Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on May 8, 2021

Black women have always been at the heart of global progress and change, and ESSENCE is proud to introduce a new space where we can harness our collective power like never before.

Join Black women leaders from across the diaspora as we unite to raise our voices in conversation and sisterhood at the first-ever ESSENCE I Am Speaking virtual townhall event, streaming Thursday, May 6 at 5PM EST/2PM PST on ESSENCE Studios and ESSENCE.com.

Together, we will reflect on how 2020 changed the world and the role Black women will play in leading progressive action for the future on global scale. Just in time for Mothers Day, youll hear some of the worlds most prolific women thought leaders engage in timely, necessary exchanges centered around next steps for improving our wellness, wealth, creative prosperity and more. Plus, our panelists will explore the global fight for social justice and how we can thrive together as we collectively move forward.

Panelists will include: Africas First Elected Female President Madame Ellen J. Sirleaf; Shea Moisture CEO Cara Sabin; ESSENCE Communications CEO Caroline Wanga; Group CEO Transcorp Nigeria Ltd. Owen Omogiafo; I Want A Good Man University Founder Dr. Stacii Jae Johnson; ESSENCE Girls United Co-Founders Rechelle Dennis and Sophia Dennis; MBL International Group CEO Barkue Tubman Zawolo and many more!

For more information, a look at the full lineup, and to reserve your free passes to join us for this cant-miss conversation series, visit https://www.essence.com/iamspeaking/.

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Join Influential Black Women From Across The Diaspora At The ESSENCE I Am Speaking Summit - Essence

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Posted By admin on May 8, 2021

As India battles the second wave of coronavirus infections with an acute shortage of medical equipment, representatives of the Indian diaspora say they are finding it hard to send medical aid to NGOs, hospitals and civil society groups in the country.

The reason, they say, is a cumbersome clearance process and the Integrated Goods and Service Tax (IGST) rates. Even after reaching India, several consignments of oxygen concentrators are lying at airports due to IGST rules.

A group representing the Indian diaspora in Amsterdam, Netherlands has initiated a campaign to send medical help to India.

'Support Humanity in India', started by Captain Sanjay Sharma collected 50 oxygen concentrators and sent them to India to help Covid-19 patients. While the group aims to send 1,000 oxygen concentrators, it says managing logistics has become a "nightmare".

ALSO READ | Foreign Covid aid reached India on April 25. Centre took 7 days to notify SOP as oxygen crisis deepened

Initially, the Indian government was not willing to exempt IGST on imports by private entities to NGOs and other organisations that are helping in Covid relief. The exemption was only applicable for contributions made to the Indian government through the Indian Red Cross Society.

This decision was revised and all imports for Covid relief were exempted from IGST. However, the exemption came with riders.

Medical aid sent by 'Support Humanity in India'.

"We have received several requests from different parts of India, and we want to help them. It should not be such a difficult process when all that we want to do is save Indian lives," said Captain Sanjay Sharma.

He added that since the group was receiving calls from hospitals and NGOs across the country, they decided to send the medical aid directly to them instead of sending it through the Indian Red Cross Society.

"The Indian Embassy told us if we donate through the Red Cross, we won't have to pay 12 per cent IGST and air freight from the Netherlands to India. I had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to airlift the oxygen concentrators free of charge from the Netherlands and to exempt 12 per cent IGST on them. But we have not received any reply," Captain Sharma said.

Later, the organisation found an agency that would deliver the oxygen concentrators free of cost.

"The freight forwarding team of Global Logistics provider GEODIS, that works with Qatar Airways CARE, gave us efficient and timely support to move this shipment from Amsterdam to India. We appreciate their selfless and dedicated efforts," said Captain Sharma.

Meanwhile, on May 3, the Union finance ministry issued a notification exempting basic customs duty and/or health cess on imports of a number of Covid-19 related relief materials, for a limited period, till June 30.

The notification said the central government had received a number of representations from charitable organisations, corporate entities, and other associations outside India seeking exemption from IGST on import of Covid-19 relief material, donated/received free of cost from outside India for free distribution.

However, these exemptions are subject to following conditions:

The first shipment of these critical supplies landed at the Mumbai airport from Amsterdam on May 3 around 3:30pm. However, it was stuck with the Customs since the officials were demanding Integrated Goods and Service Tax (IGST).

ALSO READ | 40 lakh foreign Covid relief supplies dispatched to 86 institutes in India

"After waiting the whole day, we learnt that IGST has been waived off by the government. We were relieved but it was short-lived since the conditions that have to be met are so tedious that it would have caused more delays. We did not want people to suffer more and therefore paid close to Rs.3 lakh as IGST," said Shekhar Roy Chowdhury, a member of 'Support Humanity in India'.

At the time of publishing this report, the consignment was still awaiting Customs clearance in Mumbai.

Captain Sharma says the IGST that they have paid is "not reflecting" in the system, which is causing further delay in distribution of the oxygen concentrators.

"I can't understand why we are not getting any help from the Indian government when people are dying. Every minute is important for people who need oxygen support," said Prakash Ayer.

Captain Sharma says their group is trying to procure 1,000 more oxygen concentrators and other medical equipment that will be sent to India as aid.

"It will be a total waste of money if we pay 12 per cent IGST. The amount can be used to procure more items. Finding a nodal officer to clear this is going to be very difficult," he says.

ALSO READ | Where are Covid-19 foreign aid supplies going? Opposition asks Centre to make details public

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A long wait: Indian diaspora sends Covid aid, but it gets stuck in the process - India Today

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Posted By admin on May 8, 2021

Toilet access is an issue of public health

John Miles, research associate, Kilburn Older Voices Exchange, writes:

Im writing on behalf of the Toilet Manifesto for London Group (TMLG) to welcome Mary Langans Opinion column Access to public toilets is a human right

Toilets are expensive to run and a challenge for local authorities hit by centrally imposed austerity measures.

Older people are among those most affected by the dwindling number and frequent inaccessibility of these often poorly maintained and inadequately signed facilities.

TMLG is a partnership set up by Positive Ageing in London and Kilburn Older Voices Exchange. Besides lobbying the GLA in the run-up to the mayoral election we have started negotiations with Camden and Haringey councillors to get toilet provision recognised as a public health issue for which new administrative arrangements are an urgent priority.

Anyone with a story to tell or an interest in helping systematically document the whereabouts and condition of these vital facilities is encouraged to get in touch: pailondon.org.uk/toilets/

An elected body

John McPartlin, Creighton Avenue, Muswell Hill, writes:

Anne Fairweather is disingenuous in her comment (Ham&High letters).

The Heath ponds have now reopened for swimmers once more to enjoy, that is true, and they have always been a happy place where everyone could turn up casually and enjoy a day of pleasure.

They were formally established by parliament, an elected body, as a free facility for everyones benefit but Margaret Thatcher removed this and gave them instead to the City of London Corporation, a big money concern that has no such credential and which does not serve the interests of users.

Entry had always in the past traditionally been free but it now has imposed a 4 entry fee for a limited time-slot visit that must be pre-booked online and paid for in advance.

The Mens Pond, in particular, now resembles a fortress with the security fencing that has been installed, and entry is controlled by a guard.

The Heath Ponds need to be brought back once more under democratic control of an elected body, such as the Greater London Authority, where such issues about usage can be freely and openly discussed with a body that is accountable to those who have put it into office to serve the public need.

They should therefore be returned to public ownership where elected officials who are accountable can see that the public need is properly met.

Belsize home

Belsize Village's streatery where customers are being served alfresco. Picture: Belsize Village Business Association- Credit: Archant

Michael McHale, Belsize Crescent, Belsize Park, writes:

Born on Eton Avenue in 1984 and a Belsize Village-proper local since 2017, I have always called Belsize Park my home but until recently it was not where my heart was.

Belsize Village never really had a sense of community and over the years many businesses have opened in the area and shut a short time later due to lack of footfall. The slow death of the area seemed to accelerate a few years ago and while many had ideas about revival no one did a thing.

That was until locals Aya Khazaal and Bob Stephenson-Padron initiated Living Wage-focused community building work in late 2018 via the then-newly set up Belsize Village Business Association (BVBA). They argued coherently that improved working conditions were only sustainable with sustained economic vibrancy. By humanising the people behind the businesses and marketing Belsize Villages unique offering of independent shops, footfalls began to increase, business closures slowed and new businesses stayed open.

Their efforts massively accelerated when the BVBA launched the Belsize Village Streatery in July 2020 with community infrastructure levy (CIL) funds of 56,000 from local councillors in an effort to help local older residents feel comfortable to return to dining in a safe way after Lockdown 1 of the coronavirus pandemic and to save local businesses. CIL funds are not funds from taxpayers but fees paid by property developers.

With funds only slightly more than two hospitality grants, the BVBA hasnt just run an outdoor alfresco dining event since July 2020, they solved several of our communitys long-standing challenges such as the rubbish mound that used to sit on Belsize Terrace, staved off any business closures and created sufficient economic vibrancy where new businesses Belsize Organic and Cinder have opened and thrived; brought community where there was none and created a beating heart to the village.

The truth is that if it wasnt for the BVBAs community building efforts of the prior years and their hard working and skilled volunteers, a high street revitalisation of the scale of Belsize Village would have cost several millions of pounds if imposed from the top.

The community engagement bolstered by the BVBA is exemplified in their recent bin planning application which I wrote into. It generated 73 comments - 64 for and nine against. The fact bins attracted so much support also demonstrates how much locals are opposed to the return of the rubbish mound that blighted Belsize Village for years.

Compare the privately-run Streaterys cost-benefit to the publicly-run CIL funded project of six CCTV around the Belsize area in 2018 which cost 92,000 for six cameras. Not to say the CCTV is not good value for money but it is important to put into perspective the enormous public good that has been generated from the Belsize Village Streatery for so little use of CIL funds.

The ongoing benefits of the Streatery are also sustainable whereas the CCTV project has ongoing annual public costs.

Now self-financing, the Belsize Village Streaterys dining operations and eurobins on Belsize Terrace are funded by the businesses.

The security guards of last year have been replaced by three CCTV cameras operated for free and legally-compliantly by the BVBA.

The beautiful planters are maintained by local residents.

What the BVBA does is easy to find out because they post about their activities on social media and I also often interact with its two BAME leaders, the lovely Aya and Bob, who have been elected by the local business community to help Belsize Village prosper and they are doing superb jobs.

The Belsize Village Streatery started as a project to empower older residents but it has resulted in empowering all of us to utilise our public spaces kept clean and tidy by local businesses and resident volunteers.

I enjoy the sounds of joy while I push my young child in her pram around the village which is now much cleaner and easier to navigate. I have met more neighbours in the last 12 months than in the preceeding 35 years I have been a resident here.

Nazanin

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has been in prison since 2016. Picture: Family of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe- Credit: PA Wire/PA Images

Leili, Iran, full address supplied, writes:

In 2019, an Iranian news agency published a horrid video of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffes arrest.

An official was talking to her in Persian and after identifying, he said London ishala?, which means Are you going London, if god (Allah) wills?.

Inshallah is a Arabic word almost means God willing, or specifically Allah wiling. In spoken Persian in Iran, we usually pronounce it ishala.

Im thinking on that moment when a official from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) say to Nazanin, who was in Tehrans airport for flying to London: London, ishala?

And then Nazanins life changed forever, she didnt get to London, she did not go anywhere, the IRGC took her to Kerman and then to Evin Prison, the heights of Tehran.

That moments are significant and strange for me.

She has been imprisoned for almost five years, five years since she was going to be with her husband.

Some wanted to change Nazanins life.

It is horrid that some people can make important decisions for you, interesting decisions, to be in the deserts of southern Iran instead of London, or not to breathe, for example.

What do they think of themselves when they are changing a life?

What did they want from her life?

Thousands days, its a nightmare, isnt it interesting to know what happened when some persons want to make life a nightmares?

50 years after these days, what is opinion of those that arrested shocked Nazanin in the airport and killed Mohsen Mohammadpour in the southern city of Khorramshahr?

About Nazanin, it seems she with her lifes intolerable adversities, was soothing for at least Iranian labour activist Sepideh Qoliyan, during the days that she was imprisoned in Evin Prison.

Sepideh wrote this on her Instagram when Nazanin panicked and was taken to the hospital.

The days when separation from Sepidar had turned Evin into hell for me, the days when I cried to see again Nessa, Zahra, Baran and Makieh, you taught me with a smile, with your words, to carry my homeland everywhere like my heart. You made Sepidar a part of me and called me Sepidar. I calmed down immediately and clenched my fists, my dear Nazanin.

Those who have taken Nazanin and the others hostage are themselves hostages, strangely enough, some of them probably know this.

The suffering they inflict does not come from those who did not suffer.

Its so sad when see that they are so young, some of them are even teenagers, they are captives of greed, anger and grief, victims of discrimination and poverty, and hostages of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Palestine

Cristina Piccoli, CADFA, Fortress Road, Kentish Town, wrote to Sir Keir Starmer:

Today, the internationally-respected organisation Human Rights Watch issued a report, A Threshold Crossed, carefully explaining that the situation in Palestine/Israel can be called apartheid.

This follows a report by the Israeli organisation Btselem which came to the same conclusion in January.

CADFA believes that the threshold to apartheid was crossed many years ago and the way that Palestinians are forced to live with ongoing violations of their human rights is absolutely shocking but this acknowledgement by a respected international human rights organisation must be looked at.

We believe that you know a lot about what has been going on in Palestine. CADFA, a human rights charity that has been building links and reporting from the West Bank for more than 17 years, is based in your constituency and we have met you and sent you many reports and several times brought Palestinian visitors including children to meet you in the years since you became an MP in Camden.

However, it is now approaching four years since we last had a good conversation with you about the situation in Palestine, and about six years since we last brought a group of Palestinian children, here on an Erasmus+ exchange, to visit you in Parliament. At that time you were (we thought) as shocked as we were at their stories and in particular their wish to end child imprisonment.

But for the past four years you have been almost silent on Palestine and have even objected to and distanced yourself from those who call out the apartheid situation there. As it is one of the biggest issues in the current world, as Britain has had a role since the beginning and as you are the leader of a major party and hope to lead the country, your silence has been shocking.

But your voice is needed. As these new reports illustrate, the situation is getting worse and worse.

The Israeli takeover of land, building of settlements on the West Bank, confinement of the Palestinians in small areas of their country has been moving on.Among other chilling events this week has been a well-publicised march of Israeli fascists in Jerusalem, shouting death to Arabs while around a hundred young Palestinians were arrested by the Israeli army and hundreds of demonstrators were shot or beaten by the army or settlers.

These scary developments are encouraged by the silence of those who should point out the wrongs as well as by the loud support of the right wing.

We hope that you as a lawyer will agree that international law is the peaceful way to try and sort things out.

The International Criminal Court has agreed to look at the situation in Palestine.The Conservative UK government does not want Israel to be subject to the scrutiny of the International Criminal Court.

Yet reports like these discussed above, the information you have been sent from CADFA and the voices you have heard yourself from Palestine show there is an urgent case to answer.

We ask you to differentiate yourself from the government position and to publicly support the ICC in taking the case.

We ask you to raise your voice now on the side of human rights, equal rights and decency.

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Toilets, the Ponds, Streatery, Nazanin and Palestine | Hampstead Highgate Express - Hampstead Highgate Express

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Posted By admin on May 8, 2021

Rabbi Sally Olins, Special to The Desert Sun Published 12:36 a.m. PT May 7, 2021

It's easy during difficult times to lose your focus and forget about the positive things you have.(Photo: Kevin Valerio, pexels.com)

The past year has been a trying time for all of us. The worldwide pandemic has impacted our lives, and for many people it has been a period of survival and learning how to adjust to a radically different world than we knew before. Our community has also been more divided than ever. We are a community with conflicts that could potentially polarize its residents, such that people stop listening, tensions simmer and, in regrettable instances, some final straw incident triggers civil unrest and disorder.

It's easy in such times to lose your focus and forget about the positive things you have. Now that we are nearing the end of the pandemic, I urge us all to look within and once again find peace in our lives.

I have had the pleasure of being an active conservative rabbi for more than 30 years. In my work and my life, my calling has always been focused on helping people to find their inner peace. These days, the world seems devoid of happiness and full of sadness and death. In my work, I try to guide people to find something positive to hold on to during these painful days.

Prior to the pandemic, I held a series of informal discussion sessions that I called Coffee House Rabbi. At these sessions, people would drop by to discuss life events, and together we would work to find meaning and joy in their lives. During the pandemic, I've continued to offer these sessions free online.

Throughout my career, I have spoken with many people and regularly shared ideas with other clergy. In those exchanges, I came across many uplifting anecdotes and parables that I often used in my sermons. These stories and quotes were sourced from many places, including books, quotes from famous people, stories I was told by others and thoughts and stories that were shared with me. I saved them all, knowing these inspirational stories would be useful.

Rabbi Sally Olins the spiritual leader of the congregation at Temple Isaiah in Palm Springs.(Photo: Courtesy)

Recently, it occurred to me that I had amassed a compelling collection of wisdom. I wanted to share this with others in the hopes of helping our community find joy again in their lives. I found that they fell into four categories: inspiration, life lessons, religion and humor. I created a book called Coffee House Rabbi: Spiritual and Religious Wisdom that drew upon these thoughts and stories. I hope readers find the beautiful quotations and stories inspirational and uplifting.

Coffee House Rabbi Inc. is a nonprofit corporation providing spiritual and educational services to the Palm Springs community. The meetings are presentation- and discussion-based and are rooted in Jewish scriptures as a source of information and inspiration. The biblical references are contemporized using recent history, current events and modern-day life experiences. Coffee House Rabbi meetings are attended by Jews and non-Jews, older and younger, male and female, straight and LGBTQ and people from all walks of life. I invite you to join in and participate (or just listen). For more information, visit rabbisally.com.

We are through the worst of this pandemic. I urge you all to now start focusing on the positive aspects of your life, and once again find the peace that is within you.

Rabbi Sally Olins, D.D., is one of the few female conservative rabbis in the United States. She moved to the desert in 2006 to become the spiritual leader at Temple Isaiah in Palm Springs. In June 2017, she was honored with a star on the Palm Springs Walk of Fame for her pioneering efforts.

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Posted By admin on May 8, 2021

The film The Forbidden Wish begins with a young man entering an American synagogue the day before Yom Kippur. He encounters the rabbi, who is rehearsing his Kol Nidre sermon for the eve of the Day of Atonement. The young man asks the rabbi to recite the Kaddish, the Jewish mourners prayer.

The rabbi assumes it is for the young mans father, whom he claims he has just buried in Israel.

No, for me, the young man says.

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You cannot request this for yourself, the rabbi tells him.

But the young man persists, insisting he can prove to the rabbi that he is not really alive.

Michael Carnick, 2019 (Scott Tipton)

What follows is an emotionally and philosophically intense two-character drama by American-Jewish writer-director Michael Carnick, which can be viewedon digital and demand on various platforms, including iTunes, Amazon Prime Video, and Google Play.

In the films hour and a half running time, the young man, Isaac, and the rabbi, an Ethiopian-Israeli named Nate, engage in a conversation that lays bare their pasts, prejudices, and the sources of their personal pain.

In doing so, The Forbidden Wish deals with a panoply of topics: The immigration of Ethiopian Jews to Israel; racism; homophobia; and mental illness. The film also tackles matters of faith, choosing life in the face of loss, and the tension between following the letter of the law versus the spirit of the law. Finally, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is thrown in for good measure.

Its a lot to follow, but Carnick told The Times of Israel in a recent Zoom interview from his home in San Diego, California, that he deliberately included so much in the screenplay.

Michael Carnick (right) gives direction to actors John Berchtold (left) and Sammi Rotibi in rehearsal for The Forbidden Wish (Underdog Overkill Productions)

Part of the beauty of the Jewish faith is debating and the ability to grapple with issues. Judaism allows you to open up existential questions and to explore them, Carnick said.

Carnick, who has a very rare congenital non-progressive condition and uses a specialized electric wheelchair, filmed The Forbidden Wish in the impressive sanctuary at Congregation Beth Israel in San Diego. As a child, Carnick, 39, attended the now-defunct day school at the Reform synagogue from kindergarten through 6th grade.

Despite the fact that the film is semi-autobiographical and was shot at the synagogue where he grew up, Carnick set it in St. Louis. This is not stated outright, but there are several references in the screenplay to the second largest city in Missouri.

Obsidian doll that belonged to young son of Rabbi Nate (Sammi Rotibi) in The Forbidden Wish (Underdog Overkill Productions)

The Forbidden Wish is based on a short play, titled Obsidian Dolls, which Carnick wrote in 2009 while pursuing an MFA in creative writing for the performing arts at the University of California, Riverside.

The 20-minute play was the result of Carnicks watching a short documentary on YouTube about Operation Solomon, the covert Israeli operation that brought 14,500 Ethiopian Jews to Israel in 36 hours in May 1991.

I didnt know about that, and I thought it would be a great topic for a play, Carnick said.

Rather than writing an entire piece on the experience of Ethiopian Jews, Carnick decided to create an Ethiopian Jew in conversation with an American Jew, with each reflecting their own search for acceptance and community off the other.

John Berchtold (left) and Sammi Rotibi rehearsing a scene for The Forbidden Wish (Underdog Overkill Productions)

Carnick said he did a lot of research and engaged in Jewish learning with a rabbi in order to write the screenplay.

This indeed makes for interesting dialogue, but disbelief must be suspended when it comes to an Ethiopian-Israeli serving as rabbi of a liberal American Jewish congregation.

Inquiries by The Times of Israel with the Reform (Progressive) and Conservative (Masorti) rabbinical programs in Israel revealed that no Ethiopian Israelis have been ordained by the former, and that only one has been ordained by the latter but that person did not actually go on to work as a rabbi. In other words, at this point in time, liberal Ethiopian-Israeli rabbis are non-existent in either Israel or America.

Sammi Rotibi as Nate and Bodhi Dell as Elad in The Forbidden Wish (Overkill Underdog Productions)

In addition, Nate (an unlikely name for an Israeli), holds a strong negative opinion of homosexuality, adhering closely to the literal interpretation of the Torahs prohibition. This view may be in line with Nates African background and it is most certainly in line with traditional Orthodox Judaism but it would be hard to imagine that it would be accepted in most liberal American synagogues today.

There are other moments in the film that indicate that Carnick and his team were not familiar with Israel, be it the mispronunciation of Nates young sons Hebrew name, or the fact that the sons Israeli-made Hanukkah dreidel is marked with the letters used in the Diaspora, and not in Israel.

These could reflect the fact that Carnick has not yet spent time in Israel.

I had a trip planned, and then that had to be put on hold because of Covid, Carnick said.

However, these and other small things dont overly detract from the gripping dialogue and strong performances by Nigerian-American actor Sammi Rotibi as Nate, and John Berchtold as Isaac.

From the beginning, Isaac, who vibrates with nervous energy, seems to be an unreliable narrator. As time goes on, it emerges that he apparently suffers from mental illness and has from a young age.

Is it mental illness? Or is he touched by God? I purposely left it ambiguous, Carnick said.

The director said he enjoyed creating a film that feels like a play. He mentioned being influenced by the intimate, dialogue-heavy Israeli TV series Btipul, that was sold to HBO and turned into In Treatment for English-speaking audiences.

I wanted to film this production as if it were a play, with the audience feeling like it is in the room with the characters. Being able to use cinematic techniques allows you to have the best of both worlds, he said.

Carnick said he envisions the audience for The Forbidden Wish as including Jews and non-Jews alike.

Its a film about the journey. Its about feeling lost at times, but having faith in fellow man and community. Its about holding on to what you believe in and loving people for who they are, Carnick said.

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Convinced he's dead, a young man asks a rabbi to recite mourner's prayer for him - The Times of Israel

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Posted By admin on May 8, 2021

Rabbi Haim Druckman, one of the most influential religious-Zionist rabbinical leaders, has once again ruled out a coalition including the Religious Zionist Party that would be backed and supported by the Ra'am Islamist party.

Druckman said the government should be based on Jews and not others, adding It is not others who should coronate our government in reference to Ra'am or the other Arab parties, although added that the Religious Zionist Party seeks to help all citizens of the state.

Druckman was speaking following a meeting of several of the most senior religious-Zionist rabbis following Taus letter and reported pressure from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on them to agree to a minority government backed by Ra'am.

It is the position of the rabbis as a result of the discussion we had is that we are sticking to the position not to use the Ra'am Party to establish a government, this has not changed, it would be a big mistake to bring in Ra'am."

Druckmans comments and the decision of the rabbis would appear to put the final nail in the coffin in Netanyahus efforts to form a government with his current mandate, which ends tomorrow.

On Sunday night, Tau wrote that he would support the formation of a minority right-wing government backed externally by the Ra'am Islamist party.

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The ultra-conservative rabbi said relying on the support of non-Jews for a coalition would be a desecration of Gods name, but that a government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would be a sanctification of Gods name that outweighed the desecration.

Tau, the president of the hardline Har Hamor religious-Zionist yeshiva, wrote in his letter that a government formed by the opposition bloc, which he termed the radical, progressive Left would annul the Nation-State Law, declare the State of Israel to be a state of all its citizens, instead of a Jewish state, harm the IDF, and advance post-modern ideas and separate religion and state.

Relying on non-Jews to form a government is a great desecration of Gods name, wrote Tau.

However, lending a hand to the destructive, abolishing the State of Israel as a Jewish state and all that this entails is a terrible desecration of Gods name.

On the contrary, the success of setting up a government that will care for the good of Israel, that will take care of the holy things of Israel, is a greater sanctification of Gods name, and a sanctification of Gods is greater than a desecration of Gods name.

Anyone who thinks of forming such a government which would endanger the Jewish state will bear the mark of Cain until the end of his life, said the party in a statement to the press.

MK Bezalel Smotrich clarified the matter last night to the prime minister at their meeting and even made it clear to him that he will use all the tools at his disposal to ensure that such a government is not formed in any circumstance, and on either side of the political map.

It is very unfortunate that Prime Minister Netanyahu, who has declared above all that he will in no way form a government with supporters of terrorism, is working tirelessly to form just such a government.

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Rabbi Druckman: Gov't should be based on Jews, not others, no Ra'am - The Jerusalem Post

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Posted By admin on May 8, 2021

When I interviewed Rabbi Marc Schneier in December last year, he made a prediction that the rift among the GCC states would be mended very soon. By the next time we spoke, inMarch, that prediction had borne fruit with Qatar normalising relations with the other Gulf states.

Resolving conflicts and promoting greater harmony is a subject close to the rabbis heart whether that is across faiths or beyond borders. And thats a journey he has been on for several years now.

A pioneer in building Jewish-Muslim relations, the rabbi started working on bridging ties between the two faiths way back in 2005. My sole objective, since 2005, has been to find the path to narrow the divide the chasm between 1.6 billion Muslims and 16 million Jews. And thank God its been an extraordinary journey. Im not going to represent that wehave arrived at the final destination of Muslim-Jewish relations, but the good news is that the journey has begun, and weve had so many successes along the way, he says.

A key element of spreading this message has been the book, Sons of Abraham, co-authored by Rabbi Schneier and Imam Shamsi Ali, which revolves around a candid conversation on the issues that divide and unite Jews and Muslims. The book, which features a foreword by former US President Bill Clinton, talks about how Rabbi Schneier, who grew up deeply suspicious of Muslims, and Imam Shamsi Ali, who believed that all Jews wanted to destroy Muslims, managed to overcome their prejudices and become friends.

[The first time] we met I barely looked at him, you know, I had this certain hesitation when it came to Muslims. But we were on the set together [for a TV panel discussion] and then we decided to have lunch. And the rest is history, the rabbi says.

To further champion the need for interfaith dialogue and greater understanding, the two religious leaders decided to write the book.

It was very, very important for us to be an author on this subject, to gain greater credibility and legitimacy, and most importantly, to disseminate the message of the book that as the children of Abraham, we share a common fate and how our single destiny must strengthen our bonds of concern, compassion and caring for each other. I felt it was very importantto write a book of what would become the definitive text in Muslim-Jewish relations, the rabbi states.

GCC TIESThe rabbi was also a pioneer when it came to developing ties with the GCC region, having established connections with the late King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia 12 years ago. That led to introductions with the heads of state in Bahrain and Qatar.

I think my challenge at the time was not Muslim Jewish relations, it was more Gulf-Israel relations. For 12 years, I helped to sensitise Gulf leaders and Muslim faith leaders that Israel for the Jewish people is not a political issue, its a religious one. So if you want to have an authentic dialogue with the Jewish people, you cant ask to bifurcate Israel from Judaism.

Not everyone necessarily wanted to hear what I was saying, but they did go through a process of acknowledgement. And I think that greatly contributed to the Abraham Accords because, theres the political platform and I headed up the interfaith platform in a region such as the Gulf, which is so steeped in religion, you cannot move this process forward without having the approval and the support of the religious leadership of the region. So I think that in some small way, my contribution to the Abraham Accords was my constant, and very tenacious, promotion of Israel, not as a political issue but as a religious one, he explains.

CHANGING OUTLOOKWhile the Abraham Accords, signed by the UAE and Bahrain with Israel in August last year has already led to several joint projects and collaborations, it has also opened up the GCC to the wider Jewish community worldwide.

Rabbi Marc Schneier recalls how in what was another historic first he brought members of his Hampton Synagogue from New York to Bahrain in February 2018 following an invitation from King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain to forge better relations between Muslims and Jews. The trip marked the first ever Jewish congregational missionto a GCC state.

The visit proved to be overwhelming for his congregation, the rabbi says, and he is now keen to bring them again to other parts of the GCC, once the Covid-19 crisis passes.

There are great opportunities, and the objective is clear we will use the Hampton synagogue as a springboard to challenge other Jewish congregations to follow suit and to look to the Gulf as a prime destination, particularly before they go to Israel, he says, adding there is already tremendous interest among other congregations.

Weve already established the plan and the structure for these trips. The problem is that Americans are still not travelling because of Covid-19. I think once everything passes, the sky is the limit in terms of Jewish travel, he adds.

The UAE has seen close to 150,000 Israeli visitors since the Accords were signed last year, which reflects the natural bonding between the two peoples.

People have asked me, Why do you say its like a love-fest in Dubai, between the Israelis and the Emiratis? My feeling is that when it comes to Muslim-Jewish relations, there is a unique bond, theres a familial chord, were family. So I dont necessarily see hundreds and thousands of Jews coming to the Gulf as something new, as much as its a reunificationof family. There are no two other faith communities in the world that can point to the commonality that Muslims and Jews share. And I think thats the underlying foundation that has led to a very natural love-fest that we are now witnessing in Dubai.

Looking ahead, I ask him to make his next prediction.

My prediction is that the other Gulf states, the Saudis, the Qataris and the Omanis even the Kuwaitis will normalise ties with Israel. But the caveat will be that there will be some Israeli-Palestinian engagement working towards a permanent solution to the conflict. And I think that that will be the great contribution of US President Joe Biden, because he has the sensitivity and the empathy. He will make Israeli-Palestinian engagement a priority, he states.

So I think that we will now see even more of the Gulf states joining the very bold and courageous moves made by the UAE and Bahrain. And then well have the domino effect across the entire region.

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Posted By admin on May 8, 2021

To the editor:

(re: Weiss never speaks for me, but Bowman often does, April 29)

It is not common to see an Orthodox Jew praise U.S. Rep. Jamaal Bowman, especially in the pages of The Riverdale Press.

Whats really going on here? I have no idea whether Mr. Eisens I apologize if its Rabbi Eisen opinion of Rabbi Avi Weiss is correct or not.

Rather, it is his praise in the Point of View of U.S. Rep. Bowman that piqued my curiosity.

And then it hit me: the Satmar reference and the Palestinian pain. In this regard, Mr. Eisen and attention, U.S. Rep. Bowman, this is critical for you to understand is a member of a sect of Hasidic Jews that does not believe that Israel is a legitimate country, and refuses to recognize its existence.

They are vehemently anti-Zioinist, and pray for the destruction of the state of Israel.

Members of the Satmar sect generally believe in this and their offshoot, Neturei Karta, is the theological leader of the anti-Zionist (anti-Israel) Hasidic movement. To my knowledge, the only Hasidic group supporting the existence of the state of Israel is the Lubavitch.

So U.S. Rep. Bowman, beware of some peoples motives who support you. In this case, there is no doubt of the sincere nature of Mr. Eisens praise of you. It just comes along with virulent anti-Zionist actually wishing for the destruction of the state of Israel baggage.

Steve Gleit

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Posted By admin on May 8, 2021

In this weeks new episode of Sydney to the Max, both of their best friends turn 13. Titled The Bat Mitzvah Planner, Sydneys story finds her helping Olive plan for her special day while Max in the past tries to make Leos birthday special. Heres a recap of both sides of this episodes story.

(Disney Channel)

Sydneys Story

Olive comes into Reynolds Rides with her mom and Max tells her how excited he is for her bat mitzvah. She tells him her theme is Doo-Wop Days, inspired by a musical TV show from the 1950s. Talking all about her plans, she tells Sydney that shes going to have food served on spinning vinyl records. Grandma Judy walks in wearing a poodle skirt, saying its what shes wearing to DJ the event. But when the rest of the amigas show up, Sophia tells Olive the bad news: Another girl had the exact same theme at her bat mitzvah last Saturday, food served on vinyl records and all.

At Olives house, Olive is upset and her mom reminds her that the important part of her bat mitzvah is the ceremony, not the party theme. The amigas promise to help Olive come up with a new theme, but everything they suggest has been done recently. She sadly hugs her stuffed llama and Sydney suggests the theme be A Night in Peru so she can have a llama theme. Olive is excited, telling them that they have 4 days to retheme the event, but then realizes that she will be busy with meetings with her rabbi and writing her speech. Shes nervous that they will be able to pull it off, but the amigas are on board with helping her out.

Sydney planned to meet Olive at her temple to help her party plan after her rabbi meeting, but Olive isnt there. The rabbi invites Sydney into her office and explains why a bat mitzvah is so important, representing a young adult stepping into the community and becoming responsible for making the world a better place. She tells Sydney that Olive is expected to read a section from the Torah and then give a speech about how it is relevant to her own life. She tells Sydney that for some kids, the party that surrounds the ceremony becomes more important than the ceremony itself, but Sydney says Olive wouldnt do that. Her phone rings and she steps into the hall to hear Olive telling her that she wont make it to meet with the rabbi because shes visiting party supplies stores to find llama stuff. She asks Sydney to tell the rabbi for her.

The next day at Reynolds Rides, Olive comes in excited because she found yamakas with llamas on them. Sydney tells her about her conversation with the rabbi and that she needs to focus on the ceremony too.Trustme, Syd, Ive got it under control, Olive tells her, but then confesses that she hasnt written her speech yet. Shes planning to do it that afternoon but when Grandma Judy comes in wearing a llama costume, her new DJ outfit, Olive asks where she got it and Judy tells her the name of the party supplies store, saying they had a lot of llama decorations. Olive runs out to grab her mom to take her to the store.

That evening, Sydney goes to Olives house and finds her room full of llama decorations, including llama glow sticks. Its raining outside and Olive talks about her rain contingency plan. Sydney asks about her speech and Olive grabs a printed paper, saying she wrote it about how her party theme was stolen but now she gets a better party. Sydney tells her she doesnt think that is deep enough for her bat mitzvah, but Olive disagrees.

Its the day of Olives bat mitzvah and shes over at Sydneys house with her mom, with everyone helping stuff goodie bags. Her mom thanks Max and Judy for helping, saying her husband and sons are away at a hockey tournament and will get home just in time for the bat mitzvah. But when the rain starts to thunder, Olives mom gets a phone call from the rabbi telling her that roads are flooded and she wont be able to make it for the bat mitzvah.

Olive is upset and her mom says they will reschedule, but she insists that it takes a year to book a venue. Max tells Olive about his 18th birthday party which coincided with the biggest snowfallin the history of Portland. Sydney suggests that they keep her bat mitzvah date and do it online, with her mom saying she has all of the decoration in her trunk. Sydney takes the guest list to contact everyone and send them an evite.

Holding her bat mitzvah virtually, the rabbi is on a screen behind Olive as all of her guests watch on screens, including her dad and brothers. The rabbi says shes proud of Olives strength, determination and courage not to delay her bat mitzvah. Olives Torah passage is about Leah, a girl who found strength in the worst of times. She talks about how she almost couldnt have her bat mitzvah, but her friends and family came together to make it happen. Instead of gifts, she asks everyone to donate to a local relief fund for people impacted by the storm.

After the party, Olive changes into a sparkly dress and finds the living room decorated with llamas. The screen with the rabbi now has a real llamma on a live stream in front of a sign that says Mazel Tov Olive. Its llamazing!, Olive tells them as Judy plays a llama song and they all dance.

Maxs Story

Max commends Leo on getting a nice boombox as a top prize at the arcade, asking his best friend what he wants to do on Saturday for his 13th birthday. Turning on the radio, they hear that MC Gavel is in town and will be filming a music video on Saturday. Theres going to be a contest and the winner will get to meet him on set. They decide to try to win the contest, doing the Gavel Time dance.

In the living room waiting for the contest, Judy makes peanut butter sandwiches for the boys, saying its Brain food. When its time to call, Leo uses the landline and keeps getting a busy signal. Max runs to get Judys cell phone to see if he can get through while Leo continues to redial. Taking a bite of sandwich, Leo gets through and becomes caller number 10, but with peanut butter on the roof of his mouth, the radio host cant understand his answer and they go to the next caller.

Back at the arcade, Leo is bummed and nothing Max suggests will cheer him up, not even going to the movies and getting pizza for his birthday. Max suggests that they go to the place where the music video is being filmed and try to meet MC Gavel anyway. Leo agrees to try it with him.

Finding a bouncer guarding the door, Max pretends that theyre the contest winners and he tells them the winners are already inside. He tells them hes heard every excuse in the book, including that its a birthday, and hes not letting them in. Max then tells him that Leo was the first caller number 10 but he got peanut butter stuck to the roof of his mouth and the host couldnt understand him. The bouncer laughs, saying hes never heard that before and he goes inside to see if he can get them in. When he returns, he tells them that he can let just one of them in. Max tells Leo to have a great time, telling him he would be happier knowing that Leo got to meet MC Gavel. Thanks Max, youre a great friend, Leo tells him as he does the Gave Time dance on his way in.

Sydney to the Maxwill return on May 14th with a new episode called Man! I Feel Like a Genius. Heres the official episode description from Disney Channel:

When Olive is moved into an advanced math class, Syd pushes to be in the same class but quickly realizes math isnt really her strongest subject. Back in the 90s, Max retires his skateboard for roller skates to impress Alisha, but he doesnt know how to skate.

Alex has been blogging about Disney films since 2009 after a lifetime of fandom. He joined the Laughing Place team in 2014 and covers films across all of Disneys brands, including Star Wars, Marvel, and Fox, in addition to books, music, toys, consumer products, and food. You can hear his voice as a member of the Laughing Place Podcast and his face can be seen on Laughing Places YouTube channel where he unboxes stuff.

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TV Recap: "Sydney to the Max" - Sydney Helps Olive Overhaul Her Big Day in "The Bat Mitzvah Planner" - LaughingPlace.com -...

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Posted By admin on May 8, 2021

A stampede at a religious festival attended by tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews in northern Israel killed at least 44 people and injured about 150 early Friday, medical officials said. (April 30) AP Domestic

A funeral held Sunday for Donny Morris, the 18-year-old Bergenfield man killed during a deadly religious event in Israel, drew tens of thousands of viewers still reeling from the Middle Eastern tragedy last week.

In a nighttime ceremony livestreamed from Israel, speakers paid homage to Morris in a mix of Hebrew and English, remembering the Bergenfield teen as an angelic, pure soul who dedicated his last days to studying his faith abroad. A sea of students, rabbis and other holy leaders were seen gathered before the Yeshivat Shaalvim, the Jewish boys' school in Israelwhere Morris spent his final months.

People gather around candles during a vigil in memory of the 45 ultra-Orthodox Jews killed in a stampede at a religious festival in northern Israel on Friday, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Sunday, May 2, 2021.The stampede early Friday had cut short the annual festival of Lag BaOmer on Israel's Mount Meron.The festival had drawn some 100,000 people in the largest gathering. It was one of the country's deadliest civilian disasters. (Photo: Oded Balilty, AP)

In addition to the thousands in Israel who attended the service, organizers estimated that 34,000 people around the globe tuned in to watch.

Our hearts are broken, Rabbi Yechiel Morris, the teens uncle, told the crowd. He was a mensch of the highest order.

Morris, a Bergen County native, was studying in Israel during a gap year after graduating from the Marsha Stern Talmudical Academy in Manhattan. Last week he was among the 100,000 Jews who made the holy pilgrimage to Mount Meron for Lag BaOmer, a festival celebrated each year at the foot of the mountain in Israel.

There, a stampede broke out early Friday, killing 45 people including Morris and injuring hundreds more in what Israel officials called one of the worst civilian disasters in the nations history.

I have so many questions butlittle to no answers,"Mirlana Morris, his mother, said through tears in a eulogy onSunday."But what I do know for sure is that you were loved by so many."

Morris was laid to rest Sundayin the Mount of Olives, the ancient cemetery in Jerusalem.

Other North Jersey natives who traveled to Mount Meron last week reacted with horror at the chaos that unfolded.

Shlomo Katz, an Israeli rabbi born in Englewood, said members of his synagogue drove in a minivan toLag BaOmer, a celebration of the life of the ancient mystic Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. The event, Katz said, is the"most joyous day of the year in Israel, and the largest Jewish gathering of the year."

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But their joy quickly turned to fear,when they were forced to pull over and abort their journey as "ambulance after ambulance after ambulance" sped past them,Katz said.

"We knew something devastating had happened, but we didn't imagine anything close to what it actually was," hesaid.

Katz had met Morris a year ago when the teen visited his aunt and uncle, who are members of his Israeli congregation.It wasn't until the returnhome from Mount Meronthat he learned whathappened, and that Morris was among the victims, Katz said.

Schoolmasters, rabbis and family members remembered Morris on Sunday as someone who lit up every room.He had a reputation among his peersfor making everyonefeel like a friend, and was sensitive to the needs of everyone around him.

Ari Morris, his father, said his son maintained his interests in baseball and golf even during the rigors of his studies abroad.

You made the most of your life, Morris' father said Sunday.You were always looking to do more, to be more.

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Katz, the Israeli rabbi,said Morris' auntwent from hospital to hospital to find her nephew after the disaster, to no avail. He was present whenMorris' relativesgot a call to come to the infamous morgue in Tel Aviv, Abu Kabir, to which he accompanied them.

Though Katz didn't know Morris well, he said he learned a lot about him during the "dreadful ride" to Abu Kabir.

"He had incredible dedication and had his priorities straight," Katz said.

He said the joy of Morris'faith lights up his face in the photo taken of him moments before his death.

"Every little dot is a person in what must be one of the most eerie photos that exist," Katzsaid. "They were all in bliss."

Staff Writer Julia Martin contributed to this story.

Tom Nobile covers Superior Court in Bergen County for NorthJersey.com.For unlimited access to the most important news from criminal trials to local lawsuitsand insightful analysis,please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email:nobile@northjersey.com

Twitter:@tomnobile

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