Searching for the remains of Eli Cohen

'Israel searching for remains of Eli Cohen... JPost - Middle East

What I don't want to hear and see at shul

It does not matter in what part of the Globe I am spending Shabbos or how focused I am on davening, there are a couple of small little things that will make my life a little bit bitter when I see or hear.

1. Phone ringing on Shabbos. During the shul or during the dvar Torah moments. Loud ringing that will not stop even if the owner does not answer - by shame or because not sure that it is his/her phone. And it is even a step further: when people do answer their phones as loudly or even more loudly as it sounded before.

2. People talking during davening. I don't care what do they want to say and in what language, but I can't understand why the very important ideas should be shared loudly when at least some of us look busy doing other things. There is always enough space outside when you can even clap your hands listening to so many gossips.

3. People writing notes, memories, books whatever they want to. At shul. Writing with such a frenesy that it seems that tomorrow is the end of the world and they need to leave to posterity their precious memories. 

4. People fighting. Beating their children or admonishing their spouses. You have 6 days the week to do it at home. Please, take a break. Please.

5. People stealing food from the kiddush table, hiding in a very professional way under napkins and then, slowly slowly till the bagel arrives in the bag. It is not depressing for me whom I see, but also humiliating for the person doing it. Rather one should talk to the rav and try to find a decent solution than steal professionally my piece of food from my plate when I am too much interested in the dvar Torah.

6. Discussions about the way one daven, dress, wig, the lenght of the skirt, the last shidduch and how the husband looks like. Nobody's perfect and this is why I wear my best Shabbes clothes and go to the shul to daven once the week, for 5-6 hours. Can you be so kind and leave my alone in my corner without wondering how and why I am so frum overnight. Please.

Shavua Tov!

Forgotten authors of Hebrew short stories

As this Shabbos I finally had enough time to read some Hebrew short stories, I realized that outside the libraries, there it is not too much known about the Hebrew authors, except big names as Bialik and Agnon. Hence, my interest for a post presenting the biographies of a couple of them.

Micha Yosef Berichevsky was born in Ukraine, in a Hasidic rabbinical family. His father was the rabbi of Medzhybizh, from Western Ukraine. He started to study in the Volozhin Yeshiva, but ended up being more attracted by the Haskala movement. Berichevsky, who later will adopt the surname Bin Gurion - that is inscribed on his tomb in Berlin Weisensee Jewish cemetery - studied in Berlin, Breslau and Bern philosophy, and published dozen of books, articles and short stories. In many cases he supported the ideas of 'emancipation' seen as the liberation from the 'yoke' of religion. His PhD in philosophy is focused on the relation between ethics and aesthetics, with a special focus on works of Nietzsche and Hegel.

Another Jewish writer who died in Berlin is David Frischmann. Born in Poland in 1859, he is considered one of the most proeminent satirists and journalists of his time. His formative years were spent in Lodz where he published in the local Jewish publications essays and articles outlining the conflict between tradition and modernity in the Jewish culture. Between 1886 and 1888 he was assistant editor of the first Hebrew daily Ha-Yom. He graduated in the field of the history of art, at the University of Breslau. In 1911 and 1912 he visited Eretz Israel. Besides a rich editorial activity, he also translated into Hebrew scientific works by Lippert and Bernstein, as well as works by Oscar Wilde, Goethe, Tagore, Andersen, Grimm Brothers etc. 

An almost forgotten writer is Simhah Ben-Zion, the pseudonym of Simhah Alter Gutmann. Born in Bessarabia of a traditional family, he write in Yiddish and Hebrew. As an author and teacher, he was influenced by Tolstoy's works on morality. He started his teaching career in Odessa, being one of the first to inrtoduce the 'Hebrew in Hebrew' method. Since 1905, he settled in Eretz Israel and continued both his editorial work but also started to get involved into public affairs. His early stories describe the small-town Jewish life in Bessarabia at the end of 19th century, but later on his work got a lyrical visionary perspective. 

Born in Orsha, situatd in the nowadays Belarus, Gershom Shofman fought a difficult childhood and poverty, as an orphan. His primary education was acquired in the heder and several yeshivot, but he also got in touch with the local Russian and Hebrew literature. Before settling in Eretz-Israel in 1938, he edited various journals in Poland and Austria and spent three years in the Tzarist Army. His first collection of stories was published in 1902 in Warsaw, under the title 'Stories and Sketches' ('Sipurim ve-tsiyurim'). His later short stories describe realistically the Jewish life of the time, the brothels and the hard times in Europe between the two world wars.

The English-speaking references do not offer too much space to the novelist  Uri Nissan Gnessin, a pioneer of Hebrew literature. He was born in Starodub, in the then White Russia in a rabbinic family. He sturdied for a while in his father's yeshiva while self-educating in the domain of secular studies ending up by being attracted by the ideas of the Haskala. His long-time friendship with the Hebrew modernist Yosef Haim Brenner involved him in several projects aimed to support the birth of Hebrew literature. In 1904, he co-founded the Hebrew language publishing house 'Nisyoniot' ('Attempts'). He later moved to London in order to work together with Brenner at the project of the Hebrew periodical Ha'Meorer. He had a life of wandering, that included a short time spent in Eretz-Israel, his return to Russia, in 1908, and his stay in Warsaw, where he died of a heart attack. 

Haim Hazaz wondered several years across the world before settling down in Jerusalem, in 1931, where he died in 1970. He was born in Sidorovich, the Kiev Governorate, and witnessed many of the pogroms of the time. His main stops before Eretz-Israel were Kiev, Harkiv, Moscow, Istanbul, Paris and Berlin. He married poet Yocheved Bat-Miriam, and their only son Nachum died in the Independence war in 1948. Awarded several Israeli prizes for literature, his stories are depicting the local life in the Jewish shtetl in Ukraine, but also the Yemenite tradition in Israel, the absorption problems in the new state of Israel and the fight for independence in the 'British Mandate of Palestine'. 

Yaakov Rabinowitz wrote his works in Hebrew, Yiddish and German, not few of them being dedicated to the Zionist project. Born in Volkovysk, the then White Russia, he studied first in the yeshiva, but acquired as well a secular education. He taught in Vitebsk, before dedicating most of his time and energy to the Zionism. He visited Eretz-Israel several times, in 1905 and 1908 and decided to settle there in 1910. He was one of the editors of the literary periodical 'Hedim'. His articles present the struggle for building the state of Israel, while his novels are often dedicated to the life of Jewish intellectuals, some of them with intimate descriptions. He also translated into Hebrew works by Hermann Bang, Flaubert or Selma Lagerloef. 

I promise to dedicate more space to the Sephardi writers, but for this post I want to focus on one of them. Shemi Yitzhak was born in Hebron, of a Sephardi family. He taught also in Damascus and Bulgaria, as well as in Haifa and Hebron. He is one of the first who decribed the life of Sephardi Jews and bedouins in Eretz-Israel, one of his most significant works being 'Revenge of the Fathers'. 

Reading and travel advisory

Two important warnings I've stumbled upon in the last 24 hours:

- If you don't have what to read, you better buy yourself a nice book than the NYTimes. It used to be a serious source of information decades ago and I built up my passion for English-speaking journalism reading with the highest consideration their news, feature reports and editorials. Gone are the days and especially for someone interested in foreign affairs, you will find a lot of anti-semitic garbage. Again, you better buy a good book instead. 

- Planning to travel in the old Europe? As an observant Jew, you should avoid Copenhagen and Denmark. In case that you like taking risks, you must avoid speaking in Hebrew and displaying Jewish symbols. Honestly, do you think that it is worth to give your money for such an adventure? There are so many beautiful places in the world instead.

New UK Chief Rabbi

After many months of discussions and considerations, the name of the next UK Chief Rabbi was released: Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis. Originally from South Africa, he has a long experience and knowledge of the Jewish affairs in galut and was very active in supporting Israel. 

He will fully replace Lord Sacks September next year. 

Rabbi Mirvis was counted as a serious competitor since a couple of months.

Shabbos reading

The weather was very bad, some members of the family sick and me very tired after a very exhausting week and thus, we decided to spend more time indoors, with books and some boarding games.

The menu of lectures for this Shabbos included:

- Besides the usual Chumash for the parasha and haftarah, I included the lecture of the Rashi's commentaries on Bereishis. The children are starting with Rashi in school but it does not mean that it is so ridiculously simple to be read in only a couple of minutes. I started slowly with Noah and it took me some good hours to get to the end.

I continued with an interesting lecture of a book written by Joseph Carlebach, the father of Rav Shlomo Carlebach z''l and the last chief rabbi of Hamburg, killed in Riga, in 1942. The book is an interesting historical and theological introduction into the life of three big prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel. A lecture that I continued with the latest chapters from Joshua and Judges, also from Artscroll. As usual, this is only the introductory lecture, as I need to start to study it seriously, eventually with chevruta.

The rest of the reading time I was spent reading another book by Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, One People?, addressing many of the topics that I am thinking about very often: What are we supposed to do faced with the challenges of the diversity of Jewish movements? How far are we from each other and how even far our paths will go in the next decades? The final words are quite encouraging, but in practice, we need to do a lot each and every day: "The primal scene of Jewish history is of the Israelites in the wilderness, fractious, rebellious, engaged in endless diversions, yet none the less slowly journeying towards the fulfilment of the covenantal promise. No image seems to me more descriptive of the contemporary returning: some to a faith, others to a way of life, some to a place, others to a sense of peoplehood. for eighteen hundred years of dispersion, Jews prayed for freedom, for ingathering of exiles, the restoration of sovereignty, and the rebuilding of Jerusalem. Today they have them. If faith implies anything - faith in G-d, or in the Jewish people, or the covenant that bids one to the other as a 'kingdom of priests and a holy nation' - it implies this: that Jews having come thus far will not now disintegrate, so advanced along the journey which Abraham began nearly four thousand years ago. The inclusivist faith is that Jews, dividede by where they stand are united by what they are travelling towards, the destination which alone gives meaning to Jewish history: the promised union of Torah, the JEwish people, the land of Israel, and G-d".

Don't trust a BBC Guide

I am not naive enough to believe that BBC is very sympathetic to Jews and especially to Orthodox Jews, but not cynical enough to believe fully the logic of 'they' vs. 'us'. Of course that we belong to different world and one of the most obvious example has to do with the 'laws' of marriage, but my conclusion after watching so-called 'documentaries' is that many producers and journalists simply do not do their job correctly. Another topic that you will find often featured in the media is related to nidah laws.

Take, for instance, the BBC Two documentary A Hasidic Guide to Love, Marriage and Finding a Bride. The topic is very interesting and there are a lot of things to be said about, especially when you address the London Jewish community. The author is featuring some marginal Jews or people situated somehow in a countercultural paradigm - who else would accept being called 'Orthodox' and answer about intimate life choices ? - and thus, the meaning is diminished. True is that it is not easy to marry your children, especially in London - when you went into prison, but I suppose that it is not available in the case of London Haredi, but it operates similarly in the case of any high-end family. To take an extreme example, the Queen Mother will not jump of happiness to find out that one of her nephews is entering a family with a splitted family with a bad reputation. Plus, I suppose that people are getting more or less drunk to any wedding, not necessarily at a Hasidic one. 

What did you expect, some may say? I think it is a huge potential to try to explain a lot of things about Judaism that the mainstream media fails to do it. Obviously, there are enough talented people around that are able to do it, including among the Jewish Brits.

Shabbos reading

When you have a full week of 6 full working days, Shabbat is the only day when I really can focus on serious reading on Judaism-related topics. I can also read more than 3-4 pages in a row in Hebrew and clean my mind from everything that during the week do not let me clearly consider more serious topics.

Thus, no business planning, no thoughts about the next trip to the other end of the town and any ideas about what I will do in the next hours after Shabbat will end. Just leaving the moment and let the future be on hold for a while, as being too busy with the present spiritual building.

As the Internet is offline for 25 hours, it is the only day of the week when I can read 1 book the day without interruption. No need to check my e-mails or to immediately look for some news on the web that will keep me busy online for couple of good hours. 

My choice of books was the following:

Shabbat and electricity, by Rabbi L.Y. Halperin, an authority in this very sophisticated halakhic domain. It addresses a couple of interesting aspects related to electrical and electronic devices on Shabbat: closing and opening circuits on Shabbat, the Shabbat telephone, why, when and how to use an elevator, dishwashers on Shabbat, air conditioning and automatic doors or alarm systems. The book is a translation from a Hebrew version published by the prestigious Institute for Science and Halacha and this is perhaps the reason why there are some shortages in terms of fluency of the English version. However, it is a must have and most read kind of book for anyone interested in getting more practical insights about various chellenges of the modern life to the old rules of Shabbat. 

Following the same line, my next book was Halachah and Medicine Today an interesting translation of excerpts of articles published on this topic in Halacha U'Refuah. The translations are good and you can have a full picture of all the opinions on a certain topic. There are articles signes by respectable rabbis, such as R. Ovadia Yosef shlita, R. Moshe Feinstein, R. Halperin from the previous collection of articles, R. Yehoshua Neuwirth, or the Lubavitcher Rebbe. The titles of some of the articles: blood tests on Shabbat for neonatal jaundice, taking blookd and giving injections on Shabbat, accompanying a patient to hospital on Shabbat, the observant physician and Shabbat. 

Just in order to be encouraged to continue my diversified menu of books, I ended up with One thing I ask, by Rabbi Hillel Fendel. Most probably, any well trained bochur know the answers to most of the questions - for instance, 'Where do we find complete passages from the Torah in the tefilah?', 'Which verse from Psalms do we recite the most often in our prayers?' or 'Which passages must be repeated if not said with the proper intention and devotion?'. However, it was not my case in over 98% of the cases. The book is organized with a section of questions, followed by the detailed answers, written in a very simple and concise way. The main topics are: hallel and rosh chodesh, Torah reading, blessings, morning prayers, Shmoneh Esrei, Halakhah, numbers. 

A good start for a week of light!

'The silent Jews who lived double lives'

When I saw first the news about the decision of the Spanish Government to allow automatically Spanish citizenship to the descendants of the Spanish Jews I was impressed, thinking that maybe other countries that did the same to their Jewish citizens will follow the example.

However, the law does not include the hidden Jews and all those who were forced to convert or that used to have a double life. Those may need to prove somehow their affiliation or to go through the classical conversion process. For the descendants of those who suffered the expulsions and the frustrations of the double life, it is a sad reality. On the other hand, this is what happens in general with anyone with a hidden identity. True is that once born a Jew always a Jew, but the conversions and the alienation from Judaism left traces in the identity of many of those 'anusim'. Probably there should be a case-by-case basis decision, but still, the precautions are in line with some of the previsions of the Law of return. 

The spark is always there, it is up to us to bring it back to light.

The force of the stories

Regardless of our level of intellectual sophistication or of our high spiritual needs, we will always need good and simple stories. It is part of our human background to wait and listen to beautiful stories.

If you are looking for a good collection of stories, that will equally make you smile and cry, you should try to find out this beautiful book by Hanoch Teller, Once Upon a Soul. Either he writes about spectacular rescues of the Jewish soul or of strong personalities, he will always bring a new beam of light into the life of the reader. Without being judgemental and with the help of the art of a good writer you will always have great stories. No one is looking to be lectures, but to feel the human touch of the story and the force of the example. Our soul is thirsty for it and Hanoch Teller's stories are waiting for us.

Lena Gorelik's box of memories

Long time ago, what I knew about Russian Jews in Germany what the result of some articles published in various publications, whose main treat was the sadness of being poor, often refused - as it was not enough to be a refusenik once - and marginalized by both the Germans and the local Jewish organizations. My big question - not yet fully answered - was why to decide going to Germany instead of using your free ticket to Israel.

Little by little, I learned not only to appreciate them - especially after reading many interesting books about the hard resistance to keep Yiddishkeit alive - but to simply understand their specificities and their specific cases. I met many BT in their early 40s, with secular background but a desire to grow permanently and to learn more and more about Judaism. And last but not least, who are very proud that their children are the first generation of frum Russian Jews, with ahavat Yisroel and desire to learn in yeshiva and create Jewish homes. Somehow, their generation made the transition to a new generation a better Jews. 

There are not too many young Russian Jewish authors in Germany more active than Lena Gorelik. She writes book after book, in German, with a lot of humour and creative inspiration. I've read at least four of her books and even though some of the subjects may repeat and the main topic is always the same, I never got bored. She can be funny, serious, engaged and informtive at the same time. Her books are not only good documentaries about the life of Jews in Germany in the last decades, but also about the identity of Russian Jews and their interesting background and the normality of their struggle to recognition and acception of what they are. Understanding is the first step towards tolerance, and Lena Gorelik is doing a good job of using her talent of creative writing in this direction. She has the simplicity of her personal stories and a strong voice that brings to light children stories and more recent memories. 

I am not sure if she is much known outside Germany or if her books were translated, but she represents a new wave of strong voices of the Russian Jews in Germany. And, of the Jewish literary life.

Women mashgiach?

I recognize that I do not like the tone of the article and the passion of some declarations quoted, but on the other hand, I do not see many any difficulties in allowing women being mashgiach. And I am thinking only at the following aspect: most part of the time, the women are in charge 98% with the preparation of meals and the kashrut standards in the kitchen. Following a course for preparing as professional mashgiach and eventually extending their supervision outside the home will not be an impossible mission and in full line with the daily tasks of any devoted yiddische mother. 

An interesting issue to be followed in the near future.

19 Kislev

Chabad celebrates today the liberation from the Tzarist prison of the founder of their Hasidic group, Rav Schneur Zalman of Liadi (1745-1812). He was arrested following accusation of teaching dangerous concepts for the stability of the Russian Empire. This day it is also called the 'Rosh Hashanah of Hasidism' and it marks the beginning of the cycle of study of Tanya, Chabad's major work. 

The Long Hand of the Mossad: The Revival of Russian Jewry

An interesting lecture on YUTorah Online - an investigation into the turmoil of the Russian Jews during communism.

We have so much to learn from them. While listening the lecture I was thinking a couple of times, how in our history every tragic moment can be turned into an opportunity to increase and develop. And this is part of our miracle. 

The Gates of Repentance

This is a fragment from Rabbeinu Yonah's Gates of Repentance, that reminds me a lot of some literary motives in the work of F. Kafka. I do not have any information though that Kafka was familiar with those writings.

'In the Midrash (Kohelles Rabbah 7:`15), our Sages, of blessed memory, compared his situation to that of a band of thieves. Having been captured and imprisoned by the king, together they dug a tunnel through which to escape the dungeon. All escaped but one gang member, who was afraid of the unknown path which lay before him. When the jail warden discovered the breach and saw the man who saw the man who stayed behindm he began strike him with his rod, exclaiming: 'Miserable soul! Don't you see the breach opened wide before you - why did you not seize the opportunity to save yourself as well?' (Shaarei Teshuvah I:2)

Light vs. rockets

You don't need to know one of the miluim drafted in the last days to realize how close the danger are. You may only wonder why everything is going so slowly and why in the last 7 years, everything went worse. We were supposed to have peace, isn't it? Or I did not grasp correctly the message in 2005?

Israel is one of the most developed country in the world, producing bright minds and Nobel Prize Winners, a country in the forefront of science and technology. Isn't it ridiculous to risk the life of our citizens because of some underdeveloped morons that don't have anything to offer to their people than bombs and the bright professional choice of qualified suicide bombers? Isn't it a shame for the Western civilization to accept the reign of terror imposed by Hamas and their cronies?

And what we are doing in time of crisis? We unite, join our prayers, learn, do charity, sing and hope that this will also come to pass. In the month of Kislev, when we are about to celebrate Hanukka, we give another example of humanity. We turn into our books or to our military basis and fight for light. 

'Behold, the Guardian of Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps!'

Chessed

Watching the social media feeds during and after 'Sandy' it was impossible to do not notice the wave of chessed that went far beyond Brooklyn: people ready to donate clothes and to host Shabbos meals, yeshivot mobilized to welcome people in need, children ready to help their parents to prepare more space for those without electricity or whose houses were destroyed overnight.

The generosity went beyond our 'tribe' as many offered their homes and food to anyone in need in the Brooklyn area and beyond. Very often I try to understand how we can be 'light into the nations', but such examples of human involvement are the proof that we can show to the world how to move forward in case of deep sadness and when a helping hand is needed.

This article from the New York Times can also show what we can do for those in need. 

The article is four years old, but the force of the example is still important. 

We need to have more articles in the mainstream media. With a pinch of chessed we can change the world.

When it is better to keep silent

Blogging and social media in general opened the door to a lot of temptations. One is that you want to share as much as possible about your personal ups and downs first online instead of talking with a friend, a rabbi or anyone close to you that may known. It is a certain voyeurism and a temptation of public drama that pushes many blog authors to keep us updated with their marriage failures, unaccomplished shidduchim dreams or any other personal aspects that could be important for the moment, but could harm the credibility of the person on the long term. When other people on the same wavelength use the information to spread lashon hara, those person consider themselves victims, and of course they are, but first and foremost of their own naivity.

Sooner or later, it pays back.

Also, each mistake that it is not corrected in time, pays back more than ten times. Sometimes it is the direct responsibility of the community to rebuke those who make mistakes, even they are considered wise persons with immense knowledge. Being indifferent when some small abuses or infringements take place could create a lot of problems for the community. It may be an innocent touch, but when it is done more than 3 times, it is a minhag, Is the community keen to accept it?

The mistake may be that some could be considered powerful and rich and wise and unique sources of authorities. Their mistakes remind us that it is only one judge and only one holy way. I don't want to call people 'holy', not because lack of respect, but because I believe in the humanity of each of us, that gives us the possibility to correct our mistakes, before it is too late.

In such cases, the Internet could be used as a weapon to reveal the truth, but the choice of wording is very important to prevent the spread of lashon hara. 

Each day is a new occasion to do mitzvos and improve our character treats. Thinking twice and being able to focus on ideas rather than on persons could help to improve the world. This may be a good defense against any odds that may endanger us, often the result of our indifference. 

Amid Aleppo violence, fate unknown for one of Judaism's greatest buildings | The Times of Israel

Amid Aleppo violence, fate unknown for one of Judaism's greatest buildings | The Times of Israel

Happy 5773!

For me and my family, 5772 was a full year, with a lot of personal changes, ups and downs, discoveries and understanding of the power of silence when no need is for worries, as long as Hashem is guiding us.

Wasn't always easy, but looking back I cannot be but amazed by the tremendous process I went through. 

And I wish to have the wisdom and force to continue for many years from now.

Shana tova and may all be written in the Book of life!

Be back soon after 5773 is here!

The forgotten refugees

The fate of the Jews from Arab countries is a topic that was not addressed accordingly and sometimes I wondered why. Instead, I've heard very often, including among other Jews, what a better life some Sephardim had in the Arab lands. Being a little bit familiar with stories of refugees and survivors I never realized from where this stereotype originated.

Maybe there were not pogroms and crusades and not too much religious awakening and extremism, but I met many former Yemeni Jews who were forced to change their religion. Sadly enough, many Askenazim used to have fun of their Mizrahi neighbors calling them 'Arabs', but they did not know that they were forced to learn this Arabic. Similarly as many of the Askenazim needed to learn the language of the place - Russian, Frech, German, Hungarian or English etc. - as the only way to be accepted and got professional success. More than all of us, they understand very well what does it mean to deal with the Arab world, their prejudices and stereotypes. 

I wonder why it took so long until the media approached the issue of ethnic cleansing of Jews from the Arab lands. There are so many people for decades talking about the fate of the 'Palestinian refugees' - many leaving the country at the advice of their leaders - but not too many were curious to find out what happened with the Mizrahi Jews. They don't have where to go, their property were stolen and their chances to see the graves where their families rest aren't almost impossible. The rich culture of Mizrahi Jews were took upon in Israel, where many found their home after being forced to leave. 

We are used to think about the strong Zionism of the Jews from Europe and America, but we hardly remember the brave Mizrahi and Sephardim who suffered a lot for being Jews. Many left their houses with their kids in their hand and nothing in their pockets, their properties being held illegally by their Arab hosts. 

After the fall of communism, in many Eastern European countries, a symbolic restitution was sometimes possible. Our brethren from the Arab lands can't have their houses back. Some were even stolen their memories and their religion. 

Better late than never, the world should know more about their fate, and hope that more and more testimonies will be collected and published. Until it is not too late.

Elul 5772

Elul comes after the dark month of Av and still keeps the shades of the suffering and distress.

A short overview of the events that took place in the month of Elul shows how before the change many dramatic changes could take place.

And only if I try to think about some of the events of the last days, according to the media news, I cannot stop thinking about the difficult beginning that stays before us:

The anti-semitic attack on the college campus in the US. As usual, it is still difficult to see American as a hotbed of hate, but the zahav medina for Jews was only in my imagination. A couple of seconds ago I've read that the Orthodox Rabbi of Berlin was charged for defending circumcisions.

A recent anti-semitic attack in Berlin, a place where the Jews discussed a lot lately about what the meaning of a circumcision ban.

The news of the inevitable eviction of Migron

In between many other news and dangers. The challenges aren't new, the opportunities change always.

Are yeshiva students exempt fro... JPost - Jewish World - Judaism

Are yeshiva students exempt fro... JPost - Jewish World - Judaism

Haaretz: How Facebook is helping to fight my friend’s cancer

As I write this, it’s hard to believe that just one week has passed since we received the devastating news as a Facebook post. Our dear friend, Pamela Weisfeld, was diagnosed with brain, liver, breast and bone cancers. Two and a half months ago, Pamela, a nursing mother, started experiencing back pain. Her doctor then found a lump in her breast and associated it with a blocked milk duct. Medications were prescribed to deal with what, at the time, seemed to be benign symptoms. Now that the illnesses have been fully diagnosed, both chemo and radiation treatments are being employed.

I’ve known Pamela’s husband, Shmuel, for over ten years. After arriving in Israel from England and then serving in the army, he enrolled as a student at Yeshivat Darche Noam/Shapell’s. My family lived in the Beit Hakerem neighborhood of Jerusalem, near the Yeshiva. During that time, Shmuel and I enjoyed sharing quite a few Divrei Torah coupled with single malt l’chaims over our Shabbat table. After his leaving the Yeshiva, our paths crossed on our various journeys. Most recently, Shmuel and his Rusty Mike radio sidekick, Stephen Rosenbaum, interviewed me on air for my organization’s Threshold project.

Pamela made aliya from New Jersey six years ago. She and Shmuel have been married for four years. They are blessed with two children, Shoham Adiel, two and a half, and Tehila Anael, eight months, and live in the Talpiyot Mizrach neighborhood of Jerusalem. Shmuel, in addition to his radio show, builds websites. Pamela has been working in social media and Internet marketing.

Tradition teaches us that the three weeks, particularly the nine days leading up to Tisha B’Av, are a dangerous time. Within the last two weeks, Israeli tourists in Bulgaria were murdered in a terrorist attack and midnight moviegoers in Aurora, Colorado, were slaughtered in the theater. And here in Jerusalem, a young mother of two suddenly finds herself fighting for her life. How should we, the “unaffected,” respond?

For a group of the Weisfeld’s friends, the answer was obvious. Marna Becker, Kelli Brown, Matt Gleicher, and Samantha Robinson started a Facebook page, Refuah Shlema (a complete healing) for Pamela Weisfeld (Ayala Pamela bat Leah). Since its inception a week ago, it now has over 3,000 members and continues to grow rapidly. A website is about to be launched.

There are regular, very moving, Facebook posts on Pamela’s condition from Shmuel. In the world that we live in, where virtually nothing is private, a real concern is that we, the readers, become voyeurs. But there is a crucial difference here. We want to know because we care deeply and we will take positive action based on changing conditions. And technology is being employed to engage an expanding audience to do more mitzvot in the merit of Pamela’s recovery and to provide care for the family.

Besides praying three times a day in our Shmoneh Esreh (Amida) an insertion for Ayala Pamela bat Leah in the blessing for healing, there are opportunities to say chapters of Psalms and to “take challah” when making our loaves for Shabbat. To formalize the commitment, there are Google Docs set up where friends sign up. Special classes are being taught from Jerusalem to London to New York, all in Pamela’s merit.

Want to make a meal for the family? You can sign up at the meal Train website, but please, no pizza nor red meat.

And of course, there is financial need. Friends from across the globe have been recruited to be collection points and to help raise funds for treatment and for the family using PayPal and other online giving tools.

Our Temples were destroyed because of sinat hinam (baseless hatred). Our response, we are taught, needs to be ahavat hinam (unconditional, boundless love).

Shmuel, in his first post on Facebook, wrote, “I have learned many things in the last two days, but the one thing that keeps slapping me in the face is: I am more mystified and at a loss on how to handle the chessed (lovingkindness) that Am Israel has shown us than I am on how to handle the reality of my wife with severe cancer and maintaining my children's welfare. Thank you for introducing me to Hashem and the Jewish people… Thank you.”

When I received my Semicha (rabbinic ordination) some years ago, Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel Yona Metzger addressed us and said, “At the end of our life’s journey, after our 120 years, we are asked questions about how we lived our lives. But, there’s an additional question to be asked today. Did you have Internet? And if the answer is yes, did you use it to learn Torah?”

I would humbly add another follow up question. Did you use the Internet to do chessed, acts of lovingkindness? For those thousands involved in assisting the Weisfeld family in its time of need, the answer is a resounding “yes.” May it only be for a refuah shlema for Ayala Pamela bat Leah and shalom for the entire family.

For those who want to learn more and help in some capacity, Rabbi Yehoshua Looks can be contacted at yehoshua.looks@gmail.com.

For Tisha B'Av

The short history of Kinot and some detailed explanations

Excerpts from the Koren HaRav Kinot

Book of Eicha

On Tisha B'Av, The Book of Lamentations is read and discussed. If you will not be able to go to the shul on Sunday, you can try at least to read this free version of Eicha which overviews the tragic moments we remember this day with the long history of persecutions of the Jewish people. 

It is a good reminder of where we are coming from and what we should stand for. A professional design and a lot of food for thought.

Shabbat Shalom!

By Faith Alone

"The IDF is the Army of the Jews, not the Tsarist Army that one would find every excuse to evade", said Rav Yehuda Amital, a Shoah survivor and among the first which articulated the need to integrate Torah study with military service.

The pros and cons the Tal Law will never end and most probably the lessons of Tisha B'Av will help maybe some of us to understand what is wrong and where we need to thin twice before launching various accusations. Doesn't make any sense to reproduce the accusations of both sides. What impressed me in the history of Rav Yehuda Amital was his power to support his own ideas regardless of the social consequences, because the Zionist ideas mattered.

„Yeshivot without military service would produce non-Zionist Torah scholars, and the religious Zionist community would remain bereft of spiritual leadership“, he outlined, according to the book. He encouraged the capacity of his talmidim to think by themselves and to respect the diversity of opinions for the sake of Torah, as he did his entire life: “Whenever I feel that I can say something to benefit the Torah, the Jewish people or Eretz Yisrael, I do not hold myself back”. The experience during Shoah left him with a certain understanding of the world: “In Auschwitz, they did not check people’s tzitzit before sending them to the gas chambers; should we check tzitzit before regarding someone as a brother?”

Of course there are outstanding Torah scholars that would be better in yeshivot that in the Army, but the theory and practice need to meet. Plus, if you have the chance of living in Eretz Israel, why not trying to understand what this country is about, and thus to see what does it mean to fight for your country. The road to Eretz Yisrael was not a debate between scholars, but a hard fight and unless you go to see what does it mean to defend your precious land, the Torah knowledge is incomplete.

And what a beautiful book about friendship, Torah study and defense of the country is Haim Sabato’s book Adjusting Sights in the wonderful translation of Hillel Halkin. One day, I would love to learn more about what does it mean to be a religious person and to serve in the Army. Isn’t shameful, disgraceful or impossible.

The Rebbe: The life and afterlife of Menachem Mendel Schneerson

I dare to say that I had a lot of expectations about this book that I decided to buy not because of the controversy around it, but because I appreciated some of the books written by both authors. The main accusation against the book was that either they used selectively the sources or they did not have access to some of them that would have create a different perspective on their subject.

My impression about the book was that the authors had access to many sources, including people from the close circle of Rebbe, but they were at a certain extent overwhelmed by the information. Many information are interesting, presented as new but maybe it is too much information and not too much analysis and evaluation - even strict selection - of the sources used. 

Maybe the Rebbe was not too religious and there were internal conflicts following his choice as the next Lubavitcher Rebbe, but it does not explain the overwhelming success of the movement and the dedication of so many young people that leave their comfort for fulfilling their mission in sometimes very far away corners of the world. It does not explain either Rebbe's influence of many non-Lubavitcher religious Jews from all over the world and the success of his educational model, as well as the particularity of Chabad within the other Hassidic groups in Europe, Israel and North America. 

For me, the book is unfinished and is too much focus on events when more analysis was needed. 

1 Minute for Munich

1 minute for 11 people killed by Palestinian terrorists was refused by the International Olympic Committee. Predictable? Maybe. Acceptable? Never. 

Meanwhile, there are many things that do not make sense lately, in a Europe that apparently lost the sense of its reasons:

- Hezbollah is not a terrorist organization

- After Germany, some hospitals in Austria and Switzerland decided that will not allow circumcisions and the European rabbis fear that the craziness can spread further. I've read today an article in the English edition of the German Der Spiegel where it is said that 'Circumcision for Non Medical Reasons is wrong' outlining that some Muslims demonstrated some 'willingness' in this issue. 

- The terrorist attack in Bulgaria where innocent people on vacation were killed by apparently people close to the organization that Europe refuse to consider terrorist. 

It is good to know that we will be always here. But sometimes it is hard to cope with the whole hate. 

Memories of the shtetl

All those we were born long time after Shoah will never know how the world of shtetls looked like. We have pictures some distant memories but not a direct contact with the practical and sentimental geography of those places. We will know nothing how it is to live with the fear of pogroms and what was the charm of the little stiebls, the smell of preparations for Shabbat and the quiet 25 hours thereafter. 

Nothing about how to grow up in this world, the emotion of going to the heder for the first time and where you can find the resources for fighting the overwhelming poverty. We grew up in a self sufficient world where we took everything for granted and refused to rely on anything else but ourselves. But this is never too late for second chances.

This is what I was thinking about while reading Sholem Aleichem’s Jewish Children. 

The passion of Leon Modena

The autobiography is not one of the strong points of the Jewish religious literature. Since this personal account of the life of Leon Modena, I've read a lot of stories and biographies written by people that used to be very close to a tzaddik and feel the need to leave behind a testimony of his personality. 

Modena, probably influenced by the literary styles of the non-Jews, that he was in contact with other Jewish communities within the Italian Peninsula and abroad, left us a unique account of his life, not poor in unhappy events as the death of his sons and the deterioration of the mental health of his wife. The life story of Leon Modena is full of unhappy events, from the persecutions to the deep poverty and a long list of children and relatives dying young. There were the times of the early Enlightenment in Europe, as Leon Modena writes his memoir in the first half of the 17th century.

Besides his contacts with the non-Jewish world, he was also a strong critic of Kabbalah, but I am not sure that his scepticism was inspired rather by a certain ambiance of the time, dominated by the Inquisition, instead of the sake of Rational thinking. 

Modena was not only a writer and thinker about the Jewish life in Italy and Europe and the interaction with the non-Jewish world, but he also had a very rich professional experience: he was editor, preacher, teacher for children from rich families, merchant, rabbi, musician or seller of amulets. Last but not least, he fought his entire life with his temptation to gamble. He deals delicately with this bad inclination that made him a lot of troubles as he apparently more lost than won. Obviously, it was not a secret hobby as he needed support sometimes to cover his debts. But it is how it was and he does not try to hide it and in the spirit of the authenticity, he mentions his problems, as part of his many problems and punishments he dealt with regularly. 

Leon Modena remains at a great extent an unknown personality and did not read too much about literary works inspired by his personality. An incentive to find out more about this atypical Venetian rabbi. Learning from mistakes is also part of our story, isn't it?

'Your word is fire'

I should confess that for me, one of the most difficult parts of my BT life was praying. Due to my long history of reading, I was able to read the words of the prayer as any other reading: no kavanah, no emotional involvement at all. I gave up very often, but I tried to go beyond the rational barriers even more often and now I can say that in 3 out of 10 cases I can achieve a satisfactory level of concentration. I tried to follow both the encouragement of Vilna Gaon that the exercise of reading the prayer would help you to reach the kavanah, but also the emotional support of the Hasidic masters.

This Shabbat, I went through the lecture of various prayers of Hasidic Masters and I realized how powerful the lecture of the words could be to transport us beyond the rational meaning of the words.

Here are a couple of examples that impressed my heart:

'It is possible to be so humble

that your very humility

keeps you far from G-d.

A humble person may not belive that his own

prayer

can cause the Presence

to flow through all the worlds.

But how then can you believe

that even angels are nourished

by your words?

Know the power of your prayer

and serve your G-d in fullness!' (p.23)

'Enter into prayer slowly.

Do not exhaust your strength,

but proceed step by step.

Even if you are not aroused as your prayer begins,

give close attention to the words you speak.

As you grow in strength

and G-d helps you to draw near,

you can even say the words more quickly

and remain in His Presence'. (p.35)

'Think that the letters of prayer

are the garments of G-d.

What a joy to be making a garment

for your greatest of kings!

Enter into every letter with all your strength.

G-d dwells with each letter;

as you enter it, you become one with Him'. (p. 42)

'There are times when the love of G-d

burns so powerfully within your heart

that the words of prayer seem to rush forth,

quickly and without deliberation.

At such times it is not you yourself who speak;

rather it is through you

that the words are spoken'.

'One who reads the words of prayer with great

devotion

may come to see the lights within the letters,

even though one does not understand

the meaning of the words one speaks.

Such prayer has great power;

Mistakes in reading are of no importance.

A father has a young child whom he greatly loves.

Even though the child has hardly learned to speak,

his father takes pleasure

in listening to his words'. (p.102)

Shavua Tov!

The pity of us all

I have a pocket full of delayed blog posts, but I do not want to hurry up and write them all at once, only a couple of hours before Shabbat. As the experience of the last months taught me, I better focus on the essential and let the things flow in their own rhythm - sometimes even against my disciplined will.

I want to finish this week and start the Shabbos with a couple of thoughts about a very good and documented book that made me very sad: The Pity of It All, by Amos Alon. It is a long and detailed story of the Germany Jewry from the arrival of Moses Mendelssohn in Berlin till the departure of Hannah Arendt from the beloved country of the German Jews. Two moments important for the past and future of the Jews in Germany. In-between you have a strong fight for not surviving and not resisting the assimilation. Rather the opposite, in many cases the German culture offered the identity basis that will not be denied even in the middle of the persecutions. Very often, it is said that if you want to evaluate the degree of anti-Semitism in a society you should check the percentage of intermarriages. It was - and still is - the case in France, Germany and almost all the Eastern European countries, but also in America. Of course, the manifestations are different and the reasons may differ from a couple of another. Very often, when you accept to intermarry, the simple message delivered to the worried audience is 'So what, G-d is the same everywhere' or 'It is not G-d at all'. And you will end up educating your children that Hanukka is, in fact, a Jewish Xmas. I am sure there are many intermarried couples that could be very happy even after and so could be their children. 

But you cannot live without roots and sooner or later, you will want to return, even though you might deny it. Many people simply prefer to avoid looking back because they know it is not easy. Fighting the habits, including the cultural ones it is not easy and trying to ignore and deny and even despise your religion and culture and identity. 

Does it matter what the others are saying about you? Very often, the encouragement to assimilation starts with the following message: "How do you expect to integrate, to be part of the society and at the end of the process, to be an outperforming individual as long as you keep yourself blocked in a 'Middle Age' mentality"? Long time ago, I was very enthusiastic after reading Moses Mendelssohn's works, as I considered that he found the golden path that could offer the chance of keeping your identity while interacting with the culture in the middle of whom you are living. But the problem that I had from a certain moment on was what is the advantage of this interaction, as long as what I was ready to share was completely disregarded. I gave up the wonderful chance of being the humble acculturated subject of the big cultures I flirted with. French culture is impressive, and German literature might be interesting - even though I do not taste at all the sweet Romanticism that stole the heart of so many German Jews, and so is the Russian culture or the Anglo-American culture or any other culture of the world. But, I have my own identity and culture and a lot to share with the world. 

The Pity of It All succeeded to show the whole diversity of denial and assimilation. It is a defeat of the reason and the wonderful world of culture that did not stop the same fine intellectuals to accept or ignore the slaughtering the next door. Haskala was an ugly illusion and the variety of situations described in the book made me very sad. It was like watching a sad movie when everything is wrong and you know the ending but you cannot do anything to help them to see where it is the biggest mistake.


For me, the weakest part of the book was the lack of a personal insight. The facts selected by the author are talking by themselves and it is not the role of the historian to lecture but still I was craving for some strong conclusion. Or maybe we should start thinking about ourselves and refuse the sweet song of the mermaids whispering successful recipes of assimilation.

The life of Hasidic Rebels

As I dedicated a lot of time lately to stories about returning to faith, I did not hurry up to finish very fast the story of Unchosen. Plus, I had the bad idea to buy the book at the same time with Unorthodox and thus, I kept the bad taste of the clumsy Satmar story.

But, beyond those subjective aspects, the book is authentic and well written, with good stories and real characters, with their own stories. Each rebel has his or her story that impresses the reader and makes you think why and how things turned bad. And, this is what I consider a good writing: when long after you finish the book, you still recount vividly all the details of the story.

If it would be to make a short list of the main transgressions made by those who did not want to follow the Hassidic way of life, there are: eating treif, dressing non-tsniut, entering into contact with the opposite gender for casual or intimate relationships. Not a few of the rebels belong to the Satmar - which could actually explain why they cannot stand any more the strict version of Hasidism, but in general their personal stories lack the kindness of a family and friends and a rabbi that could give the support and comfort when needed. The 'Unchosen' do not want to convert to another religion or to become an Atheist, but simply try to find a middle road and a personal interpretation of Judaism, beyond the strict following of the rules required by the community and the family . 

I was very much surprised by the loneliness of many heroes of the stories, despite living for a long time within such close communities. Very often, they are left even lonelier after they run away and thus, they try to find other people that went through similar experiences of working together and helping the others. The connection to Judaism remains, regardless of the degree of daily observance. It is something that I always feel that it is very important, regardless of the garb or of the length of the skirt: first and foremost, you should have the heart open and the rest will come. If you start by saying and thinking and living according to the belief that you simply ought to follow a certain routine and ignore the human diversity, most likely you will run as far as possible without understanding what you left behind. 

The Pittsburgh Hasidic Community

Pittsburgh Hasidic Dynasty was created in 1924 in the US, by Rabbi Yosef Leifer. He was originary from Hungary, being a descendant of Rav Mordechai of Nadvorna. 

Since 1970, the headquarters of the dynasty were moved to Ashdod, with groups of Hasidim living in Bnei Brak and Jerusalem. 

One of the specificities of these Hasidim is the beautiful niggunim.

Here is a short video about the dynasty, one of the five Hassidic groups created in the US - Boston, Cleveland, Milwaukee and Philadelphia.  

New offer of books from Gefen Publishing House

An amazing selection of new books published recently by Gefen Publishing House. 

Hard to say which one I would NOT like to buy and read right now. 

I included most books on my shopping priority list and getting ready to work more to earn more and invest even more in books.

Anti-Semitic graffiti sprayed at Yad Vashem | The Times of Israel

It sounds as an unbelievable news coming from Israel: Anti-Semitic graffiti sprayed at Yad Vashem | The Times of Israel. It is something new that we should learn from this while preparing for this week Parasha Shelach?

Let's wait and see the results of the police investigation. However, regardless of the results, it is still a sad reading for today.

How ignorant could someone be to praise the name of a criminal in this country? What do children learn in the school about the terrible time? How it is possible that some groups continue to spread hate against Eretz Israel in the very heart of Eretz Israel?

Maybe I ask too many questions for this early morning.

Update: The reaction of Yad Vashem officials

Who owns the land?

An interesting observation, by A.B.Yehoshua, which can be connected with the old and new discussion about Ulpana – and not only:

“But even the land bought and paid for in full does not compromise the nation’s sovereignty over it. Land is not only a commodity, but also a basis of an identity. Even if wealthy Saudi Arabians buy up all the land and buildings in London, the British people will still retain sovereign over it”.

Simon Wiesenthal Center to the Euro 2012 football fans

If you do not want that your money is going to anti-Semitic thugs in Lviv, you better listen to what the words of Simon Wiesenthal Center: Do not patronize restaurants featuring anti-Semitic themes.

I am still wondering why these two countries were considered for this European Championship...

Introducing Davka

I discovered the website of Davka accidentally, but I was surprised how it was possible to do not know more about this software before. Created in 1982, this company offers a couple of educational programs and applications for building up Jewish texts. For instance, you can create dedicated Daf Yomi texts and docs for educational use. Also, you can use various software programs for translating Haggadah, creating a transliterated Machzor or Siddur. You can find games for children, images for the holidays and resources of pictures from Israel. A special category is represented by the programs dedicated to learning or update various levels of the Hebrew language.

The programs are fit for both Mac and PC and the average price of the purchase goes around $20.

Learning tasks with the new Koren Bavli

First, I could not move my eyes from the cover, displaying one of the most mysterious fruits: the pomegranate. Second, I started to check what is the price and how much I should extra work for being able to afford all the volumes: around $2, 000, the usual price for a holiday overseas. Third, I was considering that maybe it is too simple for me and that in fact I probably need a very serious and deep learning program. But, in fact, I realized in the fourth stage of thinking about Koren Talmud Bavli that I can also order the black-and-white edition which is even cheaper. But what about the children, they will be happy to study the colourful edition, the fifth thought said. The iPad application is not ready, but I wish I can buy an iPad to study more regardless of the place I am as I can discretely go into a corner and spend an idle hour studying. But the inconvenience with the iPad is that I cannot study during Shabbos. And I ended up watching once again the video displaying a sneak peak of the edition. As I know quite well myself, I am more than sure that sooner or later I will end up by ordering the first volume and waiting for the other 40 more. I should have the Koren Talmud Bavli, I wish I had it, I must have the Koren Talmud Bavli.

Ulpana-a pawn on the political chessboard?

Will the situation from Ulpana change the political configuration? If all the outposts and settlements will be legalized by law it is a danger that the entire issue of settlements will be put under question and will start a global campaign of a new wave of contestation of the state of Israel? 

Till I will prepare a post about settlements and Ulpana, here is a YouTube video I watched today. 

Understanding in the process...

Meanwhile, in my dear Europe

After half an hour online, I gathered the following disgusting news:

A clash of neo-Nazi in Hamburg - I am too naive to wonder why such a gathering was allowed?

Jews attacked in France

The memory of Far-right Anti-Semitic politicians is carefully cultivated in Hungary

Poland and Ukraine, future hosts of the Football World Championships, are the old-time hosts of hate. If you are Jewish, Black and gay you better keep your money for charity than to spend for buying a ticket to those events.

The enlightened Europe is playing black games again...

Reading adventures: Giving up the Romance Reader

I started my discovery of Pear Abraham's books with the Romance Reader that, due to the frequent mentions in relation with Unorthodox did not impress me at the first sight. Later, I discover by myself how much the author of Unorthodox tried to copy some ideas from this book even though she is centuries of style behind. The story in itself it is not very sophisticated: Rachel Benjamin, the daughter of a Hasidic rabbi, grows up and wants to build her independence. As the oldest daughter she is supposed to be a role model and to marry first, but her hunger for knowledge and curiosity creates conflicts between her reality and the religious duties and her imaginary world. Abraham, with a background of Hasidic rebel herself, gathered in Rachel the seeds of many free-by-heart girls of the 20-21st centuries fighting with the various pressures of the religious life.

The story of Deena and Daniel from Giving Up America was more interesting for me. There are not too many characters here and the intensity of the interior conflict is different: Deena married Daniel against the warnings of his father, a Hasid from Jerusalem. Daniel cheats on her and the simple American style - 'I kissed her, so what?' - but she cannot go further, even though they decided recently to have a house of their own. The colors chosen by Deena to paint the house are telling a story about her universe and her longing for a different life. However, what does this difference mean could be the subject of another book. She does not say she would like her Hasidic life back, but more than one thing from Daniel's behaviour alienates her. She is a gentle person that still looks for herself, and the ups and downs of her inner tensions are more interesting than taking a decision as such. The talent of the author made an interesting story from a relatively simple fact and this made me look soon for other books by Pearl Abraham.