Saturday, December 11, 2010 - Motzei Shabbat

1. Some Others Aren't Impressed Either - A number of organizations have strongly criticized the rabbinic ruling about selling land to non-Jews that I referred to in my last blog posting on Wednesday.
One of the regular readers of this blog agreed with the rabbinic ruling - and disagreed with my disapproval of it - and did so in the strongest possible terms. I read his comments, which are private between him and me, but his arguments do not change my mind.

Another reader opposed to the ruling commented to me, also privately, that among other things, the ruling is a terrible injustice that "discriminates against the countless Druze, Bedouin, and other Arab-Israelis who faithfully defend (and die) for the State of Israel in uniform"

"But academic freedom does not mean freedom from academic standards, and unfortunately, Peto’s paper seems to blur the line. After trudging through more than 100 pages of political hyperbole and unsubstantiated claims, it seems questions should be raised about the conception of academic standards at U of T’s Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) where Peto was awarded her master’s degree." (my emphasis)

3. Stupid Moves - Brazil and Argentina have recognized a "free and independent" Palestinian state - South American countries recognize Palestinian state and More Latino countries may recognize 'Palestine'.


Here's some good advice from the last link:
"Unilateralism is a two-way street. By abrogating the Oslo Accords, the Palestinians make it legitimate for Israel to withdraw from its own obligations to negotiate a final settlement and to recognize a Palestinian state. If the Palestinians unilaterally seek international recognition, Israel should move with all deliberate speed to create, unilaterally, a territorial arrangement that suits its interests: Separation from the Palestinians, while establishing control over territory needed for security, for its water resources and yes, for the security and further development of communities in Judea and Samaria."
4. Maybe They Should Be Concerned About This Instead - Iran Placing Medium-Range Missiles in Venezuela; Can Reach the U.S. :: Hudson New York - I'm going to go out on a limb and surmise that these missiles can be launched in a southern direction as well as in a northern direction. There's nothing more comforting to know that Hugo Chavez and his Iranian sponsors have their fingers on the triggers to these babies. Maybe all this chumminess with Iran wasn't such a good thing after all.


5. More On Unilateral Declarations - Bleak House - by Benny Morris Tablet Magazine - A New Read on Jewish Life - ridiculous unilateral declarations won't change the situation Benny Morris describes - only direct negotiations will. Also se - Ron Radosh » Israel’s Fate Hangs in the Balance: Is Benny Morris’s new Assessment Right?

6. Not Too Much To Ask For - Demonstrators call for basic human rights for Schalit - oops - forgot he is an Israeli Jew serving in the IDF - gee - three strikes against him - too bad....... (that's sarcasm, by the way).




8. Fire Update - Carmel, and its people, prepare to rise from the ashes. Also - First winter rain begins falling throughout country - ironically, for the reasons noted in the article - this may actually harm the recovery effort.

Also - see this article by Melanie Philips, which ends with this question:
"Question: who is the more cerebrally challenged – the Middle Eastern peoples who are brainwashed into believing in the US/Zionist all-powerful conspiracy, or the western intelligentsia who fail to find in this theory cause for serious disagreement, let alone profound alarm about the power and intentions of those in its demented grip?"

10. Convenient Amnesia - Pajamas Media » Bidding to Build Trains in CA, Deutsche Bahn Railroad Whitewashes Its Nazi Past - after all - the Jews and others who were murdered at places like Auschwitz-Birkenau, Treblinka, Sobibor and Belzec didn't walk there.

(The inscription on the railway car reads: "We are going to Poland to strike at the Jews")



(examples of insignia of Nazi rail workers)

11. Iran - a number of things to keep in mind:



13. Attention All "Gleeks" - OK - I'm a "Gleek" - a fan of the show "Glee". On a recent episode, the character Arty, who is paraplegic, was able to "walk" courtesy of an Israeli invention - what a rotten country - green energy in the desert and now this! Those perfidious Jews - what they they do next? (more sarcasm, in case you didn't notice)


14. Israeli Slang - In Hebrew I can't say much more than "hello", "goodbye", "what's this?", "please", "thank you", "right", "left" and "where's the washroom?" (that last one is a biggie - though I am relying on the person I ask to point!) - so I would be completely lost on Israeli slang - Parsing Israeli Slang – Forward.com.

15. Yiddish - which I cannot speak either, again apart from some basic words, including some curses - but is a rich language that greatly reflects the Jewish experience in Eastern Europe before the Shoah - Is Yiddish Literature the Next Big Thing? – Forward.com - too bad the major sources of Yiddish culture - scholars, playwrights, poets, actors and so on - were wiped out in the Shoah - but the "good news" (sarcasm alert) is that they were wiped out very conveniently - either the Einsatzgruppen were kind enough to come right to their cities, towns and villages and massacre them more on less on the spot, or the German rail system provided free transportation to an extermination camp. Nothing's too good for the Jews on the way to their death!



17. Wow - This Speaks Volumes - this story is truly astonishing - or maybe not, given the countries concerned and the inept, bloated, corrupt waste of space on New York City's East Side known as the United Nations - and the ivory tower intellectuals in the West (and I'm guessing that a reasonable number of them are gay or strongly support gay rights) don't say a word.


18. College Football - I am a big fan of American college football - the games and the rivalries, not the scandals, the hype and the lack of a playoff system.

Being a good Jewish boy, my favorite team is, of course, Notre Dame (?) - a team that has struggled considerably over the last number of years. I also like Oklahoma, Penn State and pretty much anyone who plays Michigan, USC, Florida State or Miami.

In my opinion, even though I do not like any of their teams, recently the most dominant conference is clearly the Southeastern Conference (the SEC), which boasts last year's national champion Alabama, this year's SEC champion Auburn (which will play Oregon for the national championship), and other perennially strong teams such as Florida, Georgia, LSU, South Carolina - even if some of those teams are having off years. This year's "Iron Bowl" rivalry game between Auburn and Alabama was one of the best games in recent memory, and junior Auburn quarterback Cam Newton is an amazing talent who is on an incredible roll this year (and who will likely win the Heisman Trophy this evening).

Anyway, here is a video of some of the top plays of the past season - with the bowl games to come.



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Wednesday, December 8, 2010

1. Fire Fallout - The Atlantic’s Jeff Goldberg: ‘Don’t Donate To Those Rich Jews For Israel’s Fire Relief Fund’ - Big Journalism - I received this link from a number of people today - the title of this link is inflammatory, obviously deliberately so - and I think that Rob Miller (the author) is wrong to have done so - but I also think that Goldberg is dead wrong - maybe if Israel could live live as a normal country and not have to spend inordinate amounts of national treasure on defending itself, I might - might - consider his point. Despite the poor title, I do think that the other points that Miller raises are quite valid.



4. Hey - Didn't Spielberg Direct the Movie "Jaws"? - and isn't he Jewish? Egyptian Official: Israel Could Be Behind Deadly Shark Attack - FoxNews.com - OH PLEASE!


5. Better Call The ADL - just kidding - Last Night's Winner: Not The Jews


6. On Much More Serious Notes - vigilance and diligence are essential - one of the reasons I write this blog and write to the newspapers - trying to do my little bit:

8. If This Story Is Correct, I'm Not Impressed - This fire is still burning: Racism is spreading - people will probably disagree with me, but as a people who have suffered from the shoe being on the other foot, this just strikes me as wrong.

9. Vasily Grossman - the famous Russian war correspondent and novelist - Eyewitness - by Blake Eskin Tablet Magazine - A New Read on Jewish Life - his description of Treblinka in A Writer At War still sends shivers down my spine - his report was used in evidence at the Nuremberg Trials. I am currently reading Life and Fate, a work (often compared to War and Peace) that was banned in the Soviet Union but published after being smuggled to the West during the Cold War.


10. Good Old Hamas, Good Old UN - Commentary » Blog Archive » Hamas Returns To Executing Opponents, UN Returns To Boosting Hamas Aid - I wonder if George Galloway and his supporters see any issue here.



12. Canadian Political Humour - the controversial Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador recently resigned abruptly - putting another Newfie out of work.

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Saturday, December 4, 2010 - Motzei Shabbat

1. Blaze Update - As noted in yesterday's posting, Hanukkah has been deeply overshadowed by the terrible fire in the Carmel region of Israel near Haifa.

It is hard for someone who has never been to Israel to understand the devastating nature of this tragedy, and I am sure that my explanatory comments that follow would pale alongside that written by someone who lives in Israel, especially in the affected area.


As I have often stressed, Israel is a tiny geographic entity, which, defined by its pre-1967 borders, consists of about 8,000 square miles. A fire of this magnitude is not like some naturally-caused wildfire in, for example, a remote region of British Columbia (which, for example, consists of just under 365,000 square miles - even Nova Scotia consists of 21,345 square miles). The amount of arable land in Israel is very limited, and forests are very important to Israel's ecology - a fire of this type has a disproportionate impact.

As well, I think that there is a strong symbolic issue. When Jewish pioneers started to return to what was then known as Palestine, one of their prime efforts was to plant trees - including the use of eucalyptus trees to help drain swamps. Growing up in a Jewish home, there was always the famous "Blue Box" into which we (and millions of fellow Jews around the world) placed spare change to help fund the planting of trees in Israel. The Jewish National Fund has achieved tremendous things in Israel, and the JNF has worked closely with many countries, including Canada, on forestry-related issues. Here is another example of the type of positive contribution that Israel makes to the world community - El Salvador to copy Israel's national forestry model | social-action.


If there is any silver lining to this very dark cloud, it would be that a number of nations have promptly offered aid (including Turkey, Jordan and Egypt) - Israel battles forest fire with foreign help - Yahoo! News and Grateful prime minister hails international response - much in the same way that Israel has when disasters occur in other countries (even if sometimes the aid is refused). Prime Minister Netanyahu and Mahmoud Abbas have had one of their rare telephone conversations over the issue, and the PA has lent some support - PA lends firefighters a hand - Israel News, Ynetnews. However, the tragedy has "delighted" certain groups - Northern blaze delights many in the Arab world - the usual suspects, one might say:

"There is no need to tell you how delighted we are that more than 40 cadets who tortured prisoners were killed in this fire. We never met with your compassion when Israel attacked us. Let the fire consume (Israel)," he said.
Not that it would matter to Islamic Jihad in the least, but for the record, the cadets who died were on their way to rescue Palestinian prisoners who were in a facility threatened by the fire.

2. She's Probably Delighted As Well - Helen Thomas stands by remarks about Israelis | detnews.com | The Detroit News - what a wonderful human being.





6. The Shoah - A number of interesting pieces about the Shoah:


8. Demographic Difficulties - Counting Jews

"Israel is a nation that dwells alone, with few friends and many prejudiced enemies. Rather than Rabbis and lay leaders attacking Christians as having nefarious motives for their charity, we should offer thanks and gratitude to hard-working Americans (and Canadians - my note) of faith who believe, as the Bible says, that through Israel all the earth is blessed."
10. An Important Anniversary - before the UN had turned into the corruption machine of today, a vote of the United Nations General Assembly made a run at the original two-state solution - the Jews of Palestine accepted, the Arabs didn't - and the rest is not only history, but current events.


Also see this article by Michael B. Oren - the Israeli Ambassador to the United States.



12. Well, It Is Hanukkah - so despite the tragedy in the Carmel, let's try to celebrate a little bit:

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Friday, December 3, 2010 - Tragedy in the Carmel

This is a very brief blog posting to bring this terrible tragedy to your attention.
We wish strength and perseverance to the firefighters battling this terrible wildfire, reportedly the worst in Israel's history, and hope that the fire can been brought under control soon. We express solidarity with the thousands of evacuees. We thank other nations that have responded with aid - including Turkey.

May HaShem comfort the families of the dead among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.



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Special Hanukah Edition - Wednesday, December 1, 2010



1. Hanukkah - There seem to be a million ways to spell the name of this holiday - in the interests of simplicity, I'm going with "Hanukkah" - eight letters for eight days!

Just as many Christians believe that the commercial aspects of Christmas have overwhelmed its religious significance, I believe that people overlook the importance of Hanukkah. (And no, Hanukkah is not the "Jewish Christmas).

Here's a basic overview that even includes a recipe - Hanukkah: Not Just Dreidels, Latkes and Gelt - Tarrytown-Sleepy Hollow, NY Patch. Here's insight form Jewish "rapper" Matisyahu - Matisyahu's 8 Chanukah Insights

Personally, I like this article - The Chanukah Question - that ends with a message that it as important now as it was in the time of Judah Maccabee - and which summarizes quite nicely why I post to this blog:

"The place to stand up for your beliefs is the public realm. In the home, yield, yield, yield.

If you are chronically tardy, and your spouse likes to arrive everywhere 15 minutes early, yield. Ask yourself, "What is his/her reality?" and validate it.

If you are a spendthrift and your spouse is frugal, yield. Ask yourself, "What is his/her reality?" and validate it.

If your idea of a vacation is a five-star hotel, and your children want to vacation in the national parks, ask yourself, "What is their reality?" and validate it. Then decide what is best for the whole family.

But in the public realm, when Judaism, Jews, or Israel are under attack, stand up and fight! That's the lesson of Chanukah." (my emphasis, though not my spelling of Hanukkah!)

Here's an example of someone who took this lesson to heart - this has been all over the Internet, but in case you have not read it - Issue 264 - UN Watch

Finally, you might find this video inspirational - Chanukah's Secret to Greatness -I certainly did.


2. Spin City - not the TV show that starred Michael J. Fox (and later, oh yeah, Charlie Sheen, that goof) - Major League Dreidel: A whole new spin on Hanukkah's favourite game


3. Hanukkah Food - not just latkes (which are a form of Jewish weapons of mass destruction...) - Hanukkah season of food, freedom :: Lifestyles :: Post-Tribune


4. Hanukkah Music - here is a link to some traditional Hanukkah songs - Chanukah Songs: Popular Favorites - though perhaps the days of "I Had a Little Dreidl" may be behind us - Anander Mol, Anander Veig - by Marc Weidenbaum Tablet Magazine - A New Read on Jewish Life.

If you are a Jewish heavy metal music type, try this (watch the volume!!):


5. Hanukkah Movies - in my humble opinion, avoid Adam Sandler's "Eight Crazy Nights" like it was a lobster wrapped in pork. Adam Goldberg's "The Hebrew Hammer" is funny, but only for certain tastes.




7. More WikiLeaks Analysis - check these out

Oh - and here's a flash - maybe people who live in glass houses.... - WikiLeaks founder 'wanted' by Interpol over rape claims - and if he goes into hiding, wouldn't it be poetic justice if someone "leaked" his whereabouts? (Here's what he looks like, by the way - and his name is Julian Assange)


8. This Is Different - A ‘self-hating’ Palestinian? A lot of people that are tagged as "self-hating Jew" are much more virulent.


10. Palestinian Bandstand - PA TV broadcasts song calling for Jihad against Israel: "Draw your sword, let it not return" - Jihad Watch - it's got a good beat and the kids can really dance to it.


11. Iran - A couple of items here to keep you up to speed:
12. Basketball - There seems to be a well-documented love of Jews for baseball - I have posted about that before. However, basketball is also a very popular sport with Jews - both in North America and in Israel. Here's more on that topic - The Greatest - by Marc Tracy Tablet Magazine - A New Read on Jewish Life.

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