Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on October 2, 2021

Some 20 thousand people in Israel over retirement age, who lost their jobs during the coronavirus pandemic and have not found new employment since, are no longer eligible for the special adjustmentstipend given to them in lieu of unemployment benefits.

Despite the fact that the National Insurance Institute has recognized in recent months that the number of unemployed people over the retirement age 62 for women and 67 for men hasn't decreased, the state has neglected to provide a safety net that will keep them from poverty.

During the early months of the pandemic, tens of thousands of Israeli workers of all ages were furloughed, and consequently received unemployment payments. As men and women over retirement age are not eligible for these payments, the government in April 2020 approved a temporary adjustmentstipend as a substitute for financial support, which expired on Friday.

This stipend was given to those whose income from pensions is very low, or those who have no pension at all, and is conditioned upon Israeli residency, having worked for at least three months prior to being furloughed, as well as to being laid off for at least 30 days.

The sum was determined according to pension income in four brackets ranging from 1,000 to 4,000 shekels ($310-1,240) per month. In June, the government decided to extend the stipend by three months, but since then, 10 percent have been deducted each month from the original sum.

The Ministry for Social Equality, which is responsible for finding employment for older people, is now working on a new scheme, after seeing that the government's previous efforts to do so have returned a paltry 750 people back to the labor market in the past six months.

According to National Insurance Institute data, 20,400 people were eligible for the stipend in July, about 10,123 in August, and the estimates show that Septembers numbers would be similar.

Were facing a huge financial hit. Were thinking of selling our car to survive. I dont know how well make it, says stipend recipient Batya Hecht, 70, of Kiryat Motzkin. Hecht, formerly a cosmetics salesperson, was let go in June. Since then, she has looked for work, but in vain. Everyone says I have the skills, but my age is against me. No one cares about people like me who need to continue working.

Im looking for work, but nobody will take me at my age, echoes Sarah Langlieb, 69, of Nahariya. Langlieb has been working since she was 18, and subsists on a 900 shekel pension and a 2,000 shekel old-age benefit. They want me to live on that? she said to Haaretz. What am I going to do, wait tables? Nobody would take me anyway," she said and added that living in Nahariya makes things harder because most jobs are in the Center. "I want to live with dignity. I think they should extend the stipend at least till the year ends.

The National Insurance Institute proposed several options ahead of the stipends expiration. One was to give unemployed seniors professional training paid for by the state, and meanwhile provide them with a stipend that would cover living expenses. Another is to set a maximum of employment days at those ages, so as to shorten the senior's work week and adjust it to their physical capacity.

But according to the agency's director, Meir Shpigler, the government has stalled on implementing any of the suggestions it received.

The Labor, Social Affairs and Social Services Ministry says it tried to promote extending the stipend with the treasury, but a ministry source claimed the treasury refused to continue providing it.

A treasury official told Haaretz that according to estimates made in April, a third of recipients received as much or more than what they earned, and are therefore unwilling to return to work. Another third, used their dismissal to willingly retire from work due to their age.

Not so for Chen Inbar, 70, who was laid off from a cleaning job upon the first lockdown and is unable to find work since. Those 4,000 shekels saved me. If not for them, Id be in awful shape, she says.

Despite moving to two different cities in search of work, nobody will hire Inbar, not even for nursing care. The Employment Service wont even talk to me. They say once youve retired we wont help. The state is making me homeless. A trash digger.

Attorney Tali Nir, Director of the 121 NGO, which operates the Center for Employment Promotion, an umbrella organization of several dozen civil rights groups, told Haaretz that there is no proactive government plan aimed at helping people to find work in the third age.

Nir argues that this group of unemployed people should have received a special focus. The most basic thing required here is to proactively and personally reach out to each and every one, as well as to offer financial incentives for employers hiring workers at this age". According to her, none of this was done. "Someone fell asleep at the wheel, she said.

Nir and her NGO sent a letter this week to the finance, economy, labor, and social equality ministers containing those suggestions, together with other suggestions such as providing assistance with writing resumes and preparing for interviews, creating designated positions for these ages in the public service, and also extending the adjustmentstipend as a stop-gap measure until this plan is implemented.

According to Michael Dvoretzky, Deputy Director of the Ministry for Social Equality "there is a problem of ageism among employers and professional training wasn't geared at senior citizens, but we are trying to make a fundamental change."

The ministry has already begun working with new placement companies to be compensated according to the quality of their placement of senior workers. The criteria for measuring the quality include salary and length of employment at positions found through them. "Some positive signs are already showing," says Dvoretzky, with August seeing 250 workers over 60 placed with employers. Its a small number, but the pace in the past quarter has been higher compared to last year."

Either way, as of today, without a solution for these people, they may find themselves with no income save a meager old age stipend which could result in being doomed to poverty and distress.

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Israel leaves thousands of senior citizens laid off during COVID with no income, and no solutions - Haaretz

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Posted By admin on October 2, 2021

From Sunday, more than one million Israelis will lose their Green Pass after a policy change dictated that a COVID-19 booster shot is required six months after receiving the first two doses.

Health Ministry data on Monday showed that 4,710,716 Israelis were vaccinated with two doses six months ago, but only 3,243,641 of them have been administered a booster dose.

Even subtracting the hundreds of thousands infected with COVID-19 in the past six months, meaning they wouldnt need the third vaccine dose, the number of people who will no longer have a so-called Green Pass is over a million.

The pass is only valid from one week after receiving the last required dose, and for six months after. The document, held by those who are vaccinated or have recovered from COVID-19, enables access to many public places and events, including restaurants and museums.

A temporary Green Pass can be obtained through a negative virus test, which must be paid for unless the individual is not eligible for vaccination.

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Separately the ministry announced this week that recovered COVID-19 patients will be required to get a single coronavirus vaccine dose after they were diagnosed, in order to remain eligible to receive a Green Pass. Previously all recoverees were eligible.

Kids show their Green Pass as they queue at the entrance of the Science Museum in Jerusalem, on August 19, 2021 (Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90)

Additionally starting Sunday, those infected after receiving a vaccine will only keep their pass for another six months. Then, the ministry will re-examine those cases, it said.

Israel the first country to officially offer a third dose began its COVID-19 booster campaign on August 1, initially rolling it out to those over the age of 60. It then gradually dropped the eligibility age, eventually expanding it to everyone aged 12 and up who received the second shot at least five months ago.

A teacher receives a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination center in Jerusalem, on August 24, 2021. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

The high-level coronavirus cabinet will also convene on Sunday for the first time in a month, with Prime Minister Naftali Bennett reportedly set to resist imposing any new coronavirus restrictions despite hundreds of new COVID deaths.

Since the last coronavirus cabinet meeting, over 600 Israelis have died of COVID-19. The number of overall serious cases is slightly lower than then, with 760 recorded on August 30, compared to 641 on Monday.

On Monday, government figures placed the basic reproduction rate of the virus, which measures transmission, at 0.78. Any number over 1 indicates infections are rising, while a figure below that signals that an outbreak is abating.

While Israels fourth wave of infections has seen record numbers of daily cases, the number of patients needing hospitalization has remained lower than previous bouts, which experts attribute to the countrys high vaccination rates.

Healthcare worker performs a COVID-19 rapid antigen test in Jerusalem, on September 26, 2021 (Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90)

The death toll since the start of the pandemic rose Monday to 7,684. September is the second consecutive month that Israel has recorded at least 500 deaths, after August saw 609 deaths attributed to COVID-19.

At the same time, ministry figures showed 3,819 new infections on Sunday, continuing a slow downward trend, though testing tends to decline sharply over the weekends. The testing positivity rate on Sunday was down to 4.19 percent.

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Over 1 million Israelis who havent had 3rd dose to lose Green Pass on Sunday - The Times of Israel

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Posted By admin on October 2, 2021

Aleph Zadik AlephFoundedMay 3, 1924; 97 years ago(May 3, 1924)Omaha, NebraskaTypeJewish High School FraternityEmphasisPatriotism, Judaism, filial love, charity, conduct, purity, and fraternityMission statement"More Jewish Teens, More Meaningful Jewish Experiences" [1]CharteredOmaha, NebraskaHeadquartersWashington, D.C.USAWebsitehttp://bbyo.org

The Grand Order of the Aleph Zadik Aleph (AZA) is an international youth-led fraternal organization for Jewish teenagers, founded in 1924 and currently existing as the male wing of BBYO Inc., an independent non-profit organization. It is for teens starting in 8th grade, through 12th grade. AZA's sister organization, for teenage girls, is the B'nai B'rith Girls.

AZA was founded on May 3, 1924, in Omaha, Nebraska, by a group of 14 Jewish teenagers between the ages of 15 and 17. It arose as a response of the fact that the Jewish community was, for the most part, not allowed into the Greek fraternities. The letters were chosen to spite the fraternity the Alephs were denied from, Alpha Zeta Alpha, by naming their fraternity the Hebrew counterparts. The first chapter, formed in 1923, was Mother Chapter AZA #1, which continues to operate. The second oldest chapter also continues to operate out of Kansas City Council and is AZA #2.[2]

Abe Babior, the new group's first president, said that it was started "as a social and Zionist youth group." The group's meetings would usually feature speakers on a number of both Judaic and non-Judaic topics. The group held social events, including parties and dances. The group's first advisor, Nathan Mnookin, an accomplished chemist, moved back to his hometown of Kansas City in November 1923, and immediately started a similar organization of the same name. Mnookin's departure paved the way for the next AZA advisor in Omaha, Sam Beber.[2]

As Beber continued to serve as an advisor for the local Omaha group, he also began planning for a much larger undertaking: an international Jewish youth group. Beber called a meeting of friends and associates in the area on May 3, 1924, reaching an understanding of goals and forming the first Supreme Advisory Committee (SAC) consisting of seven men, and officially founding the Aleph Zadik Aleph for Young Men. The new organization's first chapter charter was granted to the existing AZA group in Omaha, dubbed "Mother Chapter" with Mnookin's second chapter in Kansas City receiving a charter a week later. By the end of the month, new chapters had been launched in Lincoln, Nebraska and Des Moines, Iowa.[2]

The first AZA convention was held that summer at the Jewish Community Center in Omaha, July 46, 1924. Over two-thirds of the new organization's membership was present to elect their first ever Grand Aleph Godol (international president). In a tight race which required a referral to the SAC to break a tie vote, Charles Shane emerged victorious. In other business conducted, the boys chose to commit a third of their membership dues (at that time $3) to charity.[2]

By the second annual convention, held in Kansas City, AZA membership had ballooned to 250 and new chapters were inaugurated in eight more cities. Philip Klutznick, among AZA's most accomplished alumni, was elected as the 2nd Grand Aleph Godol. During his term, he installed 10 chapters in the eastern part of the country and oversaw the creation of The Shofar, the organization's international newsletter. Following his term in office, the organization rewarded him by making him, at the age of 19, their first executive director. Klutznick later served as Secretary of Commerce during the Jimmy Carter administration. [2]

The connection between AZA and B'nai B'rith dates back to AZA's earliest days, when its founder, Sam Beber, was simultaneously serving as the AZA advisor and as the vice president of the B'nai B'rith lodge in Omaha. Soon thereafter, the new organization was able to secure funding from the regional B'nai B'rith lodge. At the first AZA international convention in 1924, it was resolved that the organization should seek affiliation with B'nai B'rith. Sam Beber commenced communication, and at the executive committee meeting in January, 1925, President Adolf Kraus appointed a committee to explore the matter, headed by Henry Monsky. A fellow Omaha resident, Monsky brought the issue of adopting "junior auxiliaries" for the forefront for the organization. Following B'nai B'rith's international convention, in which Monsky's committee recommended the adoption of AZA as the official youth organization of B'nai B'rith, the executive committee met and immediately adopted the recommendation.[2]

AZA enjoyed a long and prosperous relationship with B'nai B'rith, and countless youth leaders in AZA went on to hold leadership roles in B'nai B'rith as adults. B'nai B'rith lodges often adopted AZA chapters, collaborated on joint programming and served in an advisory capacity. AZA was eventually combined with the B'nai B'rith Girls (BBG) into what would become known as the B'nai B'rith Youth Organization (BBYO). As the male wing of BBYO, AZA continued to maintain its unique character, traditions and rituals, even though it was administered jointly with BBG under the BBYO umbrella.

BBYO split from B'nai B'rith in 2002 and was re-formed as an independent non-profit organization.

Contrary to popular belief, AZA was not founded in a form of protest against Greek fraternities. Rather, conversations with the founding members years later revealed that the organization's name was chosen specifically in an attempt to mimic Greek fraternitiesnot to protest them.[2]

The AZA logo is a menorah, a seven-branched candelabrum, which is one of the central symbols of Judaism. The menorah has a hexagonal shape in its center, with each side of the hexagon and the base of the menorah containing one of the 7 Cardinal Principles. In the center of the hexagon is a Magen david (Star of David), and inside it are the Hebrew letters Aleph Zadik Aleph.

The password "Ami" to enter an AZA meeting is now widely known and is used for ceremonial and traditional purposes only.

When members ("Alephs") are inducted into the organization, they receive a pin containing the AZA logo. This pin is to be worn at all AZA functions (including meetings, programs and conventions) as a way of visually displaying ones membership in the organization. It is supposed to be worn on one's shirt, over the heart, to symbolize that the principles (which are inscribed on the AZA logo on the pin) are being kept close to one's heart. Aleph Pins are never to be worn straight, to represent that "no Aleph is perfect."

Many of the AZA spirit songs date back to the earliest days of the organization. The most commonly sung song is "Up You Men", the official pep song of the organization which dates to 1931, when it was the winning entry in a song contest. It was composed by Heinie Krinsky and Wes Bercovich from Oakland, and in modern times is sung both at fast pace as a rally song, and sometimes in a slow and somber tone as a brotherhood song. "Come Join Us In Our Song" is a popular song to be sung conventions and summer programs, and is the longest of the AZA songs. It was originally called "Meyer Levin's Marching Song" and was written for AZA Invite by the members of Meyer Levin AZA in Chicago in 1964. The verses are sung to the tune of "The Ballad of the Greenland Whalers" and the chorus is sung to the tune of The Coast Guard Hymn. "Sweetheart of AZA", also composed by Krinsky and Bercovich, is traditionally recited when the sweetheart (a well-liked BBG member chosen to serve in the role at various levels) enters the room, although its use in modern times varies from region to region.[2] Lastly, Simon Wiesenthal AZA #2524 in Central Region West is noted for writing the widely sung cheer "AZA All the Way." Other official songs include "Stand Together," "Tomorrow and Today," "This Is Our Order", "No Man Is An Island", and "The General".[3]

There are "Seven Cardinal Principles" through which all AZA members (Alephs) are expected to conduct their life. These principles underline the intent and character of the organization. They are patriotism, Judaism, filial love, charity, conduct, purity, and fraternity. These principles can be found inscribed on the AZA logo, and are often recited during opening rituals of business meetings.

Six programming "folds", or considerations, are used as the basis for all program planning. In 1928, Dr. Boris D. Bogen, one of the founders of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, presented his ideas for the original "Five-Fold-and-Full Plan" to AZA's governing body, the Supreme Advisory Council.He proposed the addition of the original five programming folds: Social, Athletics, Community Service / Social Action, Education, and Judaism (S.A.C.E.J.) In 2020, the 97th Executive Body voted to add a sixth programing fold, 'health'. It is expected that all AZA events fall into at least one of these folds, and it is encouraged that programs span multiple folds. A program that incorporates every fold, a "six-fold program", is considered a significant undertaking and is particularly special.

AZA is administered internationally by BBYO, Inc.'s professional staff in the international office in Washington, D.C. Organizational units outside of North America are affiliated with BBYO, Inc. but are operated independently. In North America, the organization is broken down into 43 geographic regions, each of which has professional staff that report to the international office. Some regions may be further split into councils and cities depending on their size and geography, and each of these may also employ staff. The final level is the chapter, which employs volunteer advisors, and reports to their local staff. All members belong to a single chapter. Some BBYO programs (such as summer programs in Israel) do not require membership in BBYO.

The organization is steered by a democratically elected board of officers on the international, regional, council and chapter levels. The officers elected may vary from one level to the other and between different chapters and regions. A group of elected officers is often referred to as the "executive board" or just simply the "board". Elections are typically held annually or semi-annually.

The executive board positions that are elected at an international level (and the foundation for all other boards at all levels)[4] are:

In some places, additional officers may be elected based on need. Each region, council and chapter may have its own constitution detailing the positions to be elected and their specific responsibilities, so long as it does not conflict with the international constitution.

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Aleph Zadik Aleph - Wikipedia

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Posted By admin on October 2, 2021

(JTA) Rabbi Moshe Tendler, an expert in Jewish law and medical ethics, died Tuesday at age 95.

A dean of the rabbinical school and a professor of Jewish medical ethics and biology at Yeshiva University, Tendler was considered an expert in issues of Jewish law and medical ethics.

But he was most famous for the fierceness with which he advocated for the Jewish legal position that brain death constituted death, thus allowing Orthodox Jews to donate and receive organ transplants for organ donation in the case of brain death.

He was also known for the sometimes dismissive attitude with which he regarded those who disagreed with him on that question and others. When a group of rabbis issued an opinion concluding that the cessation of heartbeat, rather than brain death, constitutes death, he denounced them publicly, in an act unusual in the typically sober world of Orthodox Jewish law decisors.

You say a thing, I believe youre ignorant on this topic, Tendler told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency in 2011. Thats not an insult. Its a fact.

Born and raised on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, Tendler was immersed in the dual pursuit of rigorous secular and religious studies from a young age under the tutelage of his mother, a law school graduate, and his father, head of the Rabbi Jacob Joseph yeshiva.

Tendler grew up just a few blocks away from Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, one of the most important Orthodox rabbinic authorities in the United States in the 20th century. Tendler eventually became Feinsteins son-in-law. He met Feinsteins daughter, Shifra, when she approached him at a public library in the neighborhood to ask him a question about chemistry.

After that, somehow I managed to come more often to the library to study, Tendler recalled. He studied at New York University, was ordained at Yeshiva University in 1949 and earned a doctorate in microbiology from Columbia University in 1957. In his tenure teaching biology and Talmud at Yeshiva University, he taught hundreds of doctors and rabbis.

In addition to teaching, Tendler also served as the rabbi of the Community Synagogue in Monsey, New York from 1967 until his death.

Tendler became an important influence on Feinsteins positions on questions of Jewish law and medicine and served as a bridge between the scientific experts and the experts in Jewish law and ethics, writing articles in the top medical journals as well as for Jewish scholars.

I remember him telling me how he used to sit with Rabbi Feinstein and he would describe the science behind it. Rabbi Feinstein would ultimately make the rulings but Rabbi Tendler was his interpreter of much of the scientific knowledge, said Alan Jotkowitz, a professor at Ben Gurion University of the Negev, director of the Jacobovits Center for Jewish Medical Ethics and director of the Medical School for International Health and Medicine.

Jotkowitz, who was a student in Tendlers biology and Talmud classes at Yeshiva University, described Tendler as a major influence for himself and other Orthodox doctors, whom Tendler empowered to be scholars of both Judaism and science.

He was a personal role model, that theres no conflict between scientific knowledge and Torah.he said you could see Gods wisdom in the Torah, but Rabbi Tendler also thought you could see Gods wisdom in nature and studying nature, Jotkowitz said.

Tendlers funeral, which was delayed because he died on the first day of a two-day holiday, is scheduled for Thursday afternoon at the Community Synagogue in Monsey, New York. He is survived by eight children.

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Rabbi Moshe Tendler, whose thinking shaped Orthodox views on organ donation, dies at 95 - JTA News - Jewish Telegraphic Agency

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Posted By admin on October 2, 2021

In the second installment of a new series exploring new and upcoming books, the team at Jewish Insider previews some of the top and relevant new titles coming out in October:

Three Sisters, by Heather Morris (Oct. 5): Heather Morriss third book in the bestselling Tattooist of Auschwitz series, Three Sisters is a work of historical fiction loosely based on the story of survival of Cibi, Magda and Livia, three Jewish sisters from Slovakia who are imprisoned in Auschwitz and later move to Israel in the post-war years.

Speak, Silence: In Search of W. G. Sebald, by Carole Angier (Oct. 5): Carole Angier pens the first biography of the late German author, who died in a car accident in 2001. Speak, Silence looks at how Sebald, whose father spent the younger Sebalds early years in a prisoner of war camp, channeled his own questions and feelings about the Holocaust into his writing.

Judah Benjamin: Counselor to the Confederacy, by James Traub (Oct. 5): Judah Benjamin rose to prominence as a Louisiana legislator and one of the few Jewish politicians before serving as secretary of state for the Confederacy after the South seceded from the United States. James Traub takes on the gargantuan task of producing a biography of an elusive man who left very little written trace of his true beliefs and thoughts.

Squirrel Hill: The Tree of Life Synagogue Shooting and the Soul of a Neighborhood by Mark Oppenheimer (Oct. 5): In the year following the deadly shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in October 2018, Tablet senior editor Mark Oppenheimer made more than 30 trips to Pittsburgh, where his ancestors had settled over a century earlier, to chronicle the resilience of the Squirrel Hill neighborhood, where much of the citys Jewish population lives.

Come and Hear: What I Saw in My Seven-and-a-Half-Year Journey through the Talmud, by Adam Kirsch (Oct. 8): For nearly eight years, poet and literary critic Adam Kirsch wrote about his experience with Daf Yomi, the daily reading of a page of Talmud. The secular Kirsch writes about his journey through the text through observations that range from the mundane to serious, taking readers along for a ride few non-religious Jews ever experience.

The Lost Caf Schindler: One Family, Two Wars, and the Search for Truth, by Meriel Schindler (Oct. 12): Following her fathers death in 2017, attorney Meriel Schindler began to research her family history dating back more than a century to Innsbruck, Austria,to learn how generations survived and thrived and eventually had their dreams destroyed by the Holocaust. Schindler explores her complicated relationship with her late father, who fled the Nazis as a teenager, and the timeline of ownership of her familys famed restaurant, Caf Schindler.

Its Better to Be Feared: The New England Patriots Dynasty and the Pursuit of Greatness, by Seth Wickersham (Oct. 12): Seth Wickersham, a senior writer at ESPN, takes a detailed look at the New England Patriots franchise, including emails, game plans and text messages, to better understand the teams top names: owner Robert Kraft, head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady, who left the team in 2020.

Meir Kahane: The Public Life and Political Thought of an American Jewish Radical, by Shaul Magid (Oct. 12): Rabbi and academic Shaul Magid explores the life and impact of one of the most controversial figures in modern-day Zionism, looking not just at the American-born Kahanes influences but also his legacy following his assassination in 1990.

In the Midst of Civilized Europe: The Pogroms of 19181921 and the Onset of the Holocaust, by Jeffrey Veidlinger (Oct. 26): Historian Jeffrey Veidlinger shines a light on the three-year period, from 1918-1921, when more than 100,000 Jews were killed in pogroms across modern-day Ukraine. Veidlinger uses historical texts as well as testimonies from survivors to compile this compendium on Eastern Europoean antisemitism that lays the informational groundwork for what would decades later result in the Holocaust.

Abraham Joshua Heschel: A Life of Radical Amazement, by Julian Zelizer (Oct. 26): Much is known about Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschels social justice efforts alongside Civil Rights activists in the second half of the 20th century. Julian Zelizer looks at Heschels early years growing up in Poland and eventual opportunity to come to the U.S. just as the Holocaust was beginning.

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10 new books to read in October - Jewish Insider

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Posted By admin on October 2, 2021

The Constitution of The Republic of Iraq, formulated in 2005 and approved in a referendum by more than three-quarters of the people, stated that Iraq shall observe the principles of good neighborliness... seek to settle disputes by peaceful means, establish relations on the basis of mutual interests and reciprocity, and respect its international obligations.

Those of us with long roots in the region, especially the Jews who have lived in what was variously called Babylon, Mesopotamia and Iraq for 2,500 years, have long sought a Middle East that is more tolerant, open and its various parts at peace with each other.

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Last years Abraham Accords were the first and important steps in a region where new alliances are being sought and embraced. Former enemies are moving forward in a warm embrace, enmity is replaced with fraternity, and all are benefiting from the newfound Jewish-Arab multilateralism in the region.

Even those nations that are not yet at the point of official recognition of the Jewish state, like Saudi Arabia and Oman, are putting aside past differences and working together behind the scenes and even on occasion openly.

The region is moving beyond the Arab-Israeli conflict in an unprecedented manner.

It also has a long and varied history where its peoples frequently had good relations, arguably unprecedented in the region.

In the Iraq where I was raised, Jews, Christians, Muslims, Sunnis or Shiites worked, learned, sang and danced together. We lived side by side in peace and harmony.

Iraqs Jews played a prominent role in culture, the arts, government and economics. They were an inseparable part of the country and their role in forming the foundation of Jewish peoplehood and religion through the Babylonian Talmud, or those like Sir Sassoon Eskell, one of the founders of modern Iraq, assisting in the formation of a modern Iraqi identity, our duality flourished for the betterment of all.

Unfortunately, this all ended in the 20th century with pogroms, mass hangings and expulsion, but the Iraqi Jews still hold fond memories from our past. Above all, we remember the people, many of whom sought and maintained good relations with their Jewish neighbors and colleagues.

It is no coincidence that one of the organizers of the normalization conference, Sahar Karim al-Tai, a senior official in Iraqs Ministry of Culture, said that she was raised in a family with the principle of freedom of expression and freedom of consciences, and though she lost her father as a child, she remembers him talking about his close friend, a successful Jewish businessman named Sassoon, who was forced to flee Iraq.

It was these people-to-people connections that Iraqis and Jews remember and can form the backbone of a new rapprochement between our peoples.

The beauty of the Abraham Accords is that it is not merely an official but cold peace played out at the upper echelons of government. The normalization agreements have been felt by the people who have embraced them, whether it is the massive influx or Israeli tourists to Dubai and the billions of dollars of trade between businesses, or the Moroccan-Israeli universities agreement and the insertion of Jewish history into the Moroccan educational system, peace is being built at all levels.

The State of Israel, with its hundreds of thousands of Jews of Iraqi descent, have long sought good relations with its neighbor.

In 2018, Israels Foreign Ministry launched a Facebook page, specifically dedicated to engaging and creating a dialogue with the Iraqi public. The page, called Israel in Iraqi-Arabic, serves as a digital bridge between the two peoples. The page focuses on content of interest to Iraqi audiences, such as stories about the large Jewish-Iraqi community that previously lived in Iraq and today lives in Israel, as well as similarities between the Israeli and Iraqi cultures.

This was a small, outstretched hand, and now gratifyingly, it has been reciprocated.

We are under no illusions that normalization is around the corner, and reports of the arrest of the organizers of this important conference are gravely worrying.

However, it is clear that there is a growing interest in Iraq in putting the past aside and having peaceful and normal relations with the Jewish state to its west.

This is something we can and should support.

There are two opposite forces currently in the Middle East. One is led by the forces of reconciliation and stability, led by pragmatic Arab countries and Israel that is imagining a new peaceful region, and the other seeks more bloodshed and conflict, led by the Islamic Republic of Iran.

As has happened throughout many chapters of history, Iraq is at the crossroads of two competing movements, with both trying to influence its future direction.

Let us hope, for the sake of the region and all of its people that Iraq chooses wisely and joins the circle of peace, because the wider that circle becomes, the less room there will be for those who seek endless conflict.

The writer, a businessman and philanthropist, is member on the Board of the World Organization of Jews from Iraq and honorary president of the Association of Jewish Academics from Iraq.

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Israel should make peace with Iraq through the Abraham Accords - opinion - The Jerusalem Post

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Posted By admin on October 2, 2021

A career criminal was arrested Tuesday for trying to sexually assault two Hasidic teens in a Brooklyn apartment building.

Gessley Olivier, 20, stalked the duo into a Crown Heights apartment building on Eastern Parkway before trying to attack them at about 1:25 p.m. on Monday, according to law enforcement sources.

In a desperate bid to escape the creep, the frightened girls ran into the bathroom of a friends first floor apartment and locked the door.

Olivier followed them and screamed You are going to fu! before busting through the locked door with his pants down, the sources said.

The brave girls then kicked the pervert and fled from the building to a nearby synagogue for help, sources said.

Investigators working the case retrieved surveillance footage that captured Olivier. A sharp-eyed officer from the 71st Precinct recognized the suspect from prior crimes in the neighborhood.

The creep has more than two dozen previous arrests on charges including burglary and grand larceny.

Police sent out a department-wide alert Monday that Olivier was wanted in the 71st Precinct. Later that day, Oliver allegedly stole a 2019 Jeep Cherokee from a Midtown parking garage.

The cars owner reported it stolen on Tuesday and cops tracked the vehicle to Lower Manhattan, where they arrested Olivier and learned he was wanted for the previous days attack in Brooklyn.

For Mondays attack, Olivier was charged with burglary, sex motive burglary, criminal trespass, criminal mischief, lewdness, and harassment.

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Career criminal busted for trying to sexually assault two Hasidic girls in NYC - New York Post

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Posted By admin on October 2, 2021

Five years ago, I started rewriting the Torah by reversing the genders of all characters. All of the men became women and all of the women became men. Divine influence was now moving through a mother-daughter lineage.

Why would I do such a massive act of chutzpah?

Im an Israeli-American artist. In my art practice, Ive been exploring the relationship between language and form. After 10 years of studying Kabbalah in the tradition of Baal Hasulam, a hasidic rabbi and kabbalist, I reached a spiritual impasse. I needed a sacred text that codified womens experience in relation to the Divine, but I couldnt find one. Our sacred books were all written from a mans point of view.

So there I was, seated on the couch, in my PJs, with my laptop. It was quiet around me, and I typed away. After the first few verses, I looked up at the ceiling it didnt fall. The room hasnt changed a bit. I continued, typing delightfully how Goddess created the world, until I reached Bereshit verses 26-27: Let us make an Eve in our likeness, after our image; And Goddess created Eve in Her likeness. In the likeness of Goddess, She created her.

For the first time in my life, I heard these words in full color. I felt that this ancient story was speaking to me directly, and giving me agency that I never felt before. For the first time, I met Goddess through my inner image, as I could so easily identify with Eve.

What else did the Torah hide from me?

I wanted to find out. About three years and a pandemic later, I bid farewell to Moshah as she stood on Mt. Nevoa an extraordinary woman whose eye was not dim, and whose sap had not run. The first draft of Chumash Toratah was complete.

During this period, profound things happened. I started to experience the text in community and witnessed how it resonated with others. For the first time, during Shavuot learning at the 14th Street Y, a female rabbi chant from a page of Toratah written by a female scribe.

In November 2019, we held the first ritual with Toratah, chanting the story of the Akeda, the binding of Isaac, alternating the verses between the traditional and our newly written version: Titzhak spoke to Emrahama, her mother, and said, My mother. And she said, Here I am, my daughter.

Tears came. Glasses fogged. Voices broke. A rabbi spoke to me quietly while she was tying the makeshift scroll we had prepared for the occasion: I promise you that we will tie a real Toratah scroll.

A few months later, I had another opportunity to chant from the Toratah during Shabbat Miketz: And Parah said to Toseph I have heard that when you hear a dream, you can solve it.

After the service, Kohanot (priestesses) from the Kohenet Institute surrounded me with their blessings. The power of their voices and intentions is still with me.

Tamar Biala joined me to work on the second draft of our regendered Chumash. Her experience growing up religious in Israel and her groundbreaking editing of Dirshuni, Israeli Women Writing Midrash have brought valuable breadth to this sacred work.

Working with Tamar, I have discovered new dimensions of Toratah. Where I gravitated towards psychospiritual applications of the text, Tamargravitatedtowards sexuality, law and ethics.

Our conversations took us deeper into biology, Near East mythologies, languages, regional ancient legal systems and archeology. We created words and conjugated new verbs for female form when they were missing from the Hebrew language. We discovered in this process how multilingual and multicultural our Torah really is how vowelization, introduced in the 8th century, was also its own form of commentary. We connected more deeply to what we know language to be fluid and malleable.

Just over a year ago, we started a virtualweekly mincha servicein which we read the weekly portions from our Toratah. An extraordinary collection of people artists, scholars, teachers, rabbis and ritual experts from the US, England and Israel have gathered for the weekly studies and discussions.

Toratah has challenged us in new ways: The agency that the women of Toratah have for good or bad, and their larger-than-life personas tested our feminist theolgies and feminist ethics. Toratah called on us to redraw our definition of woman in relation to a Goddess who shows Herself as a maximum woman, while men gain their social standing by fathering daughters.

We also saw that the original text and our version come together to create a complete Torah, and possiblities for gender-queer readings opened up when crossing stories from both sides: Emrahama and Sarah, the founders of the Tisraelah people, could not conceive but they had a slave named Hager. Torah has become dynamic.

After Simchat Toratah and the unveil of Chumash Bereshit in Hebrew, Tamar and I will start a new study series three Sundays per month teaching Toratah Bereshit comprehensively, and once a month, we will hold a Shabbat service to study the Haftarah from Prophetesses.

While doing this work, I encountered a verse that blew my mind and answered so deeply that which I yearned for: And Tehovah spoke to Moshah face to face, as a woman speaks to her girlfriend. (Toratah, Exodus 33:11).

If someone would have told me years ago, Yael, this is what you will be doing with years of your life, I would have replied that they are totally mad. But hineni, here I am. Goddess moves in mysterious ways.

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Why I reversed the genders of every person in the Torah J. - The Jewish News of Northern California

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Posted By admin on October 2, 2021

Pablo Casado, leader of the conservative Popular Party of Spain, has participated this Friday in the fifth day of the traveling convention of his training accompanied by former Mexican president Felipe Caldern (2006-2012). The meeting takes place in full controversy after the apologies offered by Pope Francis for the excesses committed by the Church in the Conquest of America and the crossing of statements that it caused between popular politicians and the Government of the President of Mexico, Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador.

In this sense, Casado has refused to apologize for the Spanish Conquest, as requested by the current Mexican president. From Spain we do not have to ask for forgiveness, but give thanks for a common story which has been, in my opinion, the greatest milestone for humanity after Rome: Hispanism, on both sides of the Atlantic, he said. Thanks to Mexico for the great pride of feeling like a sister nation, he said.

Before the dozens of people who attended the meeting, called Growth against inequality, Felipe Caldern replied that he is proud of his roots: I am not indigenous, I am not Spanish, but deeply proud of my indissoluble, indigenous and spanish roots, whatever they are, including some Sephardic roots , he has assured, to emphasize below:I am also proud of my tongue, the language of Cervantes, which is mine too .

The former Mexican president has affirmed that one should not fall into the trap, because here what is sought is to provoke and divide, in order to create a smokescreen of the very serious problems that exist today.

The controversy began at the beginning of the week, when the president of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Daz Ayuso, also of the Popular Party, criticized the letter written by Pope Francis in which he asked for forgiveness, as several of his predecessors had already done, for the sins committed by the Catholic Church during the Conquest of America.

However, the high point of this controversy came yesterday, when former Spanish President Jos Mara Aznar (1996-2004) backed Daz Ayuso and assured that he would not ask for forgiveness, and mockingly added a reference to Lpez Obrador: And what who tells us to ask for forgiveness? Whats your name? Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador. Andrs on the part of the Aztecs, Manuel on the part of the Mayas, Lpez is a mixture of Aztecs and Mayans And Obrador, from Santander, he snapped in the sarcastic tone he usually uses.

The statements of the former Spanish president were replicated by Morena, Lpez Obradors party, considering that they are an offense against the history of Mexico and the dignity and memory of its native peoples.

We are not surprised that a war instigator denies the indigenous genocide on our continent and apologizes for Catholic evangelization, taking into account the abuses exercised by members of the Spanish crown, contradicting Pope Francis himself, reads a statement.

The tone of Felipe Caldern and Pablo Casado was not so harsh, although none made mention of the plundering process economic, social and cultural that the Spanish Conquest meant for the indigenous peoples of Mexico, 500 years ago.

The first reaffirmed that he feels proudly Mexican, but also a citizen of the world and argued that beyond dividing and antagonizing each other, we must unite in ideals and values.

For his part, the Spanish conservative leader claimed the historical bond between Mexico and Spain and spoke of the continuous flow that there has been of Spaniards to Mexico and of Mexicans to Spain during the last decades.

The common history of five centuries ago is also intense, a history that has built a bond in that Hispanicity that has astonished the world and that has brought the best to both shores of the Atlantic, where miscegenation, mutual learning, the contribution of both of them built better societies and above all that challenge of moving forward, Casado also affirmed.

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The leader of the PP of Spain, in an act with Felipe Caldern: We do not have to apologize, Hispani... - Market Research Telecast

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Posted By admin on October 2, 2021

WASHINGTON, D.C. The Washington Wizards unveiled their themes and promotional schedule for the upcoming season today in anticipation of the start of the 2021-22 NBA season presented by Capital One.

Fans attending the home opener on Oct. 22 against the Indiana Pacers will have a chance to receive two giveaways courtesy of Capital One: the first 10,000 fans will receive a team-branded mousepad with the 2021-22 schedule and a rally towel with the Wizards logo.

The Saturday Night in The District (SNITD) series presented by Capital One will tip off on Oct. 30 against the Boston Celtics and the first 5,500 fans in attendance will receive a Wizards-branded hat honoring the District of Columbia. Fans attending the game against the Miami Heat on Nov. 20 will receive a Wizards-branded hat recognizing the colors of the state of Maryland while the state of Virginia will be featured during the game against the Utah Jazz on Dec. 11. Throughout the season, the SNITD series will highlight different areas of the DMV featuring a DC/MD/VA hat spotlighting other neighborhoods such as U Street, Georgetown, and the Wharf. Historically Black Colleges & Universities such as Coppin State and Howard University will also be featured throughout the SNITD series.

Themes that will be recognized this season include Military Night presented by Leidos (Nov. 5), Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (Jan. 17), Pride Night (Mar. 4) and Cherry Blossom Night (Mar. 29). Black History Month (February) and International Womens Month (March) along with Heritage Nights such as Japanese Heritage Night, Jewish Heritage Night, Latinx Heritage Night and Chinese New Year presented by ORG will also be celebrated during the season. The team will also honor recent Hall of Fame inductee Bob Dandridge on Nov. 7 during the game against the Milwaukee Bucks.

The popular Wizards concert series will return and will feature award-winning artists as well as local talent. Additional details will be announced in the coming weeks.

As the NBA celebrates their 75th anniversary, the Wizards will honor the organizations past with bobbleheads of former Bullets players Manute Bol (Feb. 7), Gheorghe Muresan (Mar. 27) and Wes Unseld (Apr. 1). The present will be recognized with a Bradley Beal bobblehead (Dec. 30) inspired by Marvels Black Panther, a bobblehead of Head Coach Wes Unseld Jr. (Mar 1), and a Thomas Bryant bobblehead (Apr. 8) courtesy of Capital One.

Washington is bringing back pregame Youth Basketball clinics for boys and girls 6 to 14 years old. The first clinic will take place on Oct. 9 prior to the preseason game against the New York Knicks. To register or for more information, visit http://www.dcfamily.com/gamedayclinics. Additional dates will be announced at a later date.

Fans can visit http://www.washingtonwizards.com/tickets for a complete listing of promotional nights, to purchase individual game tickets or to learn about more group theme nights Fans can also follow the Wizards on all social media accounts for special contests and giveaways leading up to each game.

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