American Left Defends Anti-Israel BDS as "Free Speech"

LEFT WING PUSHES BACK AGAINST LAST-MINUTE EFFORT TO PASS ANTI-BDS BILL

While Democratic leadership supports the Israel Anti-Boycott Act, which targets US companies that join the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against the Jewish state, two powerful senators in Democratic politics expressed their opposition to its passage on Wednesday....

Among the senators claiming that BDS should be protected as "Free Speech" are Jews, and no surprise that the extreme Leftist J Street also opposes the bill.

American Jewry on the whole are extreme in their unquestioning support of the Democrats and the Left. I don't think there's an actual Mitzvah, Torah Commandment they observe more than voting for Democrats.

Even today, when the 21st century Democratic Party has adopted policies that support the destruction/annihilation of the State of Israel, Jewish Americans have continued their unquestioning support.

It's no secret that most American Jews eat the Torah-forbidden ham and shrimp, besides not having a clue that there's a fast day mid summer called the 9th of Av when we mourn the destruction of our Holy Temple in Jerusalem. Intermarriage has passed the tipping point, and it is now the norm, except in the most Torah observant circles. It is also rationalized/justified with Leftist slogans of "equality" and "free speech."

American Jewry has become so pro-Left Democrat that many actually oppose the American Embassy in Jerusalem, davka, because it was opened by a Republican President. That's the proof that they have ceased to think as Jews; they are now religiously Leftist Democrats.

I'm saddened by this development. And I'm pessimistic. The future of the Jewish People is here in Israel, no place else. Europe and other parts of the world are no better for Jews to remain true Jews.

Here I am marching in the 1970 Salute to Israel Parade with NCSY, just a couple of months before making aliyah, moving to Israel. It was the best move we could ever have made, B"H, thank Gd.

Is This Art?

It could be. Maybe it's a glass mosaic aka stained glass? There's something haunting about it, like a Vincent Van Gogh painting when his demons were overpowering him.

Well, the truth is that the "technique" is related to "demons," but not the imaginary kind, not the kind of a schizophrenic, chemically imbalanced mind.

Yesterday, when I got on the bus home from Sha'ar Binyamin burdened with heavy shopping bags, the closest unoccupied seat was by a cracked window. I try not to sit by cracked windows. The buses that ply our routes have bulletproof windows. They are also strong enough to stay whole/unbroken if a rock is thrown at it. To be accurate, that's true until you see cracks like this one had.

bus window cracked by Arab terrorists attack

The recent increase in Arab terror attacks, davka, on the road we travel, has killed, injured and caused damage. Thank Gd yesterday's trip to and from Jerusalem was uneventful, but we can never take an easy and safe trip for granted.

Only in Israel, Terror Victims, Cared for by All

Decades ago, when a horrendous fatal car accident halved a local family, the injured survivors were cared for in the same hospital room, where they sat shiva together. Many times since, I've seen pictures of hospitalized family members, of both sexes and various ages, in the same hospital room. It's a very humane and comforting policy, which doesn't exist in other countries.

The young couple, Shira and Amichai Ish-Ran, who as a result of an Arab terror attack outside of Ofra, not only were injured, but as a result of Shira's injury, their baby didn't survive. They are now together in Shaare Tzedek Hospital in the same room. Obviously, after such physical, medical and emotional trauma, they have a lot to deal with. Separation would have only made it worse.

According to Jewish Law, there's no mourning, shiva-all the usual restrictions, after the death of a tiny baby under a month old, so friends came to sing to them.



Do you see this in other countries? Only in Israel.

Adam Junction Tunnel/Underpass, Yay! צומת אדם

Way back when, in the early days, first couple of decades of living in Shiloh and the development of Mateh Binyamin, the Benjamin Regional Council, all of the yishuvim, communities off of what is now Kvish, Highway 60 and those on the parallel section of the Alon Road, considered ourselves as suburbs of Jerusalem. The first fifteen years or so we lived in Shiloh, there wasn't a Kvish, Highway 60. We traveled via the eastern neighborhoods of Jerusalem and Ramalla, passing Beit El's western side, then the Jalazoun refugee camp and Waadi Charamiya to get to Shiloh. Then there was no Adam Junction connecting Adam, Jerusalem, Ramalla and the Shomron-Binyamin.

Even though we had to drive through Ramalla and those Arab neighborhoods, the trip, even by bus, was about an hour from Shiloh. With time and even after the bypass roads, Jerusalem seemed to get much further away. The past few years has become a nightmare for those who need to travel to and from Jerusalem. Traffic jams began as early as 6am.

For the past few years, I've been telling people that Shiloh has moved to the Petach Tikvah area, since it's so much easier to get to Rosh Ha'ayin, the Yarkon Junction, Petach Tikva and Hod Hasharon. Many of my neighbors, who have cars, take care of all sorts of official things in the nearby city of Ariel. Lots of people tell me that they can't remember the last time they've gone to Jerusalem. I sleep in Jerusalem the night before my Matan classes. This way I can see friends and family, plus get to class easily in the morning.

There's a whatsapp group I'm in for reporting traffic jams; as of right now it has 257 members. Until close to a week ago, there were constant updates about traffic jams. In recent days it has quieted down, except for the traffic stopping as a result of terror attacks and car accidents, which is another topic completely. Why has traffic speeded up? Why has Jerusalem moved closer?

There's now a tunnel/underpass at the Adam Junction. Vehicles needing neither Adam nor Ramalla now drive directly, unhindered. Rush hour is now fast rather than slow, B"H, thank Gd. Take a look!

Terror ATTACK, Not "Incident"

I'm a rare breed. I love grammar, and I have a very sensitive ear to the nuances of language. I've written many times about how important it is to word bombing, shellings, rocket attacks, etc in "active" rather than "passive." Also, please don't word things giving the impression that a gun spontaneously aimed itself and shot someone.

Please don't write/say:

"Weapon fired at..."
"Missiles were launched at..."

Calling a terror attack an "incident" also makes me furious. The definition of "incident" is:

1. an individual occurrence or event.
2. a distinct piece of action, or an episode, as in a story or play.
3. something that occurs casually in connection with something else

I also go rather ballistic when I read about people/Jews "who perished" in the Holocaust, as if it was a natural disaster, like an avalanche.

By using "parve" gentle words and inaccurate grammatical forms one is actually distorting the truth.

It is not an "incident, something that occurs casually" when Arab terrorists shoot at innocent Jews standing at a junction.
Photo of the "live" via facebook funeral of prematurely born Amiad Yisrael Ish-Ran.

Accurate reporting and writing is extremely crucial in Israel's war for survival against the cruelest of enemies, Arab terrorists and their supporters. Don't be shy about writing clearly and bluntly.

No Words... אין מילים

Many people here in Israel and the Jewish World know exactly what I mean.

A tiny baby died today.

The tiny baby was one of the youngest victims of Arab terrorism.

The tiny baby was even younger than Yehuda Shoham, HaY"aD, a neighbor of mine, who at the age of five months died as the result of a terror attack less than twenty years ago.

There have been so many Arab terror attacks against innocent Jews that it's hard to remember them all, and it's hard to remember all of the victims.

But for the past few days many of us have been praying for this tiny baby, whether we know the family or not. Actually, many of us have discovered that we do know the family. And even if we don't have a personal connection, how could anyone remain disengaged from the story of a young beautiful couple who had been among a handful of people trying to get a ride outside of Ofra and were shot and injured by Arab terrorists?

The most seriously injured was a young woman,  married barely a year ago. She was pregnant with their first child. And now the baby is dead, and the young mother has to recover from life-threatening injuries.

Our thoughts, love and sympathy are with Amichai and Shira Ish-Ran, their family and close friends.

Baruch Dayan Ha'emett
ברוך דיין האמת
Blessed is The True Judge

Section of Shiloh Cemetery
The cemetery was started when Rachella Druk, HaYa"D, was murdered by Arab terrorists over twenty five years ago.

Pray For Victims of Arab Terror

As Chanukah neared an end Arab terrorists attacked a roadside trempiada, hitchhiking post outside of Ofra in the most cowardly of ways. They shot at the innocent people waiting for rides. It's a place I sometimes find myself at, because people going to and towards Shiloh pass by. My practice is to check the bus app efobus to see when a bus to Shiloh should be arriving. And if there isn't a bus within a reasonable amount of time, I wait outside on the sidewalk, behind the barriers.  The barriers can prevent a regular car from hitting people, but it won't stop bullets.

Over half a dozen people were injured including a young pregnant woman. Her baby was delivered prematurely as soon as she got to the hospital. They all need our prayers.

רפואה שלימה:
 התינוק בן שירה יעל, שירה יעל בת ליאורה שרה
Complete recovery to:
Tinok (baby) ben of Shira Yael
Shira Yael bat Leora Sarah

Prayers from the Holy Site of Shiloh

No "peace plan" will stop terror, only physically eradicating the terrorists and their financial backing will be good first steps. It will take generations to change their belief in terror and hatred of Jews and Israelis.

Wonderful Weather, Rain and Rosh Chodesh Prayers

It's winter here in the HolyLand, and if we don't get lots of rain in the winter, that's bad news. So, when we had three days of rain, I was happy.

Our sages tell us that weekend/Shabbat rains are the greatest gifts from Gd. It's a time we're not supposed to travel. We are lucky to live near the synagogue, so there's no inconvenience. As long as electricity works, and the heat is on, I'm not going to be tempted to complain. 

This morning, when the sun showed its golden strength, not hidden by clouds and rain, everything was sparkling and clean. Leaves looked like emeralds, decorated by rubies, diamonds and other gems. The blue silk sky was exquisite as I walked down to Shiloh Hakeduma, Tel Shiloh for our Women's Rosh Chodesh Prayers. Yes, Gd planned the dry sunny weather to coincide with our Rosh Chodesh Tevet prayers.

Next month is Shevat, and the Rosh Chodesh Women's Prayers at Shiloh Hakeduma, Tel Shiloh, site of the Mishkan, Holy Tabernacle will be on the 1st of Shevat, 5779, Monday 7-01-2019, 8:30am.

כולן מוזמנות, תפילת נשים, ראש חודש שבט, א' טבת, יום ב' ,7/01/2019 , 8:30, בשילה הקדומה, תל שילה

We sing Hallel out loud, but the rest of the prayers are said silently and as individuals. There will be a tour of the Tel and Divrei Torah, Gd willing, in both Hebrew and English. If you'd like more information, please contact me shilohmuse@gmail.com with "Rosh Chodesh Prayers" as subject.

Shiloh Hakeduma, Ancient Shiloh is open six days a week. It's a recognized tourist and archaeological site. Contact them directly at visit@telshilo.org.il, 02-5789111.

Gd willing this winter will continue with frequent rainy periods, like we're having now. It should be for a blessing. And we must remember that a drought is a curse/punishment.

There is No "New Testament;" Don't Use the Term, Please

I try to be very careful about my terminology. One of the things we learn in Judaism is that words have power. A couple of popular rhymes of my childhood from my childhood are in direct opposition to Jewish theology and values:

sticks and stones can break my bones,
but words can never harm me

losers weepers
finders keepers

We Jews are "the People of The Book," and that has two lessons for us. One is that every word and word choice has power. It is possible to destroy a person with the wrong word, even if only intended as a "joke" or to "tease." Also, "The Book" is our Tanach, Bible, the Jewish one, and it has never been revised, added to, by Gd.

There is No "New sic Testament." The meaning behind that term, especially as it's used in conjunction with the "Old sic Testament," sic, is that Christianity is the Gd sanctioned revision of Judaism, which no good Jew accepts.

Judaism is the only religion of the True Gd. The basis of Judaism in in the Tanach, Bible. And the basis of Judaism is that we have only One Gd and are forbidden to worship a human.

There is a Christian bible, and there is the Tanach, Bible. I'm not shy about pointing it out, even when the speaker is a renown Jewish lecturer/expert. We must be very careful in the terminology we use, because words have multiple meanings. Just because a term is the "accepted" one by the general public, does not make it Kosher.

Chanukah is the Jewish Holiday during which we celebrate our victory over the Ancient Greeks and Hellenists, the assimilated Jews of the time. It's the perfect time to inspect our language and rid it of foreign anti-Jewish terms.

Chag Urim Sameach

May You have an Enlightened Holiday

Chanukah, day #3

What Really is The Light of Chanukah?

One of the big misconceptions about the lights on the chanukiya, Chanukah Menorah is that they are to compensate for the shortness of winter days.

True, the Chanuka holiday occurs when daylight is shortest, and here in the Holy-Land it may rain, though very rarely snow. But we are forbidden to use the light for anything practical. It is not supposed to be the light for the room, or the street, or for reading, cooking or anything else one needs light.

The light of the chanukiya, Chanukah Menorah is to publicize the miracles that Gd performs for us, even more often than we may notice. Yes, specifically, on Chanukah, we celebrate the fact that time and time again, Gd is on our side. When the odds and the experts say that we're about to be defeated, such as when the powerful Ancient Greeks invaded our Holy land and forbade us to observe Judaism, we defeated them and returned Jewish worship to the Holy Temple.

Over the millennia, this has happened time and time, again.  Also, please remember that the Modern Greeks aren't ruling and occupying the Holy Land any more. None of our ancient enemies exist today. They may have won many battles, but we, with the help of Gd, the One True Gd, have won the war.

עם ישראל חי

Am Yisrael Chai

The People of Israel Live

That is what the lights of the chanukiya, Chanukah Menorah shine and broadcast to the world.

Where do You Light Your Chanukiya, Chanuka Menorah?

The light of our Chanukiya, Chanuka Menorah, is supposed to be a sign to the world that we, the small Jewish People, cannot be defeated by big, strong armies. It's not supposed to be a light that physically illuminates. The Light of the Chanukiya, Chanuka Menorah is not to be used for any practical purpose, like reading or navigating and certainly not to light up a room.

We've always set up our chanukiyot on window sills facing the main street. Since our custom has always been that everyone old enough to have some understanding of the mitzvah should light their very own chanukiya, there have been years when both our meter plus window sills were full of chanukiyot.

Nowadays, there are rarely more than just the two of us rattling around this empty nest. Our big family Chanuka celebrations are generally at the kids.

Many of our neighbors light their chanukiyot outside, by their doors or right on the sidewalk. The mitzvah of פרסום הנס pirsum haness, publicizing the miracle, is taken very seriously.

What are your family and community chanukiya-lighting customs?