Boycott the Jews? You will Die Sooner

The price a real anti-Jewish boycott would cost can give you an idea of what kind of war Israel is fighting: civilization against darkness.

 

Boycott the Jews? You will die

Truth is the best disinfectant.

The boycott threat is endangering the Jewish people. Universities, pension funds, commercial chains, newspapers: there is an anti-Semitic offensive around the world.
Let's see what would happen if the anti-Semites would really boycott "everything Jewish", as Ayatollah Khamenei said.

If you contracted syphilis, you could not be cured by salvarsan since it was discovered by a Jew, Paul Ehrlich.

If you contracted gonorrhea, you could not seek diagnosis, because the method is named after a Jew, Albert Neissner.

If you had heart disease you could not use Digitalis, because it was discovered by a Jew, Ludwig Traube.

A toothache? No, because Novocaine was discovered by two Jews, Widal and Weil.
Diabetes? You will die soon because Insulin is the result of research by a Jew, Oskar Minkowsky.

You cannot get the anti polio vaccine, because it bears a Jew's name, Jonas Salk.

You must also die of Tuberculosis because a Jew, Zalman Waxman, invented the drug for it.

No hope for cancer because one of the most important tumor suppressor genes was cloned by scientists at the Weizmann Institute in Rehovot (defective copies of this gene are found in more than half of all human cancers).

No chance to be saved from the "Mad Cow" disease, because Israel developed the diagnosis in Creutzfeldt Jakob genetic disease in humans with a urine test instead of a brain biopsy.

Did you get the West Nile virus? Forget the Israeli vaccine.

Forget chemotherapy that extends the lives of cancer patients, kidney dialysis machines, cardiac pacemakers or Hepatitis B vaccine.

The Muslim fanatics and their Western anti-Semitic friends can only dream of having a tiny fraction of the brain power of these Jewish scholars.

And I say it to a genius like Stephen Hawking as well, who approved the boycott of the Jewish State. Maybe he is alive because of Israeli technology. The same for Mahmoud Abbas' wife, who has just visited an Israeli hospital. Such hypocrisy.

How many Nobel prizes have the Muslims collected? 7.

How many prizes for the Jews? Of the 850 Nobel Prize winners, 177 have been Jewish and several were born in Israel. 20 % of them have gone to Jews.

This is not racism and Israel has plenty of dullards and morons. But the price a real anti-Jewish boycott would cost can give you an idea of what kind of war Israel is fighting: civilization against darkness.

If Israel and the Jews, who make up just 0,2 % of humanity, fall again, the world will be darker and meaningless.

If 6,000,000 Jews would not to have perished in the Holocaust, can you imagine how richer the world would be?

Anti-Jewish Demonstrations

Sukkot Reposted

I originally posted this in 2009.  Instead of writing a new post I submit this for your enjoyment.

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Sukkot or the Festival of Tabernacles begins 5 days after Yom Kippur. The holiday lasts for 7 days, and is immediately followed by another festive day known as Shemini Atzeret. The word Sukkot is the plural of the Hebrew word sukkah, meaning booth or hut. The sukkah is reminiscent of the type of the fragile dwellings in which the ancient Israelites dwelt during their 40 years of wandering in the desert after the Exodus from Egypt. Throughout the holiday the sukkah becomes the living area of the house, and all meals are eaten in it. On each day of the holiday, members of the household recite a blessing over the lulav and etrog, or Four species.

Sukkot was agricultural in origin. This is evident from the biblical name "The Feast of Ingathering," from the ceremonies accompanying it, from the season – “The festival of the seventh month” – and occasion of its celebration: "At the end of the year when you gather in your labors out of the field" (Ex. 23:16); "after you have gathered in from your threshing-floor and from your winepress" (Deut. 16:13). It was a thanksgiving for the fruit harvest. Coming as it did at the completion of the harvest, Sukkot was regarded as a general thanksgiving for the bounty of nature in the year that had passed.

Sukkot became one of the most important feasts in Judaism, as indicated by its designation as “the Feast of the Lord” or simply “the Feast”. Perhaps because of its wide attendance, Sukkot became the appropriate time for important state ceremonies. Moses instructed the children of Israel to gather for a reading of the Law during Sukkot every seventh year (Deut. 31:10-11). King Solomon dedicated the Temple in Jerusalem on Sukkot (1 Kings 8; 2 Chron. 7). And Sukkot was the first sacred occasion observed after the resumption of sacrifices in Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity (Ezra 3:2-4).

In Leviticus, God told Moses to command the people: “On the first day you shall take the product of hadar trees, branches of palm trees, boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook” (Lev. 23:40), and “You shall live in booths seven days; all citizens in Israel shall live in booths, in order that future generations may know that I made the Israelite people live in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt” (Lev. 23:42-43). In the time of Nehemiah, after the Babylonian captivity, the Israelites celebrated Sukkot by making and dwelling in booths, a practice of which Nehemiah reports: “the Israelites had not done so from the days of Joshua” (Neh. 8:13-17).

Observance of Sukkot is detailed in Mishnah (Sukkah 1:1–5:8); Tosefta (Sukkah 1:1–4:28); Jerusalem Talmud (Sukkah 1a); and Babylonian Talmud (Sukkah 2a–56b).

According to halakha, one must eat major meals and sleep in a Sukka (a hut with an open roof). In the case of rain eating and sleeping are not a requirement. The Four species must be waved.



The holiday immediately following Sukkot is known as Shemini Atzeret. Shemini Atzeret is viewed as a separate holiday. In the diaspora, a second additional holiday, Simchat Torah is celebrated. In the Land of Israel, Simchat Torah is celebrated on Shemini Atzeret. On Shemini Atzeret the sukkah is left and meals are eaten inside the house. Outside of Israel, many eat in the sukkah without making the blessing. The sukkah is not used on Simchat Torah.

Now imagine trying to explain the building of a sukkah to your landlord or local building authority. A hut with 4 walls and a roof with big holes in it. Could lead to some interesting civil discussions.

Or you have a father who cannot hammer 2 boards together, and yet insists on designing and building a sukkah (We've destroyed those pictures for the sake of family honor). Needless to say I learned some new words on those days.

I do love this holiday (one of 3 mandated in the bible).

So have a safe Sukkot! And remember that next year you can buy the pre-made Sukkah and avoid the embarrassment and laughter of your neighbors.

Jerusalem!!

46 years ago today the City of David, Jerusalem was reunited after being cut into 2 by the Jordanians and the United Nation.  For 19 years no Jew, no Christian was allowed to worship at their holy places.  In fact, the tombstones on the Mount of Olives Cemetery (One of the oldest Jewish Cemeteries in the world.) were used by the Jordanians as paving stones, building stones, even to make latrines.  And the world said nothing.  Not a peep.

On an almost daily basis, snipers on the walls of the Old City would open fire on Israeli civilians.  And the world said nothing.  Not a peep.

To solve this issue and stop the gunfire, orders were given to liberate the Old City.  And the IDF came through with skill.  The City of David was unified.  All people were free to worship at their holy places.


Click here if the video doesn't load.

Today as Israel and Jews around the world celebrate 46 years of a unified Jerusalem, President Barack Hussein Obama is demanding that the city be split into 2 again.  And the world is cheering him on.

Forget about what happened the last time the city was divided to appease the Arabs.  Forget that for 46 years the city has been whole, united.  Forget that under the Arabs only Muslims could pray at in the city, Jews and Christians were forbidden.  That means nothing to those who have been appeasing the Arabs in the hope that they finish the job Hitler started.

But you can help:

Keep Jerusalem United - Sign the Declaration!


Click here if the video doesn't load.

Sign the Declaration!

I declare that Jerusalem is the eternal capital of the Jewish People and strongly support all efforts to maintain and strengthen a united Jerusalem as the undivided capital of the State of Israel.

Just click here.

 Land for peace with Palestinians doesn't work.  They have taught Israel that.  In 2005 Israel gave up Gaza in the hope of peace.  And was subjected to over 10,000 rockets.  And the horror that became the city of Sderot.

For 46 years Jerusalem has been united.  Let us work to keep it that way!


Click here if the video doesn't load.

Jerusalem United Forever!

Sukkot! Again!

I originally posted this in 2010 and since Sukkot starts tonight, I've gone lazy and decided to repost this instead of writing a new post.

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Feast of Tabernacles is once again here.  7 days of eating in a booth or tabernacle built by the family.

From Chabad:

For forty years, as our ancestors traversed the Sinai Desert prior to their entry into the Holy Land, miraculous "clouds of glory" surrounded and hovered over them, shielding them from the dangers and discomforts of the desert. Ever since, we remember G‑d's kindness and reaffirm our trust in His providence by dwelling in a sukkah – a hut of temporary construction with a roof-covering of branches – for the duration of the autumn Sukkot festival. For seven days and nights, we eat all our meals in the sukkah – reciting a special blessing – and otherwise regard it as our home.

Another mitzvah that is unique to Sukkot is the taking of the Four Kinds: an etrog (citron), a lulav (palm frond), at least three hadassim (myrtle branches) and two aravot (willow branches). The Midrash tells us that the Four Kinds represent the various types and personalities that comprise the community of Israel, whose intrinsic unity we emphasize on Sukkot.

On each day of the festival (except Shabbat), during the daytime hours, we take the Four Kinds, recite a blessing over them, bring them together in our hands and wave them in all six directions: right, left, forward, up, down and to the rear. (The Four Kinds are also an integral part of the holiday's daily morning service.)

Sukkot is also called The Time of Our Joy; indeed, a special joy pervades the festival. Nightly "Water-Drawing Celebrations," reminiscent of the evening-to-dawn festivities held in the Holy Temple in preparation for the drawing of water for use in the festival service, fill the synagogues and streets with song, music, and dance until the wee hours of the morning.

Sukkot runs from the fifteenth through the twenty-first of Tishrei. The first two days of this festival (in Israel only the first day) are a major holiday, when most forms of work are prohibited. On the preceding nights, women and girls light candles, reciting the appropriate blessings, and we enjoy nightly and daily festive meals, accompanied by the Kiddush.

Now imagine trying to explain the building of a sukkah to your landlord or local building authority. A hut with 4 wallsof cloth  and a roof with big holes in it. Could lead to some interesting civil discussions.

Or you have a father who cannot hammer 2 boards together, and yet insists on designing and building a sukkah (We've destroyed those pictures for the sake of family honor). Needless to say I learned some new words on those days.

I do love this holiday (one of 3 mandated in the bible).

So have a safe Sukkot! And remember that next year you can buy the pre-made Sukkah and avoid the embarrassment and laughter of your neighbors.

A Rosh Hashana Song from Latma

Rosh Hashana is this weekend.  A time to reflect, to pray, to ask G-d to bless us all.

And a time of Honey and Apples, singing and dancing, Latma and its humor.

A song from Latma!

L'Shanah Tova!

Standing United!!!

Hat Tip to Israel Matzav

United We Stand!

Another Day, Another Swastika

Once again in Brooklyn, New York swastikas were painted on stores and a synagogue in Borough Park.  This is a few months after the Midwood Anti-Semitic Attacks.  Then as now, Mayor Bloomberg and Borough President Marty Markowitz are quiet on this attack.  (Their silence on the other attacks were thunderous.)

Police are seeking the sick vandals who painted a half-dozen swastikas found this morning in a Jewish neighborhood in Brooklyn.

The swastikas were found at a synagogue, a Jewish bath house and several businesses around 16th Avenue in Borough Park.

Cops are investigating the vandalism as a hate crime, and are reviewing surveillance video from the area. No arrests have been made.

Surveillance video from Fischman’s Food Center at 4421 16th Ave., one of the vandalized businesses, shows two men in hoodies walking up to the store at about 2:45 a.m.

One of the men spray-painted the store’s front roll down gate, and then drew a swastika on the front plastic window panel.

The other man walked out of the camera’s view.

“Because they’ve got extra paint in their cans, they have to go out and spray other people’s property?” said Scheindel Fischman, who owns the business with her husband.

“It’s ridiculous. I’ve never heard of something like that,” she said.

“It’s a terrible shame that someone would do something like that,” said neighborhood resident Moshe Zwolinski, 53. “These are people who don’t really understand our culture and how we live.”

“What kind of sick person does this in a neighborhood of Holocaust survivors?” asked Assemblyman Dov Hikind (D-Brooklyn), one of an array of elected officials who expressed outrage over the incident.

The vandalized locations include Irgun Shiurai Torah, a synagogue on 16th Avenue at 46th Street, and Mikvah Israel, a bath house at 18th Avenue and 47th Street. A swastika was also sprayed on a car an area resident had parked near IS 223 at 16th Avenue and 42nd Street.

One woman feared the sick hate scrawl was just the beginning.

"It's very scary, they have the guts to come and do that," Moseh Liebermann, 70, said. "They start with the synagogue and then they will go to everybody's house."

No arrests have been made and the NYPD is reviewing security tapes from nearby businesses.

Anyone with information about this crime should call the NYPD confidential tip line at 1-800-577-TIPS.



Source

I should now expect Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton to start marching in the neighborhood and demand a full investigation and put some poor shmuck in prison.

Sorry wrong minority.  I wish that Mayor Bloomberg and Brooklyn Borough President Markowitz would come to Borough Park and march for justice in Brooklyn.  Or is this going to be swept under the rug like the others were.

Do We Pray To The Same G-d?

It is being screamed at us from pulpits in Churches and Synagogues that Judaism, Christianity and Islam all worship the same G-d.  But do we really?

How many times have you heard it said "we all pray to the same god?" These days we are hearing this from a growing number of people. To some degree one can excuse the average person from espousing such a viewpoint, as most people have not read the Bible and are not well schooled in matters of theology or eschatology.

However, what's troubling is that in recent years a growing number of religious leaders are promoting this view. Such a statement strongly suggests the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who Christians and Jews believe in, is the same as Allah, who Muslims believe in. One doesn't have to look very far to discover why this view is problematic.

The "Shahada," which is the statement of faith for the followers of Allah, reads, "there is no god but Allah, and Mohammed is his prophet." This statement clearly differentiates Allah from any other "god."

For Christians and Jews no city is more holy than Jerusalem. Mohammed showed reverence for Jerusalem when he was trying to convert the Banu Qurayza Jews to follow Allah. Yet after failing in his conversion effort, he turned his back toward Jerusalem, and never again faced it when praying. Eventually, after breaking a treaty with them to which he was party, he massacred approximately 900 of them in 627 AD.

The Quran, which is the holy book of Allah's followers, says "the religion in the sight of Allah is Islam." As this makes it clear a believer in Allah must follow Islam, one might ask if other religions are tolerated. According to the Quran, "if anyone desires a religion other than Islam, never will it be accepted…" So much for Islam's tolerance of other religions.

The Quran also is highly critical of Christians and Jews. Some quotes include: "Jews and Christians are evil-livers,” "Evil is the handwork of rabbis and priests,” "Don't take Jews or Christians for friends. If you do Allah will consider you to be one of them."

Fundamental values for Christians and Jews include forgiveness, in addition to prohibitions against lying, adultery, and murder. Fundamental values for Allah's followers sanction judgment (fatwa,) lying (taqiyya,) men having multiple wives, and murder/suicide (martyrdom.)

While anyone is free to leave Christianity or Judaism, if a Muslim leaves the faith, or criticizes Allah, a fatwa is issued for their execution.

These distinctions make it clear Allah is a separate deity, with fundamentally different values, and has nothing in common with the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Moreover, Allah has disdain for any religion other than Islam, and is highly critical of Christians and Jews.

In spite of these clear distinctions, prominent Christian pastors of American mega churches such as Rick Warren of Saddleback Church in California, and Bill Hybals of Willow Creek Church in Illinois, would have you believe we all pray to the same god.

In fact, this growing sentiment has become the cornerstone of a movement called the "Emergent Church." The movement is promoting common bonds and shared values between Christians, Jews and Muslims. The buzz term for the movement is "Chrislam." Christian Pastors, Jewish rabbis and Muslim imams are breaking bread and worshiping together in an effort to bring naive believers under the "one G-d" umbrella.

As most people are not familiar with the theology and eschatology of Christianity, Judaism or Islam, one might excuse their ignorance. However, all pastors and rabbis are required to attend theological institutions where the Bible is taught. Thus, they should be well versed in its fundamental values, theology and eschatology.

They should also understand that Judaism and Christianity have much more in common with each other than either have with Islam. For example, the Hebrew and Christian Bibles are often published in the same book. Yet have you ever seen the Quran and either Bible under one cover?

Religious leaders have a responsibility to uphold the fundamental tenants of the faith they practice. Yet we have leaders such as Rick Warren and Bill Hybals attempting to dilute these very principles; this plays directly into the hands of those who wish to promote the destruction of the United States, and other Western countries.

This is precisely what Muslims are hoping for, because Islam's goal is world dominance. Europe is already being taken over. It seems if leaders such as Warren and Hybals have their way, the day will not be far off when Christians and Jews will look around and wonder where their religious freedom went. They'll also wonder why they see only mosques where churches and synagogues once were.

When this happens, there will only be one god left to pray to, and it will not be the G-d of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Source

Exodus 20:2

I am the LORD thy G-d, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before Me. אָנֹכִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, אֲשֶׁר הוֹצֵאתִיךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם מִבֵּית עֲבָדִים:  לֹא-יִהְיֶה לְךָ אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים, עַל-פָּנָי.

A very clear statement.  Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.  By his very nature, Allah is a god before and not the Most Holy.  A direct contradiction of Exodus.  A direct contradiction of G-d's word.

Islam is not the same as Judaism, as Christianity.  It is very different and should not be considered the same or part of the Judeo-Christian tradition.  If you are in a church, a synagogue that preaches this doctrine, ask yourself this:

Is this true to my faith, my beliefs, the Bible, Talmud, etc...

If not, run do not walk out the door and find yourself a church, a synagogue that does not teach this lie.

Shema Yisroel

Legend tells that Rabbi Yosef Shlomo Kahaneman Zatsl (1886-1969), The Ponovize rov, once was encountered by a church denial of the existence of Jewish children in their place.

He began calling out: Shema Yisroel and instinctively children raised their hands to cover their eyes and startet calling out:  Mama! Mama!

He sought to take care of many orphans and tried to rescue them from the clutches of secular Zionist organizations, especially the Yaldei Theran ("Children of Tehran") - children who escaped from Nazi Europe by walking across Europe to Tehran .

Shema Yisroel by Yaakov Shwekey

He raised his hand to wave goodbye
Saw the pain in mother´s eyes
who left her little precious boy of four

In a citadel of ashen stone
that preached a faith unlike his own
Perhaps he just may yet survive this war

In the shadow stood a man in black
My child he said, you must not look back
Yet one image lingered, the tears on her face
And mother´s words from their last embrace

Shema, Shema Yisroel
Know that there is but one G-d above
When you feel pain, when you rejoice
know how he longs to hear your voice
Hashem Elokeinu, Hashem Echad

Deep within the iron gate
Far from the stench of war and hate
he knew not of a world gone insane

You must believe us, he was told
Our faith alone can save your soul
Please let us heal your wounds and ease your pain

He tried not to forget his past, his home
But he was so very young and all alone
While visions of his shtetl, once vivid and clear
began to fade, and all but disappeared

Shema, Shema Yisroel
Know that there is but one G-d above
When you feel pain, when you rejoice
know how he longs to hear your voice
Hashem Elokeinu, Hashem Echad

The winds of war had finally passed
one man took on a sacred task
to bring the scattered jewish children home

He travelled far, from place to place
A quest to reignite the faith
of those sent into hiding long ago

He entered the fortress grey and cold
Your kind is not among us, he was told

Hashem above, he whispered, please don´t let me fail
As he began to sing
Shema Yisroel

Shema, Shema Yisroel
Know that there is but one G-d above
When you feel pain, when you rejoice
know how he longs to hear your voice
Hashem Elokeinu, Hashem Echad

Shema, Shema Yisroel
Know that there is but one G-d above
When you feel pain, when you rejoice
know how he longs to hear your voice
Hashem Elokeinu, Hashem Elokeinu, Hashem Echad


Shema, Shema Yisroel
Know that there is but one G-d above
When you feel pain, when you rejoice
know how he longs to hear your voice
Hashem Elokeinu, Hashem Echad

Please say,
Shema, Shema Yisroel
Know that there is but, but one G-d above
When you feel pain, when you rejoice
know how he longs to hear our voice
Hashem Elokeinu, Hashem Echad
Hashem Elokeinu, Hashem Echad

Moses Led Muslims out of Egypt

Is the proclamation of Dr. Omar Ja’ara of Al-Najah University in Nablus.  The Arabs not content with teaching American University students lies about Israel, they are now stealing the Bible and Jewish history.  I can see the so-called Mainstream Churches (Methodist, Episcopalian, Presbyterian, Lutherians, etc...) now teaching this new doctrine as Gospel truth.  Why not?  They already teach the Koran as if it is the next New Testament.

Dr. Omar Ja’ara, lecturer at Al-Najah University in Nablus specializing in Israeli affairs, said on Fatah television on February 15 that Moses led the Muslims out of Egypt and that the Exodus was the first instance of ‘Palestinian’ liberation through armed struggle, reported the Palestinian Media Watch.



“We must make clear to the world that David in the Hebrew Bible is not connected to David in the Quran,” he said. “Solomon in the Hebrew Bible is not connected to the Solomon in the Quran and neither is Saul or Joshua son of Nun.

“We have a great leader, Saul, who defeated the nation of the giants and killed Goliath. This is a Muslim victory.

“The Muslims of the Children on Israel went out of Egypt under the leadership of Moses and unfortunately, many researchers deny the Exodus of these oppressed people who were liberated by a great leader like Moses the Muslim, the believing leader, the great Muslim, who was succeeded by Saul, the leader of these Muslims in liberating Palestine,” Ja’ara claimed.

“This was the first Palestinian liberation through armed struggle to liberate Palestine from the nation of giants led by Goliath,” he added. “This is our logic and this is our culture.“

Source

Muhammad the Pedophile was born in 570 CE and died 632 CE.  The events of the Exodus occurred in 1450 BCE.  Over 2000 years BEFORE Muhammad was born.  In fact everyone has the story wrong.  The true story of the Exodus Out Of Egypt is this:

A young boy returned home from Hebrew school, washed his hands and sat down to dinner.

His father asked him what he learned that day in school.

The boy replied that the Rabbi told his class the most amazing story of how the Jews were rescued from the Land of Egypt and brought to the Land of Israel.

His father smiled and asked his son to relate the story the Rabbi told them.

"Sure Dad," the boy said. "Now this story happened a long time ago, before the time of CNN. Before the time of computers, and cell phones. Before even TV. I think it was in the 1920s or so it happened.

"Egypt was ruled by this guy named Pharaoh. I think it means "Nasty Egyptian". And we Jews were his slaves. We didn't like being slaves and prayed to G-d to set us free. G-d heard our prayers and sent us a miracle.

"G-d sent the IDF back in time to rescue the Children of Israel (I think they rescued the parents too.). The Commandos diverted the Egyptian Army while the Children and their parents fled to the Red Sea (It was red because G-d turned the water to blood like in Zombie Killers 3.). There the IDF built Pontoon bridges across the Red Sea for the people to go across. When the Egypt Army tried to follow, the IDF blew up the bridges.

"Then this guy named Moshe Dayan (He is the head of the IDF, I think. Rabbi said he was G-d's greatest profits.) lead the Children of Israel (and their parents) to Mount Sinai where Moshe lays down the law, destroys the Golden Calf and leads them to Israel.

"But it took them 40 years because nobody had a GPS and Moshe would not ask for directions."

His father had a look upon his face that was a cross between total astonishment and WTF. "Is this what the Rabbi taught you?"

"No Dad," the boy said. "But you wouldn't believe the crazy story he did tell."

Source

The Miracle of the Exodus cannot be denied.  G-d rescued the People of Israel, not the Muslims (who did not exist), not the Canaanites, Moabites, or the Egyptians.  It was to Moses, the leader of the Hebrews, that G-d gave the Ten Commandments and Torah to.  If G-d had given the Torah to Muhammad, where is it?  Why is the Islamic faith so hateful, so violent?

The Passover narrative is a Jewish one.  Moses, with the help of G-d, brought the Children of Israel (and their parents) out of bondage in Egypt and into freedom in the Land of Israel.

Chanukah! Day 1

Tonight begins the 8 day celebration known as Chanukah , חנוכה, the Festival of Lights. The word Chanukah means Dedication and refers to the re-dedication of the 2nd Temple after the desecration by the Greeks.

The festival is observed by the kindling of the lights of a special candelabrum, the Menorah or Hanukiah, one light on each night of the holiday, progressing to eight on the final night. An extra light called a shamash (Hebrew: "guard" or "servant") is also lit each night, and is given a distinct location, usually higher or lower than the others. The purpose of the extra light is to adhere to the prohibition, specified in the Talmud (Tracate Shabbat 21b–23a), against using the Hanukkah lights for anything other than publicizing and meditating on the Hanukkah story. (The shamash is used to light the other lights.) As such, if one were to read from the lights – something prohibited – then it's not clear whether the light one's reading from was from the Hanukkah lights of the shamash light. So the shamash acts as a safeguard from accidental transgression.

Now you could be asking why is this holiday celebrated? This is the story.

Around 200 BCE Jews lived as an autonomous people in the Land of Israel, also referred to as Judea, which at that time was controlled by the Seleucid king of Syria. The Jewish people paid taxes to Syria and accepted its legal authority, and they were free to follow their own faith, maintain their own jobs, and engage in trade.

By 175 BCE Antiochus IV Epiphanes ascended to the Seleucid throne. At first little changed, but under his reign, the Temple in Jerusalem was looted, Jews were massacred, and Judaism was effectively outlawed. In 167 BCE Antiochus ordered an altar to Zeus erected in the Temple. As was the normal practice of the Hellenic religion when sacrificing to the Greek gods, pigs were sacrificed on the altar to Zeus.

Needless to say, this angered many people. Especially Mattathias, a Jewish priest, and his five sons Jochanan, Simeon, Eleazar, Jonathan, and Judah. They defied Antiochus and led a revolt against his rule. They rallied the Jewish people, took to the hills and led the rebellion against the Greeks. During these early days of revolution a leader among men appeared. Judah became known as Yehuda HaMakabi ("Judah the Hammer"). 166 BCE Mattathias had died, and Judah took his place as leader. The next year saw the success of the revolt with the elimination of Antiochus' rule of the land.

The Temple was liberated and rededicated. But during the rededication it was discovered that there was only enough sacred oil that was not defiled by the Greeks for the menorah in the Temple, which was supposed to burn throughout the night every night for one day for and it would take 8 days to make more. Rather than wait until there was enough oil, Judah ordered the menorah lit. And it stayed lit for the 8 days necessary to make and consecrate more oil.

Many say that this was the miracle of Chanukah, others disagree. The true miracle of Chanukah is not the oil that stayed lit for 8 days, but the determination and spirit of the men and women who would not give in to a tyrant and worship as he wanted them to. It is the fact that a small band of determined fighters, fighting for their homes and freedoms, won a great victory over an extremely larger military foe.

To put this in easier term.  Think of the revolt of the Maccabees in this term:

A group of Hassidic Yeshiva students, led by their rabbis, numbering no more than 6,000, with no weapons, no military skills, no foreign aid take on the US Military and WIN!

This is the truth behind the Maccabees and their Army.  They had very few weapons, no military skills and no foreign government or soldiers helping them.  They took on the super power of its day:  The Greeks.  It took them 2 1/2 years, but they won.

The story of Chanukah cannot be found in the Old Testament. It is found in the Talmud and the Book of Maccabees. And in the hearts of all who are determined to worship G-d as they want to no matter what any government tells them otherwise!

Have a Happy Chanukah!!!!

Ben Ish Hai Torah Coming to Israel

The what is coming to Israel?  Who the heck is Ben Ish Hai?

Rabbi Yosef Chaim

The Ben Ish Hai is a standard reference in Sephardi homes (functioning as "a Sephardi Kitzur Shulchan Arukh") and is widely studied in Sephardi yeshivot. Due to the popularity of this book, Hakham Yosef Chaim came to be known as "Ben Ish Chai", by which he is referred to by many today. The book is a collection of homilies he gave over two years discussing the weekly Torah portion. Each chapter begins with a mystical discussion, usually explaining how a Kabbalistic interpretation of a certain verse relates to a particular halakha, and then continuing to expound on that halakha with definitive rulings.

OK.  So what is special about this Torah?  It is a 400 year old Torah that was used by Hakham Yosef Chaim and other  prominent Iraqi rabbis.

An ancient Sefer Torah once possessed by the Iraqi rabbinic luminary Ben Ish Hai (1832-1909) will soon leave Bagdad and come to Israel.

The Torah Scroll, estimated to be 400 years old, is one of the oldest in the world. It was written in large, clear letters on thick parchment known as gawil – meaning it was not split while being processed.

The ancient Torah narrowly escaped fire in 1937. It was once used in the synagogue of the acclaimed Rabbi Abdullah and his famous disciple Rabbi Yosef Chaim, the "Ben Ish Hai." It is very likely both sages read from the scroll for their congregations.

The poor security situation in Iraq - and fears of murder and kidnapping by Islamists among Iraq's few remaining Jews - has generated concerns rioters may target the remaining synagogue and its treasures, including the Torah scroll.

Kept in the Beit-Zilkain Baghdad, the Torah was removed to safety with covert US military aid - and will leave Iraq for Israel in the coming days.

On Tuesday the Torah will be inducted to the Beer Hana synagogue in Netanya under the auspices of Tzfat Chief Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, whose family came from Bagdad.

Ben Ish Hai Torah

The Jewish community in Bagdad peaked at some 300,000 people in the early 20th century, most of whom began migrating to Israel as increasing anti-Jewish legislation by Iraqi authorities took hold in the 1930's and 1940's.

Following the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948 a mass exodus of Iraqi Jews prompted by a wave of anti-Jewish riots and bombings took place. Aided by Operations Ezra and Nehemiah, Iraq was virtually emptied of Jews by 1960.

Estimates place the elderly Jewish population of Bagdad at 8. Three US military rabbinic chaplains are also stationed in Iraq.

Source

What was once a thriving Jewish community of 300,000 people is now a destroyed community of 8.  No wonder the Iraqis are now attacking their Christian neighbors.  They have gotten rid of their Jews (Saturday People) and are now doing the same to their Christians (Sunday People).

It took a conspiracy of Americans and Israelis to bring this Torah to safety.  Let us pray for the last 8 Jews living in Iraq and that they can come home to Israel too.

Sukkot!

Feast of Tabernacles is once again here.  7 days of eating in a booth or tabernacle built by the family.

From Chabad:

For forty years, as our ancestors traversed the Sinai Desert prior to their entry into the Holy Land, miraculous "clouds of glory" surrounded and hovered over them, shielding them from the dangers and discomforts of the desert. Ever since, we remember G‑d's kindness and reaffirm our trust in His providence by dwelling in a sukkah – a hut of temporary construction with a roof-covering of branches – for the duration of the autumn Sukkot festival. For seven days and nights, we eat all our meals in the sukkah – reciting a special blessing – and otherwise regard it as our home.

Another mitzvah that is unique to Sukkot is the taking of the Four Kinds: an etrog (citron), a lulav (palm frond), at least three hadassim (myrtle branches) and two aravot (willow branches). The Midrash tells us that the Four Kinds represent the various types and personalities that comprise the community of Israel, whose intrinsic unity we emphasize on Sukkot.

On each day of the festival (except Shabbat), during the daytime hours, we take the Four Kinds, recite a blessing over them, bring them together in our hands and wave them in all six directions: right, left, forward, up, down and to the rear. (The Four Kinds are also an integral part of the holiday's daily morning service.)

Sukkot is also called The Time of Our Joy; indeed, a special joy pervades the festival. Nightly "Water-Drawing Celebrations," reminiscent of the evening-to-dawn festivities held in the Holy Temple in preparation for the drawing of water for use in the festival service, fill the synagogues and streets with song, music, and dance until the wee hours of the morning.

Sukkot runs from the fifteenth through the twenty-first of Tishrei. The first two days of this festival (in Israel only the first day) are a major holiday, when most forms of work are prohibited. On the preceding nights, women and girls light candles, reciting the appropriate blessings, and we enjoy nightly and daily festive meals, accompanied by the Kiddush.

Now imagine trying to explain the building of a sukkah to your landlord or local building authority. A hut with 4 wallsof cloth  and a roof with big holes in it. Could lead to some interesting civil discussions.

Or you have a father who cannot hammer 2 boards together, and yet insists on designing and building a sukkah (We've destroyed those pictures for the sake of family honor). Needless to say I learned some new words on those days.

I do love this holiday (one of 3 mandated in the bible).

So have a safe Sukkot! And remember that next year you can buy the pre-made Sukkah and avoid the embarrassment and laughter of your neighbors.

A World Without The Torah

The Holiday of Shavu'ot celebrates the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, and is also known as Hag Matan Torateinu (the Festival of the Giving of Our Torah).  The Torah also known as the Pentateuch, refers to the Five Books of Moses—the entirety of Judaism's founding legal and ethical religious texts.  Thus defining what Judaism is and how Jews are to behave in this world.

Now imagine this:

From Aish.com by Sara Yoheved Rigler

What would the world look like if the Torah had never been given? Join me, if you will, for a tour of New York City in a hypothetical world where the revelation at Sinai never took place.

We drive across the Brooklyn Bridge, speed down the FDR Drive, and park our car in a massive concrete-and-steel garage. We walk through the streets of downtown Manhattan and crane our necks to gaze at the glittering tops of the skyscrapers. Knowing that the pagan civilizations of antiquity excelled in technological accomplishments, we're not surprised that technology forges ahead in a world devoid of Torah.

Next we meander through Lincoln Center. We hear the music of a concert in progress, pass a theater where a contemporary drama is being enacted, and see well-dressed people lined up to buy tickets for the ballet. Art does not need Torah to flourish.

From there we head to Wall Street. We peek into the Stock Exchange. Business and commerce are thriving. No difference here.

Our tour then takes us to residential neighborhoods crammed with high-rise apartment buildings. Here for the first time we notice something missing. There are no schools.

What happened to PS 132 and Woodrow Wilson High School and City College? Uptown, we are told, there is one lively academy for the wealthy and well-born, but education for the masses? Our guide snickers. "How ludicrous!"

As Rabbi Ken Spiro points out in his superb book, WorldPerfect education for all was an implausible notion in the pagan world (as in polytheistic societies today), where the literacy rate was generally 1/10 of 1%. Even ancient Rome, which needed a literate ruling class to administer its far-flung empire, boasted a literary rate of only 10-15%. Not only did Greece and Rome not deem it beneficial to educate the masses, but they viewed education as a potential danger to the stability of society.

The Torah innovated the idea of education for all. It specifically commanded parents to educate their children. [Deut. 6:7] In fact, a code of law as intricate as the Torah and as obligatory on all members of the society, inherently demanded study. If a Jew didn't know what all the commandments entailed, how could he fulfill them? Thus mass education was a Torah-mandated value throughout Jewish history, causing the medieval monk Peter Abelhard to write: "A Jew, however poor, even if he had ten sons, would put them all to letters, not for gain as the Christians do, but for understanding of God's law. And not only his sons, but his daughters."

As we continue our tour of New York City, we notice that we have not heard a single ambulance siren. When we ask, "Where are the hospitals?" we are met with a blank stare. "You must know what we mean," we persist, "the place where the sick are cared for and lives are saved."

A glint of understanding: "Oh, yes. We have a place which provides medical care… for those who can afford it, of course."

"And for the others?" we ask, appalled. "You can't just let them die."

"Why not?" is the puzzled retort.

No society before Torah or without Torah attributed intrinsic value to human life. It follows that for the government or society to spend its resources to heal or preserve life -- and to feel such urgency to save life that they would outfit ambulances -- would be considered a nonsensical enterprise. The right to life, which the American Declaration of Independence considered "self-evident," was not evident to any society in the world before or after Sinai, except where the Torah's influence penetrated.

On the contrary, infanticide of undesirable babies (such as girls and those with even minor disabilities) was universally practiced, and endorsed by such "enlightened" thinkers as Aristotle. Killing for entertainment was the most popular amusement in ancient Rome, where 50,000 people would crowd into the Coliseum to watch convicted criminals (for capital crimes such as professing Christianity), slaves, and POWs fed to the lions and gladiators fight to the death. In between these spectacular killings, lest the crowd get bored, routine executions by burning, beheading, and skinning people alive were offered for amusement during intermission.

Into a world where killing for convenience or sport was the universal norm, the Torah introduced the concept of the sacredness of life. "Do not murder," the sixth of the Ten Commandments revealed at Sinai, was not simply ethical pragmatism as it was in other ancient law codes, whose goal was to protect not the individual, but rather the stability of society. The Torah asserted that all human beings -- including infants, slaves, and convicted criminals -- were holy because they were created in the image of God. As the Talmud proclaimed: "He who saves one life is as if he had saved the whole world." The value of the individual -- and therefore his or her life -- is a Torah innovation.

In India in 1981, I knew a couple whose 22-year-old son had been injured in a traffic accident while riding his motor scooter through the streets of Calcutta. The young man lay on the crowded thoroughfare for seven hours, until he bled to death. This is a society where Torah has not penetrated.

Our tour of Manhattan-sans-Torah takes us to a small but stately building. We're informed that this is the courthouse for the entire city. "How can such a small courthouse serve millions of people?" we ask, perplexed.

"Millions of people?" is the astonished reply. "Only a few thousand people -- the elite -- have the right to bring lawsuits."

When the Torah laid down the principle of equal justice before the law, the rest of the world must have laughed. "You shall not commit a perversion of justice; you shall not favor the poor and you shall not honor the mighty" [Lev. 19:15] would have been regarded as outlandish had not God commanded it. According to the Torah, even a king is not above the law and even a slave is not below it. Jewish courts do -- and always have -- heard cases initiated by wronged workers, women, and foreigners. By contrast, ancient Athens, the so-called "cradle of democracy," extended full legal rights to only a few thousand men who owned land, leaving its other hundreds of thousands of residents (including women, artisans, peasants, and slaves) with no recourse to the law.

In the corridor of the courthouse, we notice something curious on the wall. It is a conglomeration of twelve lines of numbers. "This is a calendar," our guide explains. "It marks off the days, months, and years."

"What about the weeks?" we ask.

"What are weeks?" our guide inquires quizzically.

The division of time into seven-day units punctuated by the Sabbath, a day of rest, is an invention of the Torah. It corresponds to no natural cycle. Completely counter-productive of material goals, the Sabbath addresses the unique spiritual need for reconnection and re-creation. Even those denizens of the Western world for whom "the weekend" means not spiritual refreshment but shopping at the mall must appreciate the Torah's gift of one day off in seven.

Having lived in India, a society where every day resembles every other (except for the Sunday closing of schools and government offices, imposed by the British colonizers), I have seen how human beings are eroded by the tedium of a 365-day year of unremitting work. Now, in the small courthouse, I look around and notice the same exhausted expressions.

We head over to First Avenue and 46th Street only to discover that the familiar landmark of the United Nations headquarters is absent. Bewildered, we ask: "Isn't there some international body whose purpose, at least in principle, is to settle disputes between nations in a peaceful manner, without resort to war?"

Our guide is confused. "What would be the point of that? War is the noblest endeavor of man. War spawns heroes -- mighty warriors whose prowess vanquishes the enemy. And how else will a nation expand its borders and increase its power without the glorious enterprise of war?"

We despair of a meeting of minds, and begin to search for a curved wall where the antithetical vision of the Hebrew prophet Isaiah is emblazoned: "And they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks, nations shall not lift up sword against nations. Neither shall they learn war anymore."

We search in vain. There is no inscription, no wall, not even the ideal of peace in this world in which the Torah was never given.

We walk north, past the fashionable uptown, into a low-income neighborhood, and here the most conspicuous difference grips us. The streets are lined with unfortunates -- blind people, crippled people, starving children. They reach out their hands and plead with us for help. It reminds me of the cities of India. "Why are these people on the street?" we demand. "Where are the orphanages? The social service agencies? The institutions for the blind and the deaf? The soup kitchens? The rehabilitation centers for the handicapped?"

"What are you suggesting?" comes the outraged response. "There's nothing like that here, and why should there be? We didn't hurt these people. It's not our fault if they're hungry or handicapped. We bear no responsibility to help them."

As Ken Spiro points out in WorldPerfect, into a world where numerous law codes prohibited murder, theft, and various anti-social behaviors, the Torah burst into the scene with a completely novel concept: the obligation to proactively do good. "Love your neighbor as yourself," [Lev. 19:18] and "Do not stand by your neighbor's blood," [Lev. 19:16] charged humankind with social responsibility, an idea that sans-Torah societies never dreamed of.

The Torah, which Thomas Huxley called, "the Magna Carta of the poor and of the oppressed," drove this point home with a multitude of specific commandments aimed at providing aid to the impoverished, the widow, the orphan, and the alien. The Torah obligated human beings to take responsibility for the welfare of people outside their own clans and beyond the precincts of their own homes, not because it was salubrious for the body politic, but because a just and loving God demanded compassion from all His children for all His children. This planet has never known a more original idea.

Finish reading here.

No where in the Torah does it command a government to provide services for the people. In fact, the Torah imposes these very commandments to do.  Thus in Jewish families you will see Tzedakah boxes in the home (My family always placed ours in the kitchen.).  Every family gives. The rich to the poor, the poor to the poorer, even the poorest person will find a coin to give to another.  All this giving without the need to get a tax deduction.

Without G-d's gift to the Jews of the Torah, this world would be a poorer place to live in.  Our communities would be worse off with rampant disease, illness, death, crime and ignorance.

G-d's gift to Israel. Israel's gift to the world!

Lag Ba'Omer

Lag Ba'Omer, the 33rd day of the Omer Count – this year, May 2, 2010 – is a festive day on the Jewish calendar, celebrated with outings (on which the children traditionally play with bow and arrows), bonfires, and other joyous events. Many visit the resting place (in Meron in Northern Israel) of the great sage and mystic Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, whose yahrtzeit (anniversary of his passing) the day marks.

Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, who lived in the 2nd century of the Common Era, was the first to publicly teach the mystical dimension of the Torah known as the "Kabbalah," and is the author of the basic work of Kabbalah, the Zohar. On the day of his passing, Rabbi Shimon instructed his disciples to mark the date as "the day of my joy."

Lag Ba'Omer also commemorates another joyous event. The Talmud relates that in the weeks between Passover and Shavuot a plague raged amongst the disciples of the great sage Rabbi Akiva "because they did not act respectfully towards each other"; these weeks are therefore observed as a period of mourning, with various joyous activities proscribed by law and custom. On Lag Ba'Omer the dying ceased. Thus Lag Ba'Omer also carries the theme of Ahavat Yisrael, the imperative to love and respect one's fellow.

The age-old traditions of this day include lighting large bonfires at night – symbolizing the passion and light that Rabbi Shimon brought into the world with his mystical teachings – and taking children on outings to the fields and forests. More recently, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory, encouraged all Jews to hit the streets too, with large-scale Lag Ba'Omer parades, exuberant displays of Jewish unity and pride.

Children especially love to march in the streets, sometimes in uniform, holding banners, or singing. They are learning the value of publicly affirming our faith—and unbeknownst to them, warming the hearts of passersby with their guileless display of living and committed Judaism.

It has been customary in the last100 years to burn in effigy those people who are considered enemies to the Jewish people and Jewish nation. Such effigies in the past include Yassar Arafat, Adolph Hitler, Joeseph Stalin, and Saddam Hussein.  This year both effigies and pictures of Barack Hussein Obama are being burnt.

In Every Generation They Come To Destroy Us!

Hat Tip to Israel Matzav

The legislature of Massachusetts a Massoftwoshits is deciding to destroy the Jewish faith.  It will ban the practice of Circumcision in the state.  If a circumcision is performed, the parents of the child will be subject to a large fine and 14 years in prison.

BOSTON  - To circumcise or not to circumcise?

It's a question parents of baby boys have to decide but now there's a discussion on Beacon Hill that would take that choice away from parents in this state.

State lawmakers will debate a bill today that would make it illegal for parents to circumcise boys, unless there's a medical reason.

It would ban the procedure on any male under the age of 18 even for religious reasons.

Under the legislation, people who disregard the ban would face a fine and possible 14-year prison sentence.

The proposal classifies male circumcision as genital mutilation and supporters of the bill say male infants can't possible consent to the procedure.

They testified here on Beacon Hill, calling circumcision unethical at its core.

The Centers for Disease Control says lack of circumcision has been linked to sexually transmitted diseases, urinary tract infections and penile cancer.

In the US, common complications include minor bleeding and infection.

The CDC doesn't recommend either way, preferring to leave the decision up to the person and their parents.

Here in Massachusetts, some say there are bigger issues at hand for lawmakers.

If you read the comments on the site you see the full mind of the anti-Semitic, Moonbatty, liberal left.  This coming during Kill All The Jews Week Israel Apartheid Week on US Campuses, and it is any wonder why Jews are afraid to walk the streets of US cities any more.

For the record:  Both the CDC and WHO recommend circumcision to control the spread of AIDS and other STDs. Men who are circumcised have lower incidences of Cancer of the Penis.

Outside of the Medical benefits, there are religious considerations to consider.

It is required by every Jewish parent to circumcise their sons on the 8th day of life.

Brit Milah: Circumcision

Of all of the commandments in Judaism, the brit milah (literally, Covenant of Circumcision) is probably the one most universally observed. It is commonly referred to as a bris (covenant, using the Ashkenazic pronunciation). Even the most secular of Jews, who observe no other part of Judaism, almost always observe these laws. Of course, until quite recently, the majority of males in the United States were routinely circumcised, so this doesn't seem very surprising. But keep in mind that there is more to the ritual of the brit milah than merely the process of physically removing the foreskin, and many otherwise non-observant Jews observe the entire ritual.

The commandment to circumcise is given at Gen. 17:10-14 and Lev. 12:3. The covenant was originally made with Abraham. It is the first commandment specific to the Jews.

Circumcision is performed only on males. Although some cultures have a practice of removing all or part of the woman's clitoris, often erroneously referred to as "female circumcision," that ritual has never been a part of Judaism.

Like so many Jewish commandments, the brit milah is commonly perceived to be a hygienic measure; however the biblical text states the reason for this commandment quite clearly: circumcision is an outward physical sign of the eternal covenant between G-d and the Jewish people. It is also a sign that the Jewish people will be perpetuated through the circumcised man. The health benefits of this practice are merely incidental. It is worth noting, however, that circumcised males have a lower risk of certain cancers, and the sexual partners of circumcised males also have a lower risk of certain cancers.

The commandment is binding upon both the father of the child and the child himself. If a father does not have his son circumcised, the son is obligated to have himself circumcised as soon as he becomes an adult. A person who is uncircumcised suffers the penalty of kareit, spiritual excision; in other words, regardless of how good a Jew he is in all other ways, a man has no place in the World to Come if he is uncircumcised.

Circumcision is performed on the eighth day of the child's life, during the day. The day the child is born counts as the first day, thus if the child is born on a Wednesday, he is circumcised on the following Wednesday. Keep in mind that Jewish days begin at sunset, so if the child is born on a Wednesday evening, he is circumcised the following Thursday. Circumcisions are performed on Shabbat, even though they involve the drawing of blood which is ordinarily forbidden on Shabbat. The Bible does not specify a reason for the choice of the eighth day; however, modern medicine has revealed that an infant's blood clotting mechanism stabilizes on the eighth day after birth. As with almost any commandment, circumcision can be postponed for health reasons. Jewish law provides that where the child's health is at issue, circumcision must wait until seven days after a doctor declares the child healthy enough to undergo the procedure.

Circumcision involves surgically removing the foreskin of the penis. The circumcision is performed by a mohel (lit. circumciser; rhymes with oil), a pious, observant Jew educated in the relevant Jewish law and in surgical techniques. Circumcision performed by a regular physician does not qualify as a valid brit milah, regardless of whether a rabbi says a blessing over it, because the removal of the foreskin is itself a religious ritual that must be performed by someone religiously qualified.

If the child is born without a foreskin (it happens occasionally), or if the child was previously circumcised without the appropriate religious intent or in a manner that rendered the circumcision religiously invalid, a symbolic circumcision may be performed by taking a pinprick of blood from the tip of the penis. This is referred to as hatafat dam brit.

While the circumcision is performed, the child is held by a person called a sandek. In English, this is often referred to as a godfather. It is an honor to be a sandek for a bris. The sandek is usually a grandparent or the family rabbi. Traditionally, a chair (often an ornate one) is set aside for Elijah, who is said to preside over all circumcisions. Various blessings are recited, including one over wine, and a drop of wine is placed in the child's mouth. The child is then given a formal Hebrew name.

It is not necessary to have a minyan for a bris, but it is desirable if feasible.

As with most Jewish life events, the ritual is followed by refreshments or a festive meal.

From Judaism 101

Every totalitarian state in the past who tried to destroy Judaism first banned circumcision.  The banning of circumcision was a major factor for the Maccabees to revolt against the Greeks.

The First Amendment to the US Constitution reads:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

This law does just that.  And it is wrong!

We Can 'Defuse' Them

When young Caleb Leibowitz and his sister boarded US Airways flight to Louisville, KY, he didn't have time to say his morning prayers before he boarded his flight, so after take off he pulled out his Tefillin ( 2 small black boxes with black straps attached to them; Jewish men are required to place one box on their head and tie the other one on their arm each weekday morning.), and began to pray. That is when the trouble began.

A US Airways crew panicked by a Jewish teen's prayer ritual aborted a flight from LaGuardia Airport on Thursday, landing in Philadelphia amid unfounded fears of a terrorist bomb.

The trouble began when the 17-year-old White Plains youth pulled out two small Scripture-filled boxes used for his morning prayers on the Louisville, Ky.-bound plane, authorities said.

The frightened boy and his sister, headed for a four-day visit with their grandmother, were instead greeted in the City of Brotherly Love by bomb-sniffing dogs, police and the FBI.

The teen's grandmother said the 7:25 a.m. flight didn't allow time for him to pray before leaving New York.

"He hadn't had the opportunity to pray, so that is why he did it on the plane," said Frances Winchell.

The leather boxes, joined by a strap and known as tefillin, are placed on the head and the left arm. The straps apparently were mistaken for wires running from a box, authorities said.

The flight attendant, unaware of the religious ritual, notified the pilot of a potential problem when the teen put one of the boxes on his head.

Read more here.

I do hope that the Leibowitz family will take US Airways to court over this.  The flight crew over reacted on this. A young JEWISH man wrapping Tefillin around his head and arm, placing a prayer shawl over his shoulders, and praying is not going to harm your flight.

Just like this ad for El Al claims:

(IsraelNN.com) The ad agency for Israel's national carrier, El Al Airlines, has raced to take advantage of an incident one week ago in which a Jewish teen was taken off a U.S. domestic flight after he began to don a pair of tefillin, or phylacteries.

"Fly with us! Our cabin crew will know how to "defuse" them..." the advertisement for El Al Airlines jocularly proclaims in English, with a full-color photo of the tefillin against a mild blue sky.

The tefillin, a set of small leather boxes that are black in color and contain scrolls of parchment inscribed with Bible verses, worn by Jewish men during weekday morning prayers, apparently ignited suspicions among the cabin crew and passengers on the small domestic U.S. Airways flight that the boy was a would-be suicide bomber.

The plane changed its flight plan and immediately diverted to Philadelphia, where police escorted the 17-year-old “suspect” off the aircraft, which parked in a remote section of the tarmac at Philadelphia International Airport.

It is not really clear whether the “ad” is, in fact, a legitimate ad; AgencySpy editor Matt Van Hoven writes on the Media Bistro creative website that even he has been unable to track down the whereabouts of the elusive “real” advertising agency for El Al Airlines.

“Though this feels fake, it remains awesome,” Van Hoven comments. “Can someone please tell us the origin of this advertisement... If it's really from El Al, it proves the long-standing belief that the Jewish faith is the source of all things awesome in the world, most notably, humor.”

If this is a fake ad, it is well done.  But I have a sneaky suspicion that this is an in house joke.  Either way it brings home the same message:

"We understand security better than you!"