I like math. Well, it so happens that the numerical value of the Hebrew word for candle, ner, is 250. If you multiply that by the number of days in Hanukah you get 2,000. Hanukah always begins on the 25th day of Kislev. If you add 25 to 2,000 you get the exact number of words that are in my portion.
- Four. We always invite people over to our house, including some non-Jewish friends, to participate in lighting the candles.
- Three. We read the Joseph story on Hanukah. In my Portion Joseph faces the same challenges that we do, being a minority culture. He becomes Egyptian in many ways and takes an Egyptian name, but recognizes his brothers right away, even though they do not recognize him. It is sort of like how my camp friends recognize each other even though we haven’t seen each other for a year.
- Two. Believe it or not, Hanukah wasn’t originally a holiday for giving presents. What people don’t know is that presents didn’t come in to the picture because of Christmas, but because Hanukah coincides with the birthdays of some very important people, including Jordin Sparks, Ryan Seacrest, Jimmy Buffet, and of course, ME!
- And, the number one reason I love Hanukah is that I get to spend a lot of time with my family, including my sister, Elena, and relatives that I don’t see a lot.
So you can see why this is such a special time for me. To top it all off I become a Bat Mitzvah today.
One aspect of becoming a Bat Mitzvah is that, like the Macabees and Joseph who came before me, I am responsible to make the world a better place. For my Mitzvah project, I have been volunteering at KinderPlace and will be donating toiletries to AmeriCares to help kids in Guatemala, Mongolia, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Colombia.
Some people have said it is hard to be a Jew in December, but I think I’ve come up with a solution. All we have to do is keep piling on new Jewish Holidays and no one will notice that other holiday that occurs this time of year. Look at today’s service - we have three distinct holidays that we are celebrating, and that is before we even consider that it’s my Bat Mitzvah.
AND, it’s my birthday too. I think I learned in math class that Hanukah plus birthday definitely adds up to one great winter holiday. I can tell you I’ve always gotten really good presents and here we are, the 27th of the month and all my non-Jewish friends started returning their presents but I’m still getting them. Though, for me, it’s not really just about the presents. I’ve always loved Hanukah and this time of year and most of my friends feel the same way. Here are my top eight reasons I love Hanukah, one for each day.
- Number Eight. I love latkes; especially my mother’s served on our cool latke plate.
- Seven. I have a big Winnie the Pooh dreidel.
- Six. I love Hanukah songs including a song that is based on my haftarah which we always sing at camp- Not by Might.
- Five. I like math. Well, it so happens that the numerical value of the Hebrew word for candle, ner, is 250. If you multiply that by the number of days in Hanukah you get 2,000. Hanukah always begins on the 25th day of Kislev. If you add 25 to 2,000 you get the exact number of words that are in my portion.
- Four. We always invite people over to our house, including some non-Jewish friends, to participate in lighting the candles.
- Three. We read the Joseph story on Hanukah. In my Portion Joseph faces the same challenges that we do, being a minority culture. He becomes Egyptian in many ways and takes an Egyptian name, but recognizes his brothers right away, even though they do not recognize him. It is sort of like how my camp friends recognize each other even though we haven’t seen each other for a year.
- Two. Believe it or not, Hanukah wasn’t originally a holiday for giving presents. What people don’t know is that presents didn’t come in to the picture because of Christmas, but because Hanukah coincides with the birthdays of some very important people, including Jordin Sparks, Ryan Seacrest, Jimmy Buffet, and of course, ME!
- And, the number one reason I love Hanukah is that I get to spend a lot of time with my family, including my sister, Elena, and relatives that I don’t see a lot.
So you can see why this is such a special time for me. To top it all off I become a Bat Mitzvah today.
One aspect of becoming a Bat Mitzvah is that, like the Macabees and Joseph who came before me, I am responsible to make the world a better place. For my Mitzvah project, I have been volunteering at KinderPlace and will be donating toiletries to AmeriCares to help kids in Guatemala, Mongolia, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Colombia.
TBE Bar/ Bat Mitzvah Commentary: David Rutstein on Parashat Vayeshev
I have proudly worked at the Stamford Museum and Nature Center for the past three years as a curator and volunteer. I have really enjoyed the experience of learning how to take care of these helpless animals, which depend on me. My responsibilities have included; providing food and water for the animals, cleaning out their living spaces, making them very comfortable, brushing them down, walking them for exercise, and lastly, just making sure they are happy and healthy!
One day when I was working there, someone dropped off a chicken that had been raised at home. The family felt they needed to get rid of it, for reasons unknown. Little did I know that they had not asked for permission. So when the chicken was placed in the coop, I was shocked to see that all of the other chickens were attacking it. The chicken was the odd one out, but fortunately survived.
This story came to mind when I was learning about my Torah portion and saw how Joseph was ambushed by his brothers and thrown into a pit. I realized that just as the owner of the chicken should have known better than to throw a defenseless chicken into the Nature Center’s coop, so should have Jacob known to protect his son Joseph from his jealous and angry brothers.
But Jacob didn’t know better, in fact he helped to make matters worse, by playing favorites. He bought Joseph this wonderful multi colored coat and then sent him up to visit his brothers up in the north. The commentators explained that from a couple of ounces of wool, the multi colored coat he gave to his favorite son, led to Israelites becoming slaves in Egypt many years later. One act of bad parenting led to horrible things in the future.
But Joseph needed to learn some sensitivity too. He should have known that all of his boasting and feelings of prominence would upset his brothers, which would eventually lead to envy and hatred.
I learned sensitivity at a very young age. When I was much younger, my sister and I were outside playing. She was playing with toys, while I was busy digging for worms. At the same time, my mom was making scrambled eggs for my sister’s lunch. When Jillian didn’t want to eat them, I thought it would be a good idea to try taking care of the worms by building them a house made from a shoe box and feed them the eggs. For some reason this made such an impression on my mom, that she still talks about it today. Compassion and sensitivity to others means a great deal to me.
When that tragic day of 9/11 occurred, my first grade teacher asked if anyone wanted to contribute something that could possibly help those in need. My only thought was to go home and take my “piggy bank” into school the next morning with all the money I had saved to the age of 6. When I presented her the bank, she just looked at me and started to cry. Later, she called my Dad to express how deeply she was touched by my actions. Another proud moment of helping others occurred several years ago when my father put together an ongoing food donation program. I helped him bridge a relationship between three Stamford Dunkin Donuts stores and the Norwalk Homeless Shelter. I was so eager and honored to help deliver the unsold baked goods on a weekly basis to these starving, helpless people. To this day, the program is ongoing.
If only Jacob, Joseph and his brothers had learned to respect and show sympathy towards others, possibly with their “own box of worms,” maybe history would have turned out differently. The funny thing is that I am not the first person to have learned sensitivity from worms.
Through research, I discovered that worms played an important role in Jewish history. The “Shamir” was a worm that had the power to cut through stone, iron and diamonds. According to the legend, it was used by King Solomon during the building of the First Temple in Jerusalem, in the place of cutting tools. For the construction of the Temple, which is a symbol of peace, it was inappropriate to use tools that could also lead to war and bloodshed.
Many of you may not know that I am a black belt in Tae-Kwon-Doe. As a black belt, which was a very intense demanding three year journey, I learned many important life lessons. Not only have I embraced all the responsibilities of becoming a “Black Belt”, but I’ve also learned how important it is to use my power for knowledge and defense, never attack, as well as a commitment to promote goodness and pass onto to others what I have learned. Quite possibly, this lesson goes all the way back to my experience when I was trying to help the worms when I was younger. It is fortunately a lesson that Joseph learned later on in his life as he became more powerful.
With great power comes great responsibility!
One day when I was working there, someone dropped off a chicken that had been raised at home. The family felt they needed to get rid of it, for reasons unknown. Little did I know that they had not asked for permission. So when the chicken was placed in the coop, I was shocked to see that all of the other chickens were attacking it. The chicken was the odd one out, but fortunately survived.
This story came to mind when I was learning about my Torah portion and saw how Joseph was ambushed by his brothers and thrown into a pit. I realized that just as the owner of the chicken should have known better than to throw a defenseless chicken into the Nature Center’s coop, so should have Jacob known to protect his son Joseph from his jealous and angry brothers.
But Jacob didn’t know better, in fact he helped to make matters worse, by playing favorites. He bought Joseph this wonderful multi colored coat and then sent him up to visit his brothers up in the north. The commentators explained that from a couple of ounces of wool, the multi colored coat he gave to his favorite son, led to Israelites becoming slaves in Egypt many years later. One act of bad parenting led to horrible things in the future.
But Joseph needed to learn some sensitivity too. He should have known that all of his boasting and feelings of prominence would upset his brothers, which would eventually lead to envy and hatred.
I learned sensitivity at a very young age. When I was much younger, my sister and I were outside playing. She was playing with toys, while I was busy digging for worms. At the same time, my mom was making scrambled eggs for my sister’s lunch. When Jillian didn’t want to eat them, I thought it would be a good idea to try taking care of the worms by building them a house made from a shoe box and feed them the eggs. For some reason this made such an impression on my mom, that she still talks about it today. Compassion and sensitivity to others means a great deal to me.
When that tragic day of 9/11 occurred, my first grade teacher asked if anyone wanted to contribute something that could possibly help those in need. My only thought was to go home and take my “piggy bank” into school the next morning with all the money I had saved to the age of 6. When I presented her the bank, she just looked at me and started to cry. Later, she called my Dad to express how deeply she was touched by my actions. Another proud moment of helping others occurred several years ago when my father put together an ongoing food donation program. I helped him bridge a relationship between three Stamford Dunkin Donuts stores and the Norwalk Homeless Shelter. I was so eager and honored to help deliver the unsold baked goods on a weekly basis to these starving, helpless people. To this day, the program is ongoing.
If only Jacob, Joseph and his brothers had learned to respect and show sympathy towards others, possibly with their “own box of worms,” maybe history would have turned out differently. The funny thing is that I am not the first person to have learned sensitivity from worms.
Through research, I discovered that worms played an important role in Jewish history. The “Shamir” was a worm that had the power to cut through stone, iron and diamonds. According to the legend, it was used by King Solomon during the building of the First Temple in Jerusalem, in the place of cutting tools. For the construction of the Temple, which is a symbol of peace, it was inappropriate to use tools that could also lead to war and bloodshed.
Many of you may not know that I am a black belt in Tae-Kwon-Doe. As a black belt, which was a very intense demanding three year journey, I learned many important life lessons. Not only have I embraced all the responsibilities of becoming a “Black Belt”, but I’ve also learned how important it is to use my power for knowledge and defense, never attack, as well as a commitment to promote goodness and pass onto to others what I have learned. Quite possibly, this lesson goes all the way back to my experience when I was trying to help the worms when I was younger. It is fortunately a lesson that Joseph learned later on in his life as he became more powerful.
With great power comes great responsibility!
Thursday, January 8, 2009
In the Midst of the Battle: Madoff and Gaza
For those who read Hebrew, today's Ha'aretz contains a feature article on my Open Letter to Malcolm Hoenlein Regarding Bernard Madoff. Even if you don't read Hebrew, some browsers have automatic translation (which can come out very funny) and at least you'll recognize the picture! This week's Jerusalem Report also quotes me in its article on the Madoff situation, which has become a huge story in Israel.
(You can read all my entries regarding Madoff here)
Last Shabbat, we had a healthy discussion about both Madoff and the Gaza war, all revolving around how we interpret the famous Talmudic verse from tractate Shevuot 39a, "All Jews are responsible for one another."
The question then becomes, responsible for what? For the SAFETY of other Jews - or for their BEHAVIOR? Should we be most concerned with saving lives or with increasing observance?
The word for "responsible" here, ay-ruvin means to stand in one's place, as surety, the way Judah was willing to become a prisoner in Benjamin's place in last week's portion. It points to the notion of interlocking fates, something that also links the ideas of survival and behavior. On Yom Kippur, after all, we repent in the first person plural. The sins of one are the sins of all, and the destiny of one is the destiny of all.
That's why Jews are tied to Madoff in a manner that can not evoke comparisons with Rod Blagojevich and Serbs or Kenneth Lay and Protestants. That's simply not how Jews do things. That's not how Judaism does them. Like it or not, Madoff is one of us; therefore, we must, in some official and ritualized manner, bring about a separation - hence, the idea of a form of Cherem (excommunication). In the same vein, every Jew must feel the pain of each Israeli, whether a soldier in Gaza or a child in Sderot. We are they, they are us.
That formalized separation would require, traditionally, a court of three rabbis to impose it, people who are leaders of the community. It has been my hope that leaders bridging the Jewish spectrum would unite to do that. Until that happens, it is every rabbi, and every organization, for himself. And a thousand resolutions from a thousand board of directors or a thousand rabbis will not have the power of one simple statement, uttered and accepted by all.
For the Jew, immortality is measured in collective terms. If the Jewish people survive - and if the Jewish idea thrives - I am therefore immortal. Part of me lives forever. That is why Jews are so concerned that their grandkids be Jewish, even if they themselves are not religiously observant. Judah is Benjamin and both are Joseph. Jacob is Ephraim and Manasseh. Jacob could die only when he knew that his idea would live on, through his grandchildren. That's why the portion where he dies is called "Vayechi - And he lived."
We must all be responsible for the behavior of every Jew. Not guilty - but responsible. We have an eternal stake in what is happening now, in Gaza and in a certain Manhattan penthouse.
The Talmud states (Shabbat 54b):
"Whoever can stop the people of his city from sinning but does not is responsible for the sins of the people of that city. If he can stop the whole world from sinning and does not, he is responsible for the sins of the whole world."
The rabbis felt that each of us, with each deed, can tip the scales one way or another, for himself and for the world. We are utterly and hopelessly interdependent. All Jews... all of humanity.
Every civilized human being has much at stake now. Every child being used and abused as a Hamas human shield. Every kid hiding in a shelter in Sderot. Every child...even the two cute ones who began school this week in Washington.
So the answer is that we are all indeed responsible, all Jews are... for the behavior and for the survival of each and every one of our neighbors... our Jewish neighbors, and beyond.
(You can read all my entries regarding Madoff here)
Last Shabbat, we had a healthy discussion about both Madoff and the Gaza war, all revolving around how we interpret the famous Talmudic verse from tractate Shevuot 39a, "All Jews are responsible for one another."
The question then becomes, responsible for what? For the SAFETY of other Jews - or for their BEHAVIOR? Should we be most concerned with saving lives or with increasing observance?
The word for "responsible" here, ay-ruvin means to stand in one's place, as surety, the way Judah was willing to become a prisoner in Benjamin's place in last week's portion. It points to the notion of interlocking fates, something that also links the ideas of survival and behavior. On Yom Kippur, after all, we repent in the first person plural. The sins of one are the sins of all, and the destiny of one is the destiny of all.
That's why Jews are tied to Madoff in a manner that can not evoke comparisons with Rod Blagojevich and Serbs or Kenneth Lay and Protestants. That's simply not how Jews do things. That's not how Judaism does them. Like it or not, Madoff is one of us; therefore, we must, in some official and ritualized manner, bring about a separation - hence, the idea of a form of Cherem (excommunication). In the same vein, every Jew must feel the pain of each Israeli, whether a soldier in Gaza or a child in Sderot. We are they, they are us.
That formalized separation would require, traditionally, a court of three rabbis to impose it, people who are leaders of the community. It has been my hope that leaders bridging the Jewish spectrum would unite to do that. Until that happens, it is every rabbi, and every organization, for himself. And a thousand resolutions from a thousand board of directors or a thousand rabbis will not have the power of one simple statement, uttered and accepted by all.
For the Jew, immortality is measured in collective terms. If the Jewish people survive - and if the Jewish idea thrives - I am therefore immortal. Part of me lives forever. That is why Jews are so concerned that their grandkids be Jewish, even if they themselves are not religiously observant. Judah is Benjamin and both are Joseph. Jacob is Ephraim and Manasseh. Jacob could die only when he knew that his idea would live on, through his grandchildren. That's why the portion where he dies is called "Vayechi - And he lived."
We must all be responsible for the behavior of every Jew. Not guilty - but responsible. We have an eternal stake in what is happening now, in Gaza and in a certain Manhattan penthouse.
The Talmud states (Shabbat 54b):
"Whoever can stop the people of his city from sinning but does not is responsible for the sins of the people of that city. If he can stop the whole world from sinning and does not, he is responsible for the sins of the whole world."
The rabbis felt that each of us, with each deed, can tip the scales one way or another, for himself and for the world. We are utterly and hopelessly interdependent. All Jews... all of humanity.
Every civilized human being has much at stake now. Every child being used and abused as a Hamas human shield. Every kid hiding in a shelter in Sderot. Every child...even the two cute ones who began school this week in Washington.
So the answer is that we are all indeed responsible, all Jews are... for the behavior and for the survival of each and every one of our neighbors... our Jewish neighbors, and beyond.
Israel and Gaza: Required Reading for January 8
Solidarity rally TONIGHT at 7:00 at Congregation Agudath Sholom. See and download the ADL Poster for Connecticut.
Today’s blog entry might easily be called “Required VIEWING” as well as “Required Reading.” We live in a visual age, so you may have noticed that I’ve added Israel's daily news digest from Channel 2 to the top of this blog. It will remain there for the duration of this crisis. Check in mid afternoon or later to see that day's broadcast.
From Israel, we get this very important video on the ethics of warfare from a Jewish and Israeli perspective. It was linked to the Ha’aretz Hebrew website, but there are English subtitles. If only this kind of debate took place in the Arab world, or in parts of Europe, for that matter, the world would be a much safer place for children and other living things. It is to Israel’s credit that in the midst of a mortal threat to its existence, they refuse to abandon their moral bearings, even if on occasion mistakes are made.
Also, two YouTube links of note: This one very professionally and neatly lays out the recent history of the run-up to this war. And this one, called “Let’s Play Pretend” (sent by Sheila Romanowitz), which is similar to the ADL poster campaign described yesterday, making the powerful analogy of what it would be like to have missiles landing on our cities. And finally, A video message from Israeli Ambassador Sallai Meridor, thanking American Jews for our solidarity.
Finally, on the video side, see how the other side is covering this war: Hamas TV
While press coverage here in the U.S. has been more "fair" than usual (kudos to CBS News, for prodicing two Gazan witnesses to the rocket fire that came FROM that UN School), it looks like the NY Times Op-Ed editor got up on the wrong side of the bed today. Count 'em, three anti Israel (and distorted) op-ed pieces. Or were there four? I lost count. Meanwhile, must listening and reading is this NPR interview with Amos Oz, a novelist known for dovish views who here supports Israel's actions (although now looks for a ceasefire). He states:
The Israelis are haunted by the fact that they have been besieged for decades. They are haunted by the historical ordeal of the Jewish people. By the sense of being alienated by many countries and nations and, by world public opinion. This provides the Israelis with a certain sense of stubbornness. The world will criticize us anyway, whatever we do, whichever way we behave, so let's be tough.
See Daniel Finkelstein’s column in the Times of London, as recommended by Steve Lander’s brother David. It lends some interesting historical perspective for those who might not understand Israel and its motives.
He writes:
…world opinion weeps now for Anne Frank. But world opinion did not save her. The origin of the state of Israel is not religion or nationalism, it is the experience of oppression and murder, the fear of total annihilation and the bitter conclusion that world opinion could not be relied upon to protect the Jews.
Marvin Hier of the Simon Wiesenthal Center writes in the Wall Street Journal, “The Jews Face a Double Standard” Why, he asks, doesn't Israel have the same right to self-defense as other nations?
See this Jerusalem Post analysis on the role of Iran in all thnis and why they aren’t too happy with Hamas’ performance. Ha’aretz speculates on why Iran had their proxies fire on Israel’s north today.
Here is the latest on the question of who Obama has picked to be the next Middle East envoy, and the position of Dennis Ross in all this.
For a first-hand understanding of the situation in the line of fire, read this blog, describing the reality of life in Ashkelon.
Some news from the halls of Congress, courtesy of JFACT:
The Senate has passed a resolution by unanimous consent that supports Israel’s right to defend itself against Hamas rocket attacks from Gaza and reaffirms America’s strong support for Israel. The resolution calls on Hamas to end rocket and mortar attacks against Israel and encourages the administration to work toward a durable and sustainable cease-fire that prevents Hamas from threatening Israel in the future. The resolution was introduced in the Senate by Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).
For a text version of the Senate resolution, please use the following link:
http://www.aipac.org/Publications/SourceMaterialsCongressionalAction/SenateRes.pdf
Please use the following link to thank your senator:
http://capwiz.com/aipac/issues/alert/?alertid=12397296&type=CO
With Israel being forced to enter Gaza to defend its citizens from indiscriminate rocket and mortar fire, a bipartisan coalition of American leaders is voicing critical support for Israel's defensive measures. Since Israel’s 2005 withdrawal from Gaza, Hamas has launched more than 6,300 rockets and mortars at Israeli population centers. Please urge your member of the House to add his or her voice to the bipartisan coalition expressing support for Israel.
Use the following link:
http://capwiz.com/aipac/issues/alert/?alertid=12394591&type=
Other Resources:
Israeli Embasssy in Washington: http://www.israelemb.org/index.htm
From AIPAC:
Memorandum on Humanitarian Efforts - "Israel Seeks to Minimize Civilian Casualties, Facilitate Humanitarian Assistance" is a memo which focuses on Israel's attempts to prevent civilian casualties while carrying out its defensive operations in Gaza. The memo also details how Israel's operations in Gaza are proportionate and in complete compliance with international law, how Hamas intentionally places civilians at risk and how Israel is continuing to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Gaza. To view and download the two page memorandum click here.
Frequently Asked Questions – "FAQs on the Conflict with Hamas" is a document which answers many frequently asked questions about the current situation in Gaza. Topics include Israel's parameters for accepting a cease-fire, Israel's use of proportionate force, Israel's efforts to provide humanitarian assistance and the prospects for peace in the wake of the conflict. To view and download the two page document click here.
For those looking to make a difference, click on http://www.israelsoldiers.org/, to make a donation to the Friends of the IDF. As its mission statement says, “The FIDF initiates and helps support social, educational, cultural and recreational programs and facilities for the young men and women soldiers of Israel who defend the Jewish homeland. The FIDF also provides support for the families of fallen soldiers.”
Finally, here is an e-mail reaction from Beth El congregant Mark Fox, regarding one of my prior messages:
Dear Rabbi:
Thank you for sharing the reports of Jan Gaines and Ethan Hammerman. The community needs to hear the opinions of self respecting Jews. Unfortunately, Jan is right about the irrational anti-Israel hostility of many opinion makers outside of the United States. What's most depressing is that so many English Jews, and a few Israeli Jews living in England, are actively trying to create an ideology that will allow them to distance themselves from Israel's predicament. To justify their viewpoint they are writing a new history of our people. They seem to be ready to drop the burden of Jewish history, to declare the Jewish people a mistake. I have no doubt that these opinions will eventually show up in our own community. If you want to know what is coming read the articles published on the topic of the Middle East by Jewish contributors to the Guardian Unlimited's Comment Is Free column and the extraordinarily hysterical article published in the Guardian by Oxford Professor of international relations Avi Shlaim. If we do not define ourselves these people will define us. In this context Ethan Hammerman and Jan Gaines’ writings are very important.
Let's hope we see a better time soon.
Mark J. Fox
We continue to pray and hope for the best, as the line in the proverbial sand now becomes clearer: it is Israel, representing the hopes of the civilized world (whether or not they know it) against the medieval fantasies of the mullahs of Iran.
Today’s blog entry might easily be called “Required VIEWING” as well as “Required Reading.” We live in a visual age, so you may have noticed that I’ve added Israel's daily news digest from Channel 2 to the top of this blog. It will remain there for the duration of this crisis. Check in mid afternoon or later to see that day's broadcast.
From Israel, we get this very important video on the ethics of warfare from a Jewish and Israeli perspective. It was linked to the Ha’aretz Hebrew website, but there are English subtitles. If only this kind of debate took place in the Arab world, or in parts of Europe, for that matter, the world would be a much safer place for children and other living things. It is to Israel’s credit that in the midst of a mortal threat to its existence, they refuse to abandon their moral bearings, even if on occasion mistakes are made.
Also, two YouTube links of note: This one very professionally and neatly lays out the recent history of the run-up to this war. And this one, called “Let’s Play Pretend” (sent by Sheila Romanowitz), which is similar to the ADL poster campaign described yesterday, making the powerful analogy of what it would be like to have missiles landing on our cities. And finally, A video message from Israeli Ambassador Sallai Meridor, thanking American Jews for our solidarity.
Finally, on the video side, see how the other side is covering this war: Hamas TV
While press coverage here in the U.S. has been more "fair" than usual (kudos to CBS News, for prodicing two Gazan witnesses to the rocket fire that came FROM that UN School), it looks like the NY Times Op-Ed editor got up on the wrong side of the bed today. Count 'em, three anti Israel (and distorted) op-ed pieces. Or were there four? I lost count. Meanwhile, must listening and reading is this NPR interview with Amos Oz, a novelist known for dovish views who here supports Israel's actions (although now looks for a ceasefire). He states:
The Israelis are haunted by the fact that they have been besieged for decades. They are haunted by the historical ordeal of the Jewish people. By the sense of being alienated by many countries and nations and, by world public opinion. This provides the Israelis with a certain sense of stubbornness. The world will criticize us anyway, whatever we do, whichever way we behave, so let's be tough.
See Daniel Finkelstein’s column in the Times of London, as recommended by Steve Lander’s brother David. It lends some interesting historical perspective for those who might not understand Israel and its motives.
He writes:
…world opinion weeps now for Anne Frank. But world opinion did not save her. The origin of the state of Israel is not religion or nationalism, it is the experience of oppression and murder, the fear of total annihilation and the bitter conclusion that world opinion could not be relied upon to protect the Jews.
Marvin Hier of the Simon Wiesenthal Center writes in the Wall Street Journal, “The Jews Face a Double Standard” Why, he asks, doesn't Israel have the same right to self-defense as other nations?
See this Jerusalem Post analysis on the role of Iran in all thnis and why they aren’t too happy with Hamas’ performance. Ha’aretz speculates on why Iran had their proxies fire on Israel’s north today.
Here is the latest on the question of who Obama has picked to be the next Middle East envoy, and the position of Dennis Ross in all this.
For a first-hand understanding of the situation in the line of fire, read this blog, describing the reality of life in Ashkelon.
Some news from the halls of Congress, courtesy of JFACT:
The Senate has passed a resolution by unanimous consent that supports Israel’s right to defend itself against Hamas rocket attacks from Gaza and reaffirms America’s strong support for Israel. The resolution calls on Hamas to end rocket and mortar attacks against Israel and encourages the administration to work toward a durable and sustainable cease-fire that prevents Hamas from threatening Israel in the future. The resolution was introduced in the Senate by Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).
For a text version of the Senate resolution, please use the following link:
http://www.aipac.org/Publications/SourceMaterialsCongressionalAction/SenateRes.pdf
Please use the following link to thank your senator:
http://capwiz.com/aipac/issues/alert/?alertid=12397296&type=CO
With Israel being forced to enter Gaza to defend its citizens from indiscriminate rocket and mortar fire, a bipartisan coalition of American leaders is voicing critical support for Israel's defensive measures. Since Israel’s 2005 withdrawal from Gaza, Hamas has launched more than 6,300 rockets and mortars at Israeli population centers. Please urge your member of the House to add his or her voice to the bipartisan coalition expressing support for Israel.
Use the following link:
http://capwiz.com/aipac/issues/alert/?alertid=12394591&type=
Other Resources:
Israeli Embasssy in Washington: http://www.israelemb.org/index.htm
From AIPAC:
Memorandum on Humanitarian Efforts - "Israel Seeks to Minimize Civilian Casualties, Facilitate Humanitarian Assistance" is a memo which focuses on Israel's attempts to prevent civilian casualties while carrying out its defensive operations in Gaza. The memo also details how Israel's operations in Gaza are proportionate and in complete compliance with international law, how Hamas intentionally places civilians at risk and how Israel is continuing to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Gaza. To view and download the two page memorandum click here.
Frequently Asked Questions – "FAQs on the Conflict with Hamas" is a document which answers many frequently asked questions about the current situation in Gaza. Topics include Israel's parameters for accepting a cease-fire, Israel's use of proportionate force, Israel's efforts to provide humanitarian assistance and the prospects for peace in the wake of the conflict. To view and download the two page document click here.
For those looking to make a difference, click on http://www.israelsoldiers.org/, to make a donation to the Friends of the IDF. As its mission statement says, “The FIDF initiates and helps support social, educational, cultural and recreational programs and facilities for the young men and women soldiers of Israel who defend the Jewish homeland. The FIDF also provides support for the families of fallen soldiers.”
Finally, here is an e-mail reaction from Beth El congregant Mark Fox, regarding one of my prior messages:
Dear Rabbi:
Thank you for sharing the reports of Jan Gaines and Ethan Hammerman. The community needs to hear the opinions of self respecting Jews. Unfortunately, Jan is right about the irrational anti-Israel hostility of many opinion makers outside of the United States. What's most depressing is that so many English Jews, and a few Israeli Jews living in England, are actively trying to create an ideology that will allow them to distance themselves from Israel's predicament. To justify their viewpoint they are writing a new history of our people. They seem to be ready to drop the burden of Jewish history, to declare the Jewish people a mistake. I have no doubt that these opinions will eventually show up in our own community. If you want to know what is coming read the articles published on the topic of the Middle East by Jewish contributors to the Guardian Unlimited's Comment Is Free column and the extraordinarily hysterical article published in the Guardian by Oxford Professor of international relations Avi Shlaim. If we do not define ourselves these people will define us. In this context Ethan Hammerman and Jan Gaines’ writings are very important.
Let's hope we see a better time soon.
Mark J. Fox
We continue to pray and hope for the best, as the line in the proverbial sand now becomes clearer: it is Israel, representing the hopes of the civilized world (whether or not they know it) against the medieval fantasies of the mullahs of Iran.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Israel and Gaza: Today's Required Reading
Today we are seeing just how complex is the dance of diplomacy. Everyone is talking cease fire; everyone is posturing for someone, whether it be for the Israeli Electorate, the Arab Street or the next American President. But behind all the placid platitudes there is still a war going on, as Israel is now devoting itself to systematically destroying the tunnel system in southern Gaza that has been a lifeline for terror. Of course, when Israel does that, they first warn the residents of the area to take shelter elsewhere.
Some highlights from today's reading material. This is hardly exhaustive, as there is plenty analysis to go around. This is just a snippet that might inspire and inform, and most of all be useful to you in confronting these difficult times.
The ADL did a survey of US Newspaper Editorials and found that most are backing Israel, and yes, just about every politician on both sides of the aisle is too. So maybe we don't need to be so concerned about the so-called anti-Israel media bias - though it doesn't hurt to keep a watchful eye.
...Which is exactly what we are doing. I've been speaking about how important it is for each of us to ask what we can do. Take a look at what TBE member Beth Boyer wrote in today's Advocate and Greenwich Time, responding to a prior letter from a pro-Hamas propagandist. And then see what former (and always missed!) TBE member Ron Agronin wrote in the Naples (Fla) News in a spirited defense of Israel. Ron is father of current Beth El'er Robin Druckman.
The ADL has taken Ron's point, that no other nation would tolerate incoming missiles from a neighbor, and turned it into an ad campaign. Go to http://www.adl.org/ and click on "Viral Media Campaign Makes Case for Israel" to see the posters.
If you are looking for some quick facts, for speeches, school presentations, interviews or just talking to neighbors, the UJC has provided these talking points.
See this moving video from Israel 21c, Finding hope in the midst of conflict - it will let you know all you need to know about the true value system held by Israel with regard to children - all children.
See Sec. of state Rice's comments to the UN yesterday. From her mouth, as they say, to Obama's ears... I've referenced Marc Shulman's updates in the past and I find them to be most informative. It's at www.historycentral.com/Israel.
An excellent always-current display of feeds from Jewish and Israeli news sites and blogs can be found at http://jewishinsider.ning.com/.
See these Myths and Facts on the Gaza crisis, responding to such innacurate claims as:
“Israel broke the cease-fire with Hamas.”
“Israel has reacted to Hamas rocket fire with ‘disproportionate force.’”
“Palestinians in Gaza are innocent victims.”
“Israel's operation in Gaza will only embitter Palestinians and make them seek revenge rather than peace.”
“Israel should negotiate a cease-fire with Hamas.”
“Hamas targets military objectives.”
“Hamas fears Israel's military might.”
“At the end of Operation Cast Lead, Israel will have to negotiate with Hamas.”
“Israel deliberately attacked a UN school.”
“Media coverage of Operation Cast Lead is fair and accurate.”
Meanwhile, I'm delighted to have just heard that Dennis Ross has been appointed as ambassador-at-large and senior advisor to Secretary of State-designate Hillary Clinton. According to the press release, "In that job, designed especially for him, Ambassador Ross will be the secretary's top advisor on a wide range of Middle East issues, from the Arab-Israeli peace process to Iran. Ambassador Ross will not reprise his previous role as special Arab-Israeli peace envoy, a post that will be held by someone else; rather he will be working closely with both the special envoy and the secretary. Ambassador Ross is expected to take his post immediately after inauguration."
Finally, many of us have gone to Israel with Keshet Tours. They have done wonderful mitzvah work in areas hit hard by the missiles, particularly Sderot and Netivot. See what they are doing at their site, http://www.keshetisrael.co.il/ and scroll down for the Keshet Relief Fund.
Don't forget tomorrow evening's solidarity rally at Congregation Agudath Sholom in Stamford.
Some highlights from today's reading material. This is hardly exhaustive, as there is plenty analysis to go around. This is just a snippet that might inspire and inform, and most of all be useful to you in confronting these difficult times.
The ADL did a survey of US Newspaper Editorials and found that most are backing Israel, and yes, just about every politician on both sides of the aisle is too. So maybe we don't need to be so concerned about the so-called anti-Israel media bias - though it doesn't hurt to keep a watchful eye.
...Which is exactly what we are doing. I've been speaking about how important it is for each of us to ask what we can do. Take a look at what TBE member Beth Boyer wrote in today's Advocate and Greenwich Time, responding to a prior letter from a pro-Hamas propagandist. And then see what former (and always missed!) TBE member Ron Agronin wrote in the Naples (Fla) News in a spirited defense of Israel. Ron is father of current Beth El'er Robin Druckman.
The ADL has taken Ron's point, that no other nation would tolerate incoming missiles from a neighbor, and turned it into an ad campaign. Go to http://www.adl.org/ and click on "Viral Media Campaign Makes Case for Israel" to see the posters.
If you are looking for some quick facts, for speeches, school presentations, interviews or just talking to neighbors, the UJC has provided these talking points.
See this moving video from Israel 21c, Finding hope in the midst of conflict - it will let you know all you need to know about the true value system held by Israel with regard to children - all children.
See Sec. of state Rice's comments to the UN yesterday. From her mouth, as they say, to Obama's ears... I've referenced Marc Shulman's updates in the past and I find them to be most informative. It's at www.historycentral.com/Israel.
An excellent always-current display of feeds from Jewish and Israeli news sites and blogs can be found at http://jewishinsider.ning.com/.
See these Myths and Facts on the Gaza crisis, responding to such innacurate claims as:
“Israel broke the cease-fire with Hamas.”
“Israel has reacted to Hamas rocket fire with ‘disproportionate force.’”
“Palestinians in Gaza are innocent victims.”
“Israel's operation in Gaza will only embitter Palestinians and make them seek revenge rather than peace.”
“Israel should negotiate a cease-fire with Hamas.”
“Hamas targets military objectives.”
“Hamas fears Israel's military might.”
“At the end of Operation Cast Lead, Israel will have to negotiate with Hamas.”
“Israel deliberately attacked a UN school.”
“Media coverage of Operation Cast Lead is fair and accurate.”
Meanwhile, I'm delighted to have just heard that Dennis Ross has been appointed as ambassador-at-large and senior advisor to Secretary of State-designate Hillary Clinton. According to the press release, "In that job, designed especially for him, Ambassador Ross will be the secretary's top advisor on a wide range of Middle East issues, from the Arab-Israeli peace process to Iran. Ambassador Ross will not reprise his previous role as special Arab-Israeli peace envoy, a post that will be held by someone else; rather he will be working closely with both the special envoy and the secretary. Ambassador Ross is expected to take his post immediately after inauguration."
Finally, many of us have gone to Israel with Keshet Tours. They have done wonderful mitzvah work in areas hit hard by the missiles, particularly Sderot and Netivot. See what they are doing at their site, http://www.keshetisrael.co.il/ and scroll down for the Keshet Relief Fund.
Don't forget tomorrow evening's solidarity rally at Congregation Agudath Sholom in Stamford.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Letter from Netanya: Sharing the Nightmare
I just received this e-mail from Jan Gaines, a Beth El member who lives for half the year in Netanya, Israel. Jan has often corresponded with us during hard times over there, and few times have been more difficult than today. We feel the same pain that she feels, a mixture of the sadness for the loss of innocent life, along with anger at those who treat human life with such disdain that they would deliberately put children in the line of fire, using them as shields so that they might deliberately shoot rockets intended to kill other innocent people.
Here are Jan's words.
Dear Friends,
I can't sleep vcry well at night anymore. Gone is that bucolic bliss I felt my first two weeks back here. It's been replaced by the stress and tension the whole country feels now in this 13th day of the Gaza war.
The other day I had a phone repair guy here, fixing my lines. In the middle of his work, he got a call on his cell phone and when he hung up he quickly put everything back. He said simply, "I've been called up." The message is simple: "Come NOW.
He tells me that in his reserve duty he's a medic, right there on the front lines. I want to hold him in my arms and pray that he'll be alright. I offer him tea or coffee and he just wants water. I ask him how old he is. Twenty eight he says. Married? I ask. In May he replies.
And then he quickly leaves. I hardly know his name. But I fear for him as if he were my own son. And in a way he is.
And that is how Israelis see their citizen army. Each one is their child or grandchild. And I have to sit down and calm myself before I can handle the rest of the day.
We don't ask for "fair" because when it comes to Israel it is never fair. But to see the whole world erupting in anti-Israel and anti-Jewish venom, to see the UN Sec Genl crying over dead Gazans when he never said a word these last years over the barrage of rockets into civilian targets in Israel; when the latest mistaken bombing of a UN school prompts outrage worldwide without mentioning that Hamas was shooting from the school, that is enough to wonder when will we ever be allowed to just LIVE.
Never mind that there were kids in that school.Why? How could they let them go to a school in the middle of a battle scene. Why does Israel close all of its schools within a 50 KM radius in order to protect the kids, and its a good thing because so far 4 schools have been hit in 4 places in the south. Why can't the world cut us a little slack and believe us when we say we don't want to target civilians?
We sent leaflets out of planes before the invasion, warning Gazans to take cover. The IDF even made PHONE CALLS to Gaza residents, especially in Gaza city, asking them to get out of the way. And Hamas just keeps sending rockets hoping to kill, kill, kill. Nothing in the press about that!!!
Yes, I know that TV is cynically manipulated by Hamas. They have Al Jazeera in several languages, they have the BBC and the French TV and even CNN sometimes (the European CNN) And none of these channels has anything but one sided coverage. Designed to inflame Muslims and Arabs around the world, and succeeding very well. Masterfully well. Remember that heartbreaking TV shot of a child cowering in his father's arms that travelled the world blaming Israel for child murder??? That has now been discovered to have been STAGED by French TV for dramatic effect. And the same is happening today. No mention of the 3 year old Gaza child recovering from heart surgery in an Israeli hospital, or the few Gazans who can get through being treated in Ashkelon or Beersheva hospitals for free. Or the several hundred tons of relief supplies sent in daily by truck to Gaza.
Why? No one wants to find out what happens to these supplies once they are in Gaza. Is it true that Hamas takes most of it for their own fighters? That they have opened their own separate hospital just for their fighters, siphoning off needed supplies coming in to the other hospitals treating civilians and fighters both.
And can you picture the warrens of undulating tunnels where the vipers of Hamas strike our soldiers and then escape into adjoining tunnels, all leading into neighboring houses? How does an ethical army fight that kind of fight without injuring civilians in the process?
And so this is why I'm not sleeping well at night. And you really have to be here in person to feel it and understand it.
"Share the Dream" used to be a UJA slogan. Now I'm wondering if American Jews can share a little of the nightmare as well.
Jan Gaines
Here are Jan's words.
Dear Friends,
I can't sleep vcry well at night anymore. Gone is that bucolic bliss I felt my first two weeks back here. It's been replaced by the stress and tension the whole country feels now in this 13th day of the Gaza war.
The other day I had a phone repair guy here, fixing my lines. In the middle of his work, he got a call on his cell phone and when he hung up he quickly put everything back. He said simply, "I've been called up." The message is simple: "Come NOW.
He tells me that in his reserve duty he's a medic, right there on the front lines. I want to hold him in my arms and pray that he'll be alright. I offer him tea or coffee and he just wants water. I ask him how old he is. Twenty eight he says. Married? I ask. In May he replies.
And then he quickly leaves. I hardly know his name. But I fear for him as if he were my own son. And in a way he is.
And that is how Israelis see their citizen army. Each one is their child or grandchild. And I have to sit down and calm myself before I can handle the rest of the day.
We don't ask for "fair" because when it comes to Israel it is never fair. But to see the whole world erupting in anti-Israel and anti-Jewish venom, to see the UN Sec Genl crying over dead Gazans when he never said a word these last years over the barrage of rockets into civilian targets in Israel; when the latest mistaken bombing of a UN school prompts outrage worldwide without mentioning that Hamas was shooting from the school, that is enough to wonder when will we ever be allowed to just LIVE.
Never mind that there were kids in that school.Why? How could they let them go to a school in the middle of a battle scene. Why does Israel close all of its schools within a 50 KM radius in order to protect the kids, and its a good thing because so far 4 schools have been hit in 4 places in the south. Why can't the world cut us a little slack and believe us when we say we don't want to target civilians?
We sent leaflets out of planes before the invasion, warning Gazans to take cover. The IDF even made PHONE CALLS to Gaza residents, especially in Gaza city, asking them to get out of the way. And Hamas just keeps sending rockets hoping to kill, kill, kill. Nothing in the press about that!!!
Yes, I know that TV is cynically manipulated by Hamas. They have Al Jazeera in several languages, they have the BBC and the French TV and even CNN sometimes (the European CNN) And none of these channels has anything but one sided coverage. Designed to inflame Muslims and Arabs around the world, and succeeding very well. Masterfully well. Remember that heartbreaking TV shot of a child cowering in his father's arms that travelled the world blaming Israel for child murder??? That has now been discovered to have been STAGED by French TV for dramatic effect. And the same is happening today. No mention of the 3 year old Gaza child recovering from heart surgery in an Israeli hospital, or the few Gazans who can get through being treated in Ashkelon or Beersheva hospitals for free. Or the several hundred tons of relief supplies sent in daily by truck to Gaza.
Why? No one wants to find out what happens to these supplies once they are in Gaza. Is it true that Hamas takes most of it for their own fighters? That they have opened their own separate hospital just for their fighters, siphoning off needed supplies coming in to the other hospitals treating civilians and fighters both.
And can you picture the warrens of undulating tunnels where the vipers of Hamas strike our soldiers and then escape into adjoining tunnels, all leading into neighboring houses? How does an ethical army fight that kind of fight without injuring civilians in the process?
And so this is why I'm not sleeping well at night. And you really have to be here in person to feel it and understand it.
"Share the Dream" used to be a UJA slogan. Now I'm wondering if American Jews can share a little of the nightmare as well.
Jan Gaines
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