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28 février Sweden treats Israel as pariah nation - Tennis world does nothingAttention and action urgently needed - The official biographer of Pete
Sampras writes in his ESPN blog - Closed-door decision an obvious political stunt (http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=3940488&name=bodo_peter) Posted by Peter Bodo, TENNIS.com The decision by Sweden to hold the Davis Cup tie with Israel (next weekend) in Malmo, a city with a supercharged political atmosphere, was unfortunate, if understandable. What is not comprehensible is why the Swedish Tennis Federation or the International Tennis Federation (of which Sweden is a member) hasn't stepped in to act on two important fronts as this tie approaches: 1. To diffuse the developing situation by moving the tie to a less dangerous location in Sweden -- or elsewhere. 2. To ensure the safety of the players and protect the integrity of Davis Cup. Here's the problem: Malmo has a significant Muslim population and a left-leaning civic leadership that is angry at Israel. Therefore, they've decided to hold the tie behind closed doors -- meaning, no spectators allowed -- under the laughable claim that they can't provide adequate security. Get this: The tie will be played in the easily controlled, indoor environment of the Baltic Hall, which has a capacity (4,077) smaller than that of some junior college gyms. There can be only one reason for how this has come about: The town fathers in Mal mo, and perhaps the leadership of the Swedish federation itself, desperately wants this tie to be controversial -- wants to see it played behind closed doors, in order to somehow suggest that Israel is a pariah nation -- thereby advancing anti-Israel sentiment. Malmo is bracing for an influx of demonstrators against Israel, which also plays right into the hands of those who wish to embarrass Israel. What could be better, in terms of advancing the agenda, than having streets full of demonstrators and a visiting nation that can't be allowed to show its flag? This is a crude and astonishing example of using the Davis Cup as a political football. You have to be pretty naïve to deny that it's impossible to keep tennis and politics entirely apart. But you must try, and this is a case of everyone sitting on their hands as a huge storm gathers. The other day, U.S. Davis Cup captain Pat McEnroe was asked about this controversy, and this is part of what he said: "I think you would like to see the match being played, and if there are some security concerns, you would like to see the home country be able to address them. I don't think you should let a couple fanatics or whatever it is dictate having an event open to the public. "We should all remember Davis Cup came into existence to promote friendship between countries. That's what it's all about. Obviously com petition is huge, but at the end of the day, you respect your opponent and you respect playing for your own country and the countries you compete against. We've always tried … to accentuate that this is two countries playing in the right spirit. That's, to me, what Davis Cup is all about." To find some attitional info in a good IHT article click http://www.iht.com/articles/2009/02/23/europe/politicus.3-436158.php. For ITF official Davis cup response click http://www.daviscup.com/news/newsarticle.asp?articleid=15650 (2) NEWS ALERT: ISRAEL 3rd of Adar 5769 - Fri, Feb/27/09(2) NEWS ALERT: ISRAEL 3rd of Adar 5769
Friday 27th February 2009
27 février This Purim, Flip Your Lid - Shabbat Shalom from the OU - Parshat Terumah
[Chabad.org] The Parshah in a Nutshell (Terumah) - Shabbat shalom to ALL!
Haftorahman for Shabbat Terumah by: Reuben Ebrahimoff
King Shlomo (Solomon) constructs the Bait Hamikdash
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Parshas Terumah
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Supporting the Supporter "Take for me an offering" (Shemos 25:2) The donations requested of Bnei Yisrael for the construction of the Mishkan are described as being taken rather than given. What does that mean? Moreover, Hashem is the Master of the Universe and all that it contains. Did He need contributions and materials from human beings to construct His Mishkan? The purpose of the contributions was to enable Bnei Yisrael to participate in the construction of the Mishkan. Thus the giving was in fact a receiving - "Take for me an offering." The nesi'im, the heads of the tribes, responded to the call for contributions for the Mishkan by declaring that they would donate what was still needed after the rest of Bnei Yisrael gave all that they could. In the end, all that was left to bring were the precious stones for the Ephodand the Choshen, the oil and the spices for the incense and the Menorah. The nesi'im were censured for conducting themselves in this manner and the yud was removed their title inVayakhel (32:27). Since they were prepared to contribute whatever was necessary, no matter how great and did in fact contribute valuable items to the Mishkan, the question remains, however, why were they censured? The Nesi'im misunderstood the purpose of the giving. There was no deficit to be made up. Hashem has no deficit. The giving was an opportunity for self-development, the purifircation of one's soul through attachment to a holy undertaking. Approaching the mitzah as if God needs our contributions was ludicrous. The Gemara (Bava Basra 10a) relates that the wicked Turnus Rufus once asked R' Akiva, "If your God loves the poor so much, Why then doesn't He provide for them?" R' Akiva responded that Hashem could easily provide personally for the poor but he chose to give us the merit of giving Tzedaka to save us from Gehinnom. For this reason, says the Midrash (Rus Rabbah 5:9), the poor man does more for the rich man than the rich man does for the poor man. When Naomi asked Ruth who had provided Ruth with the food she brought home that day, Ruth answered, "The man I did for today was named Boaz." Boaz provided her with what Hashem could have provided Himself but she provided him with a mitzvah - a chance to be God-like by giving to another. In this light, we can understand the words of Rambam in his commentary to the Mishnahin Pirkei Avos(3:19), "All is judged according to the number of deeds."Rambam explains that it is better to give one dollar of charity one hundred times, than one hundred dollars one time. The more times a person acts in a way that is meritorious and God-like, the more he conditions himself to the performance of mitzvos and purifies his neshama. Tzedaka is not performed for the poor person's sake, but rather to enable the giver to emulate Hashem and merit Olam Haba. So, too, with respect to the support of Torah institutions, as the Chafetz Chaim explains the verse in Mishlei (3:18) "Etz chaim he lamachazikim bah - It is a tree of life for those who grasp it and its supporters are praiseworthy." The word lehachazik means both to support and to cling or to grasp. Hashem could provide for the Torah institutions without any human help but He chooses to funnel His support through human agents. Those agents must realize that their "support" for Torah is in fact support for themselves. When they recognize that, they will cling to their support for Torah institutions as one clings to a log in a raging river. For them, then, their support is a tree of life. Those who think that they are in fact supporting the Torah will also be rewarded - as Hashem does not deny reward for any good deed- but for them Torah is not a tree of life. The Chafetz Chaim himself was once approached by a wealthy benefactor who offered to underwrite the entire operating expenses of his yeshiva in Radin. He politely refused. "I cannot permit you to monopolize the merit for supporting my yeshiva and thereby deprive others of an opportunity to do so," he told the man. Thebadim, the staves with which the Aaron Kodesh was carried, represent the supporters of Torah. They are an intrinsic part of the Torah community, inseparable from the Torah scholars, just as the staves could not be removed from the Aaron. But those who carried the Aaron were miraculously lifted off the ground and literally carried by the Aaron itself. Their apparent support was in reality that which supported them. After his marriage, Rabbi Eliezer Gordon, the founder of the Telshe Yeshiva, was supported by his father-in-law, Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Neviezer, so that he could decote himself fully to Torah learning and develop into a gadol. As his family began to grow, and he was offered various rabbinical positions, Reb Eliezer sought to relieve his father-in-law of this financial burden. He asked his permission to accept a rabbinincal position and begin to support himself. Despite difficult financial times, Reb Avraham Yitzchak refused to permit him to do so. When Reb Avraham Yitzchak's wife asked him how long he intended to support their daughter and son-in-law's family, he responded, "My dear wife, who knows who is supporting whom..." Finally the prestigious rabbinical position in Eisheshok was offered to Reb Eliezer, and his father-in-law could no longer detain him. The day after the Gordon family left for Eisheshok, Reb Avraham Yitzchak was niftar. It then became clear who had been supporting whom. In this light, we can appreciate the significance of the deletion of the "yud" from the title of the nesi'im. With a "yud", the word nesi'im denotes "those that carry". Without the "yud", the vowels can be rearranged to read "nis'aim"- those that are carried. The "yud" was removed to instruct them that, though they viewed themselves as making up the shortfall, they were in reality being carried by the merit of the mitzvah. Chazal tell us that we will be redeemed through the merit of tzedakah. May we recognize the great oppurtunity offered us when we are called upon to support Torah institutuions and the poor, and thereby merit redemtion. Chasidic Insights by Zvi Akiva Fleisher - Parshas Terumah
CHASIDIC INSIGHTS PARSHAS TRUMOH 5769 (from 5763) BS"D
Ch. 25, v. 8: "V'shochanti b'sochom" - I will rest in the hearts of those who donate for the Mishkon with a full heart. (Rabbi Shlomo of Radomsk in Tiferes Shlomo) Ch. 25, v. 18: "V'osiso shnayim K'RUVIM" - Rashi says that the k'ruvim had the faces of children. In Breishis 3:24 on the words "es haK'RUVIM" Rashi says that they were angels of destruction. Why the change in meaning of the word K'RUVIM? When they are connected to the Torah, the Ten Commandments etched into the tablets housed in the Holy Ark, they remain innocent young children. When not connected to the Torah, they turn into angels of destruction. (Rabbi M. M. Epstein Baal Oruch Hashulchon) Ch. 25, v. 28: "V'niso VoM es hashulchon" - The showbread table symbolizes the table in our home. It is the conduit for sustenance. Through "BoM" the table is elevated. The letters of "BoM" are an acronym for both Birkas Motzi and Birkas Mozone, which elevate the sanctity of our table in our home. (Rabbi Noach Mindes in Niflo'os Chadoshos) The mishnoh in Pirkei Ovos 3:4 says that if three people eat at a table and there are no words of Torah discussed among them, it is as if they partook of sacrifices offered to idols, as per Yeshayohu 28:8. If they discuss words of Torah then it is as if they ate from Hashem's table, as per Yechezkel 41:22. The gemara Yoma 19b derives from the words "v'dibarto BoM" (Dvorim 6:7) that one should discuss Torah matters and not outside matters. We can thus say that one's table will be elevated through "BoM," discussion of Torah matters at the meal. (Nirreh li) Ch. 25, v. 31: "Mikshoh tei'o'seh hamenorah - The menorah symbolizes the oral Torah. It is created through questions, "mikshoh," and answers, "kushyos v'sirutzim." (Rabbi Noson of Breslov in Toras Noson) Alternatively, only one who does not coddle and pamper himself will merit to shine with the light of the Torah. (Nirreh li) Ch. 25, v. 40: "U'r'ei va'a'sei .. asher attoh mo'reh bohor" - See and make yourself as you have been shown THROUGH the mountain, Har Sinai. Just as it symbolizes humbleness, as it is a small mountain, so too, you should learn to make yourself humble. (Rabbi Eliezer of Vizhnitz in Da'mesek Eliezer) Ch. 25, v. 40: "U'r'ei va'a'sei .. asher attoh mo'reh bohor" - See and make yourself as you have TRADED, as in the word form "tmuroh," by Har Sinai. Upon accepting a commitment to the Torah you have traded in pursuit of physicality for a spiritual existence. See, "u'r'ei," to do, "va'a'sei," to do so. (Nirreh li) Ch. 26, v. 6: "V'hoyoh haMishkon echod" - The Mishkon will come into existence through the unity of the bnei Yisroel. (Rabbi Noson of Breslov in Toras Noson) Ch. 26, v. 35: "V'es ha'menorah nochach hashulchon" - One should be continuously aware that the pursuit of income, symbolized by the shulchon, should be for the purpose of Torah, symbolized by the menorah. (Rabbi Moshe Yechiel of Ozhrov) A GUTTEN SHABBOS KODESH. FEEDBACK IS APPRECIATED. FEEL FREE TO DISTRIBUTE BY COPY OR ELECTRONICALLY. TO SUBSCRIBE SEND REQUEST TO SHOLOM613@ROGERS.COM. What's Bothering Rashi? by Dr. Avigdor Bonchek - Parshas Terumah
Parashas Terumah(69) (from 5764)
Parashas Trumah details the preparations necessary for the building of the Mishkan - Israel's Sanctuary as they traveled through the desert. There is a dispute between the Talmudic Sages and, as a consequence, between the Torah commentaries, when the commandments for the Mishkan were given to Moses. One opinion (the Ramban, for example) has it that the Mishkan was commanded before the sin of the Goden Calf (as is the order of the sedras - Trumah comes before Ki Sisa, where the sin of the Golden Calf is mentioned). The other opinion (Rashi, see Exodus 31:18) claims that the Mishkan laws came afterwards, and thus not in accordance with the order of the sedras - because as the Sages have said "ain mukdam oh m'uchar baTorah." There is no "early" or "later" in the Torah - which means that chronological sequence is not always adhered to in the Torah. Rashi's view, that the laws and the conception of the Mishkan itself, came after the sin of the Golden Calf, would lead to the idea that the Mishkan was offered as an atonement for that Sin, and perhaps may never have been given had the People not sinned. The necessity of having some concrete manifestation of G-d on earth, among the People (in the form of a Sanctuary) was seen as a necessity only once they had sinned by making the Calf. This showed their need for some physical presence of the Almighty that they could relate to. The Ramban, on the other hand, saw the creation of the Mishkan as unrelated to this sin and independent of it. The need to relate to a spiritual entity (G-d) is an inherent human need. This need existed long before the sin of the Golden Calf. That sin was but a distortion of this normal and acceptable human striving for the spiritual that can, in some way, be "grasped" by flesh and blood mortals. In light of the above, let us look at a brief Rashi-comment Exodus 25:8 "And they shall make for Me a Sanctuary and I will dwell in their midst." RASHI And they shall make for Me: RASHI: They shall make for My name's sake a House of Holiness. WHAT IS RASHI SAYING? Rashi adds but one crucial word (in the Hebrew) "for My name's sake." He changes "for Me" to "for My name's sake." Why would you say he did this? What is bothering him? Your Answer: WHAT IS BOTHERING RASHI? An Answer: Rashi sensed that one doesn't make a Sanctuary for G-d. He neither needs it nor could He possibly reside in it. As King Solomon said when he dedicated the Temple (Kings I, 8:27) "Would G-d truly dwell on earth? Behold the heavens and the highest heavens cannot contain You, and surely not the Temple that I have built." So Rashi had to interpret the Hebrew word "li" not as "for Me" but in another way. UNDERSTANDING RASHI Rashi reinterpreted the word "li" to mean "for My name's sake." Otherwise it would make no sense. Rashi also adds the words "a house of holiness" as a substitute for the Hebrew Mikdash (Sanctuary). This may be necessary to make explicit what the word Mikdash means here. Since the pagans also had their "holy places" but their worship in these places was far from holy. They were often places of "holy" prostitution or other kinds of scatological rituals. We needn't study history to be aware that pagan acts of "holiness" that can include such audacities, insanities and blasphemies as suicides bombers and wanton murderers. We need only read today's newspapers! In clear distinction from such perverse behaviors done in the name of some sick god-idea, Hashem's House was to be a place of pure holiness, where human beings elevated themselves and in the process, elevated the whole world with them. This is the purpose of the Yom Kippur ceremonies performed in this Sanctuary. In fact, according to Rashi, the laws of the Mishkan were given the day after the first Yom Kippur. Shabbat Shalom, Avigdor Bonchek What's Bothering Rashi?" is a production of "The Institute for the Study of Rashi." Morsels of Hebrew Gramar by Dr. Meshullam Klarberg - Parshas Terumah
Parasha Terumah from 5763
To be read with a Kamatz Katan (for those communities which have a distinct pronunciation for Kamatz Katan) me'oddamim (Exod. 25:5) ('reddened') Minchat Shai (16th cent.) writes that the Alef has a real Kamatz and it is short because of the Dagesh [in the letter] following, and all similar occurrences of this word. This means that one should read the Alef with an [o] (even in communities which read most occurrences of Kamatz as [a] or [aa]). There is a Dagesh Chazak in the Dalet, and Dagesh Chazak doubles the pronunciation of the letter making it sound as though there were two Dalet-s (without any other sound between them). The first Dalet completes the first syllable 'me'od-' and the second Dalet opens the following syllable. A syllable with a consonant at its end is called a 'closed syllable.' The stress in this word occurs on the last syllable '-mim,' as a result 'me'od-' is a closed unaccented syllable. A closed unaccented syllable takes a short vowel (battim 'houses' is an exception). Therefore the Kamatz 'me'od-' must be a short vowel - that is to say a Kamatz Katan. * * * * The accurate translation veshachanti betocham (Exod. 25:8) Onkelos translates ve'ashre shechinati benehon ('and I will cause My presence to dwell among them' - in the Aramaic the form of the word 'among' is plural - Onkelos adds the words 'cause my presence to' as part of his practice of distancing the text from anything which could be interpreted as attributing physical existence to G-d.). Similarly the Arabic translation, by R' Saadya Gaon, has the plural form of the word for 'among,' (R' Y. Kapah Chumash Torat Chaim, Mosad HaRav Kook). R' O. Sforno comments 'I will dwell benehem ("among" - plural) them.' Even though the word betoch has a singular form the authorities have preferred to translate it as plural. This is because the Hebrew word betoch does not have a plural form and so the singular form serves both singular and plural (like 'sheep' in English); in this case the beginning of this verse states 'And they will make a sanctuary for Me,' the context is plural, so to maintain consistency the plural meaning is preferred. The correct translation of the verse then is 'And they will make a sanctuary for Me, and I will dwell among (plural) them.' * * * * What were the windows of the Temple like? chalonei shekufim atumim (I Kings 6:4) In The Holy Scriptures (Koren Publishers Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 1982) and in other translations, this phrase is translated 'windows wide without, and narrow within.' What is the source of this translation? The Targum 'Yonatan ben Uziel' states 'windows open on the inside and closed on the outside.' The correct reading of the Gemara which deals with this passage (Menachot, 86b), is subject to dispute. The Vilna edition states shekufin [mibifnim] ve'atumim [mibachutz] lo le'ora ani tzarich (Rashi - 'with a beam [on the inside] (making it narrower there) - I (G-d) have no need for lighting!'). This follows Rashi but is the opposite of the Targum. R' Shemuel Eliezer HaLevi Eidels (Maharsha) points out that according to this reading the meaning of the word atumim remains unexplained. Maharsha has shekufin mibachutz - accordingly the word shekufin is taken to mean 'visibility' and atumim means 'sealed;' hence wide outside and narrow inside. The underlying assumption of both readings is that to accommodate the spreading of light normal windows are narrower on the outside and become wider inside. However here the opposite was true; the Temple radiated light to the whole world. In his commentary on the Tenach on this verse, Rashi quotes the above Gemara. On the same verse R' David Kimche (Radak) points out that the Targum is opposite to the Gemara. R' Levi ben Gershom (Ralbag) quotes the Gemara and states that it is drash - an explanation intended to teach a lesson rather than a literal examination of the words. He adds that it has been demonstrated by geometric study that windows wider on the outside provide better light inside! He goes on to say that it seems to him that these may have been windows built only for decoration and sealed. He then suggests another possibility: the windows may have been sealed by sapphire-like material which does not prevent the light from entering, that is to say lass (glass?) in Loez. The above English translation follows the Gemara. However using ideas from Maharsha and Ralbag it may be suggested that shekufim means 'transparent' and atumim means 'sealed' so that 'windows transparent and sealed' would provide a very attractive solution to this obscure phrase. These comments have been put into book form for publication in English and Hebrew. Dedications are available for both books. I will be pleased to have comments on these notes on the Parasha. Good Shabbos, Meshullam Klarberg, 35/4 Meshech Chochma, Kiryat Sefer, Israel 71919 E-mail address: fredit@bezeqint.net Deiah VeDibur News - Parshas Terumah
DEIAH VEDIBUR - INFORMATION & INSIGHT
A Window Into the Chareidi World http://www.shemayisrael.com/chareidi/ PARSHAS TERUMAH 2 Adar 5769 - February 26, 2009 NEWS Rav Avrohom Kahaneman zt"l By S. Bruchi Led by gedolei Yisroel, rabbonim, roshei yeshivos and roshei kollelim, thousands of Yeshivas Ponovezh students and former students took part in the funeral for HaRav Avrohom Kahaneman zt"l, the Nosi of the yeshiva and the son of the founder and rosh yeshiva, HaRav Yosef Shlomo Kahaneman zt"l, on Tuesday 30 Shvat, 5769. Rav Kahaneman passed away Monday night at the age of 98 following a bout with pneumonia in addition to heart problems. http://chareidi.shemayisrael.com/TRM69arkahanmn.htm *********** Growing Interest in Aliya by Yated Ne'eman Staff Israeli consulates around the world have seen a dramatic rise in recent months in the number of Israelis applying to return to Israel. To boost the trend the Absorption Ministry and the Jewish Agency have decided to institute an innovative tax reform. According to Tax Authority Director-General Yehuda Nasradishi, the new tax program is specially suited to their needs and to the socioeconomic structure of new immigrants and returning residents. http://chareidi.shemayisrael.com/aaliyatrm69.htm *********** Controversy Over Yad Vashem Decision to Recognize German Officer as Righteous Gentile by Yated Ne'eman Staff A Yad Vashem committee reached a controversial decision to posthumously recognize German army officer Wilm Hosenfeld as a Righteous Gentile for saving the life of Jewish pianist Wladyslaw Szpilman. http://chareidi.shemayisrael.com/ayadvshmtrm69.htm *********** Bezeq Launches Kosher Revolution Campaign by R. Gil One year after launching its kosher line, Bezeq has decided the public is ready for the next phase. The Kav Venaki campaign directed by ad firm Afikim is off and running, announcing a kosher revolution by Bezeq that can reach every home. The move was fully coordinated with Vaadas HaRabbonim LeInyonei Tikshores and the technological platform was provided by Bezeq. http://chareidi.shemayisrael.com/TRM69abezeq.htm ************ Argentine Jews Hail Government Decision to Expel Holocaust-Denying Bishop By R. Hoffner Argentine Jews welcomed a decision by the Argentine government to expel Richard Williamson, a British bishop who claims that no more than 200,000-300,000 Jews perished in the Holocaust and that there were no gas chambers. http://chareidi.shemayisrael.com/abishoptrm69.htm ************ Why Has Borsalino Changed Hats? By R. Gil There's never a dull moment in the hat industry. Advertisers come and go, and some of them continue to go head to head only against competing slots. Totza'ot Efektiviot, the agency that just two months ago peacefully parted with 10-year client Ferster Hats, is already wearing a new, quality Borsalino hat. http://chareidi.shemayisrael.com/TRM69ahats.htm ************ OPINION & COMMENT ************ OBSERVATIONS ************ HOME & FAMILY ************ IN-DEPTH FEATURES ************ ______________________________________________________________________ All material on this site is copyrighted and its use is restricted. JWR TODAY: Worthless 'righteousness'; Glick: Entrapping Netanyahu ; Jonah, Greenberg, Charen + MUCH more --- Weekend of Feb. 27 - March 1, 2009
DER SPIEGEL INTERNATIONAL NEWSLETTER - Friday February 27, 2009
"Obama Budget Proposal Limits Charitable Deductions" - SPECIAL EDITION: OU-IPA Washington Wire Feb. 27, 2009 SPECIAL EDITION OU IPA Washington Wire February 27, 2009
JOIN THE OU-IPA IN ITS CALL FOR IMMEDIATE REMOVAL OF THE OBAMA BUDGET PROPOSAL LIMITING CHARITABLE DEDUCTIONS
“Even in good economic times, a proposal such as the one put forth in the President's budget would adversely affect America's charities. In these distressed times, in which charities are serving more people's needs while at the same time already suffering a dramatic downturn in donations, the proposal to reduce the rate of tax deductibility for contributions is a recipe for disastrous displacements and cuts in much-needed non-profit sector institutions and services.”
- Nathan Diament, OU Director of Public Affairs (February 26, 2009) Yesterday, the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, the nation's largest Orthodox Jewish umbrella organization, expressed grave concerns about one aspect of President Obama's federal budget proposal, which, the Orthodox Union says, will harm charities across the American landscape.
WE NEED YOUR HELP.
The OU-IPA has consulted with other Jewish non-profits from across the country and reached out to dozens of Members of Congress. The New York Times and the Jerusalem Post have highlighted our efforts, but we now need your voice to drive the point home. We need you to call Congress and tell them to: “MAINTAIN THE CURRENT RATE OF DEDUCTABILITY FOR CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTIONS” To be most effective, please call your Member of Congress and begin by commending President Obama and his administration for issuing such a candid and sincere budget plan which seeks to address so many of America's critical needs and concerns. However, please follow that up by saying that as a constituent you are very much concerned with the proposed limitations on the rate of deductibility for charitable contributions and would like to see the Obama administration maintain the current rate of deductibility immediately. Call (202) 225-3121 and ask for your Congressman.
If you reach a voicemail message, please do not hang up! Stay on the line and leave a message after the tone. It is very important, because Congressional offices track exactly how many people call on each issue and every single call makes a difference.
Links OU Defending Jerusalem Website Conference of Presidents' Daily Alert
If you know someone who'd like to receive the OU-IPA Washington Wire, please have them register at our registration page, http://ou.org/public/subscribe.htm, where you can also sign up for IPA Action Alerts, the OU's "Shabbat Shalom" weekly email, and receive information regarding other OU programs and projects. [Israel-infos.net] Lieberman pour un Etat palestinien - Vendredi 27 Février 2009
NEWS ALERT: ISRAEL 3rd of Adar 5769 - Fri, Feb/27/09NEWS ALERT: ISRAEL 3rd of Adar 5769
Friday 27th February 2009
26 février JWR TODAY: Obama's Intelligence choice shows profound lack of it; Emerson: Hamas Takes Advantage of U.S. Diplomacy; Hanson, Jacoby, Elder + MUCH more --- Feb. 26, 2009JWR TODAY: Obama's Intelligence choice shows profound lack of it; Emerson: Hamas Takes Advantage of U.S. Diplomacy; Hanson, Jacoby, Elder + MUCH more --- Feb. 26, 2009
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The intersection of faith, culture and politics Thursday, Feb. 26, 2009 *:-.,_,.-:*'``'*:-.,_,.-:*'``'*:-.,_,.-:**:-.,_,.-:*'``'*:-.,_,.-:* WE DID IT! As of 4: 44 am, the JWR fan page on Facebook had 1,072 fans! I'm hoping the number will continue to grow --- even without my nudging. <GRIN!> The next step for us as a "community" is to take advantage of what Facebook is offering. Among the features at http://tinyurl.com/bjbtt9 is a section called "Discussion boards." It's in the left (wide) column, at the bottom. ** If you see a JWR feature you'd like to start a "conversation" with fellow readers about, please post the article's headline WITH THE AUTHOR'S NAME. In the actual post, please include the article link (NOT the article) just in case a reader hasn't read the piece. I've been advised against leaving the "Discussion boards" open, given the nature of the 'Net. Maybe I'm too much of an optimist, but I think the JWR readership is mature and responsible. If not, we'll soon find out. If you haven't signed up for the "fan page", please go to http://tinyurl.com/bjbtt9 It takes but a few seconds. There's no cost or obligation. You'll be able to "experience" JWR at the "next level." In gratitude and friendship, Binyamin L. Jolkovsky Editor in Chief ~~~ QUOTE OF THE DAY "When a man mints coins --- they are all alike, but when the Creator mints people, each of them is uniquely different even though they all come from the same mold." -- Jewish Saying **<>**<>**<>**<>****<>**<>**<>**<>** [ J E W I S H L I V I N G ] ---> reality check Obama's Intelligence choice shows profound lack of it By Gabriel Schoenfeld President picks a China apologist and Israel basher to write his intelligence summaries http://www.jewishworldreview.com/0209/schoenfeld022609.php3 ---> war on jihad Hamas Takes Advantage of U.S. Diplomacy By Steven Emerson John Kerry becomes the first U.S. Senator to visit Gaza in years and Hamas officials capitalize with a faux goodwill gesture for global consumption. Details about the gesture, in the form of a letter to President Obama, remain unclear days later. What is clear is that the letter was conveyed to Kerry by United Nations workers and that, somehow, Hamas was able to learn of Kerry's visit in advance despite the fact it was not a part of the itinerary. http://jewishworldreview.com/0209/emerson022609.php3 *:-.,_,.-:*'``'*:-.,_,.-:*'``'*:-.,_,.-:**:-.,_,.-:*'``'*:-.,_,.-:* [ D A I L Y I N S P I R A T I O N ] "Taking Action" Thousands of years before the term "proactive" was coined by motivational experts, the Jewish Sages gave this indispensable tool for success a name. They called it "zerizus". "Zerizus" is the quality within us that fuels achievement, the trait that takes what we are capable of and turns it into real accomplishment. "Zerizus" is, in the words of author Rabbi Zelig Pliskin, the "joyful willpower" that we all need to make our dreams come true. TODAY: 'I Have a Million Projects To Work On', Part II http://jewishworldreview.com/inspiration/taking_action.php3 <^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^> [ W O R T H 1 0 0 0 W O R D S ] * Ripleys Believe It Or Not! http://www.jewishworldreview.com/strips/ripley/ripley.asp * Andy Capp http://www.jewishworldreview.com/strips/a_capp/a_capp.asp * 9 to 5 http://www.jewishworldreview.com/strips/9_to_5/9_to_5.asp * Bliss http://www.jewishworldreview.com/strips/bliss/bliss.asp * Bottom Liners http://www.jewishworldreview.com/strips/bottomliners/bottomliners.asp * The Born Loser http://www.jewishworldreview.com/strips/born_loser/born_loser.asp * Bound and Gagged http://jewishworldreview.com/strips/bound_and_gagged/b_and_g.asp * Flo & Friends http://www.jewishworldreview.com/strips/flo/flo.asp * Frank & Ernest http://www.jewishworldreview.com/strips/frank_and_ernest/frank_and_ernest.asp * The Grizzwells http://www.jewishworldreview.com/strips/grizzwells/grizzwells.asp * Herman http://www.jewishworldreview.com/strips/herman/herman.asp * Mallard Filmore http://www.jewishworldreview.com/strips/mallard/2000/mallard1.asp * Moderately Confused http://jewishworldreview.com/strips/moderately_confused/mc.asp * Momma http://www.jewishworldreview.com/strips/momma/momma.asp * One Big Happy http://www.jewishworldreview.com/strips/obh/obh1.asp * Prickly City http://www.jewishworldreview.com/strips/pc/prickly_city.asp * The Other Coast http://www.jewishworldreview.com/strips/toc/toc.asp * Shoe http://www.jewishworldreview.com/strips/shoe/shoe.asp * State of the Union http://www.jewishworldreview.com/strips/sou/sou.asp * The Wizard of Id http://www.jewishworldreview.com/strips/wiz/wiz.asp * Baloo http://www.jewishworldreview.com/strips/baloo/baloo.asp * Robert Arial http://www.jewishworldreview.com/toons/arial/arial022609.php3 * Chuck Asay http://www.jewishworldreview.com/toons/asay/asay022609.php3 * Lisa Benson http://www.jewishworldreview.com/toons/benson/benson022609.php3 * Chip Bok http://www.jewishworldreview.com/toons/bok/bok022609.php3 * John Cole http://www.jewishworldreview.com/toons/cole/cole022609.php3 * John Deering http://www.jewishworldreview.com/toons/deering/deering022609.php3 * Bob Gorrell http://www.jewishworldreview.com/toons/gorrel/gorrell022609.php3 * David Hitch http://www.jewishworldreview.com/toons/hitch/hitch022609.php3 * Steve Kelley http://www.jewishworldreview.com/toons/kelley/kelley022609.php3 * Dick Locher http://www.jewishworldreview.com/toons/locher/locher022609.php3 * Chan Lowe http://www.jewishworldreview.com/toons/lowe/lowe022609.php3 * Jimmy Margulies http://www.jewishworldreview.com/toons/margulies/margulies022609.php3 * Rick McKee http://www.jewishworldreview.com/toons/mckee/mckee022609.php3 * Gary Varvel http://www.jewishworldreview.com/toons/varvel/varvel022609.php3 * Michael Ramirez http://www.jewishworldreview.com/toons/ramirez/ramirez022609.php3 * " "¤" "¤" "¤" "¤" "¤" "¤" "¤" "¤" "¤" [ PoliticalMavens.com H I G H L I G H T S ] * Phil Cooke: The Difference Between 'Facebook Friends' and Real ones http://politicalmavens.com/index.php/2009/02/24/facebook-friends-real-friends/ * Ralph Kinney Bennett: Climate humor? No, climate justice! http://politicalmavens.com/index.php/2009/02/24/climate-humor-no-climate-justice/ * Rachel Raskin-Zrihen: A little foresight is called for http://politicalmavens.com/index.php/2009/02/25/foresight/ * Amitai Etzioni: Bring Back the Counter Culture http://politicalmavens.com/index.php/2009/02/25/bring-back-the-counter-culture/ <^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^> [ T O D A Y I N H I S T O R Y ] On this day in … * 1797, The Bank of England issues the first one-pound and two-pound notes * 1815, Napoleon Bonaparte escaped from exile on the Island of Elba * 1848, the second French Republic is proclaimed * 1863, U.S. President Abraham Lincoln signs the National Banking Act into law * 1870, an experimental air-driven subway, the Beach Pneumatic Transit, opened in New York City for public demonstrations. (The tunnel was only a block long, and the line had only one car.) * 1885, the Berlin Act, which resulted from the Berlin Conference regulating European colonization and trade in Africa, is signed * 1917, the Original Dixieland Jass Band records the first ever jazz record for the Victor Talking Machine Company in New York * 1919, an act of the U.S. Congress establishes most of the Grand Canyon as a United States National Park * 1935, the Daventry Experiment, Robert Watson-Watt carries out a demonstration near Daventry which leads directly to the development of RADAR in the United Kingdom * 1936, in the February 26 Incident, young Japanese military officers attempt to stage a coup against the government * 1940, the U.S. Air Defense Command was created * 1945, a midnight curfew on nightclubs, bars and other places of entertainment was set to go into effect across the nation * 1952, United Kingdom Prime Minister Winston Churchill announces that his nation has an atomic bomb * 1966, during the Apollo Program: Launch of AS-201, the first flight of the Saturn IB rocket * 1970, National Public Radio incorporates as a non-profit corporation * 1979, a total solar eclipse cast a moving shadow 175 miles wide from Oregon to North Dakota before moving into Canada * 1984, US troops withdraw from Beirut. President Ronald Reagan had sent the troops as a peacekeeping force in August 1982 * 1991, Tim Berners-Lee introduces WorldWideWeb, the first web browser. ALSO: On Baghdad Radio Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein announces the withdrawal of Iraqi troops from Kuwait * 1993, first World Trade Center bombing by practitioners of that "religion of peace": In New York City, a truck bomb parked below the North Tower of the World Trade Center is explodes, killing 6 and injuring over a thousand * 2001, the Taliban destroy two giant Buddha statues in Bamyan, Afghanistan * 2004, the United States lifts a ban on travel to Libya, ending travel restrictions to the nation that had lasted for 23 years * 2006, the world's estimated population reaches 6.5 billion * 2008, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, visiting Beijing, won a verbal assurance from Chinese officials to use their influence to jump-start the stalled process of dismantling North Korea's nuclear programs. <^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^> [ L I F E S T Y L E S ] * HowStuffWorks: How chimpanzees work http://jewishworldreview.com/0209/HowStuffWorks.php3 * On the Money by Gail Marks Jarvis: Housing credit could provide sizable boost http://jewishworldreview.com/0209/jarvis.php3 * Dr. Peter H. Gott: Is noise exposure cause of tinnitus?; another home remedy http://www.jewishworldreview.com/cols/gott1.asp * Frugal Living by Sara Noel: Readers' wisdom http://www.jewishworldreview.com/cols/frugal_living.php3 <^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^> [ I N S I G H T ] * Victor Davis Hanson: A funny sort of depression http://www.jewishworldreview.com/0209/hanson022609.php3 * Argus Hamilton skewers politics and contemporary "culture" http://www.jewishworldreview.com/0209/hamilton022609.php3 * Culture Shlock by Malcolm Fleschner: Tuning in to the English Channel http://jewishworldreview.com/0209/fleschner.php3 * Michael Barone: Wall Street Became Over-Dependent on Numbers, Lost Touch With Reality http://www.jewishworldreview.com/michael/barone022609.php3 * Debra J. Saunders: Cutting Off Your News To Spite Your Face http://www.jewishworldreview.com/0209/saunders022609.php3 * Bob Tyrrell: The Exhibitionist at the State Departmen http://www.jewishworldreview.com/cols/tyrrell022609.php3 * Jeff Jacoby: More race talk is the last thing we need (THOUGHT PROVOKING!) http://www.jewishworldreview.com/jeff/jacoby022609.php3 * Roger Simon: Why turn down Obama-bucks? http://www.jewishworldreview.com/0209/simon022609.php3 * Robert Tracinski: The Ideal Hostess for an Ideological Boston Tea Party http://www.jewishworldreview.com/0209/tracinski022609.php3 * David Broder: Obama rolls the dice http://www.jewishworldreview.com/david/broder.php3 * Larry Elder: Obama shoots for Mars (SPOT ON!) http://jewishworldreview.com/cols/elder022609.php3 * Dick Morris: Bam's bold gamble --- an enormous bet on big gov't http://www.jewishworldreview.com/0209/morris022609.php3 * Ann Coulter: The Cal Ripken president http://www.jewishworldreview.com/cols/coulter022209.php3 * Cal Thomas: The President and the governor http://www.jewishworldreview.com/cols/thomas022609.php3 * George Will: Prudes at Dinner, Gluttons in Bed http://www.jewishworldreview.com/cols/will022609.php3 ~~ Our Front Page: http://www.JewishWorldReview.com/ PLEASE JOIN the JWR Facebook fan site: http://tinyurl.com/bjbtt9 Want to drop us a note? You may send it to JWR's editor in chief: mailto:blj@jewishworldreview.com EVERY letter is read and valued! ENJOYING THIS NEWSLETTER? WE NEED YOUR HELP AND WE NEED IT NOW! Please help us keep on keeping on. To make a tax-deductible donation, please go to: https://www.kerenyehoshuavyisroel.com/keren/jwr/donate.cfm NOT COMFORTABLE DONATING ELECTRONICALLY? We can arrange for you to send your gift through CONVENTIONAL MAIL. Make your request by pressing reply. © 2009, JewishWorldReview.com: Permission to distribute this newsletter -- NOT articles' text -- is not only granted, it's also ENCOURAGED, as is using the "e-mail a friend" option! <^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^><^> [Aish Promotions] ArtScroll’s Biggest Ever Sale Starts Now2) [kashalerts@ou.org] KASHRUTH ALERT - Thursday February 26, 2009
[kashalerts@ou.org] KASHRUTH ALERT - Thursday February 26, 2009
DER SPIEGEL INTERNATIONAL NEWSLETTER - Thursday February 26, 2009
NEWS ALERT: ISRAEL 1st of Adar 5769 - Wed, Feb/25/09NEWS ALERT: ISRAEL 1st of Adar 5769
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25 février [OU.org] Send a Purim Basket to a Child in Sderot
DER SPIEGEL INTERNATIONAL NEWSLETTER - Wednesday February 25, 2009
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