Opuscula Say what?

I WAS LOOKING AT THE ADs is local paper of Jewish interest.

One caught my eye.

Air conditioned mausoleum?

Do the dead really NEED air conditioning?

Two thoughts.

One: Perhaps it is for visitors’ comfort.
Two: Perhaps it is to vent any oders that may come from improperly sealed caskets and vaults.

Knowing there must be a better reason, I did the natural thing: I went online and searched for answer.

The first URL I found went beyond air conditioning.

At http://tinyurl.com/y8qlz5dc , I found a headline that read:This Narco Cemetery Has Graves With Air Conditioning and Cable TV

According to the article, Near the entrance to the cemetery are the graves for the poorer folks of the city—simple slabs of rock on the grass. That's where the third of people in this city who live underneath the line of poverty might end up, if they are lucky. But the deeper you go into the cemetery, the more the graves look like mini-condominiums, replete with air conditioning, cable and running water.

The Valley View Mausoleum of Staten Island NY is "fully climate controlled and visitors won't have to worry about the elements," Ms. Tina Cerami, cemetery office manager, said, adding that benches in general areas will be provided for the comfort of visitors.

The first fully indoor mausoleum at the 113-acre cemetery is designed to be comfortable and inviting for family members who visit. The building with an interior of mostly Italian marble and granite features air conditioning, heating and a security system, Ms. Cerami said.<

It's not pretty, but article titled How to Avoid Being an Exploding Corpse After You Die (http://tinyurl.com/ydfcso65) discusses mausoleums and exploding bodies. Air conditioning will not prevent this, although the article suggests an answer.

It also indirectly makes a case for burial in shroud or a simple wooden casket.

Is it kosher?

I am not a rabbi and I do not play one on tv. Consult a respected local rabbi for a definitive answer.

According to the Conservative Rabbinical Assembly (http://tinyurl.com/ydg7taee ), Although there does not seem to be any impediment in Jewish law to using a mausoleum for burial, it should not be encouraged. Indeed, it should be actively discouraged since it is an obvious change from methods universally accepted today and its general publicized approval may create confusion. While it should be discouraged, we must recognize that it is permitted and that a rabbi may therefore officiate at an interment a mausoleum.

Although a mausoleum is halakhically permissible, certain restrictions applicable to a cemetery should be applied to the mausoleum. The mausoleum should be used exclusively for those of the Jewish faith. If a "non-sectarian" mausoleum is used, definite and easily recognizable demarcations should be imposed, such as its own central hall and entrance, clearly indicating its Jewish nature.

On the other hand, Chabad (http://tinyurl.com/yc8pwzqe )is unequivocal: To have the deceased buried above the ground, not surrounded by earth within the mausoleum, is unquestionably prohibited. The Bible repeats its injunction: kavor tikberenu, "bury thou shalt surely bury," to emphasize that it is not a legal burial if the casket is left above the earth.

Jewish law is unequivocal in establishing absolutely, and uncompromisingly, that the dead must be buried in the earth. Man's body returns to the earth as it was. The soul rises to God, but the physical shelter, the chemical elements that clothed the soul, sink into the vast reservoir of nature. God's words to Adam are, "For dust thou are and unto dust shalt thou return." Later, the Bible crystallizes God's words into positive law, ki kavor tikberenu, "Thou shalt surely bury him" (Deuteronomy 21:23).

The Reform movement, according to Mausoleums.com (http://tinyurl.com/ydcj8aho) allows above-ground interment in a Jewish mausoleum based on precedents from the Bible and historic sites such as the Cave of the Patriarchs, Rachel’s Tomb, Tomb of Daniel, Tomb of Absalom, Montefiore Synagogue, Ezra’s Tomb, and Sassoon Mausoleum.

The Guide to Jewish Cemetery (http://tinyurl.com/y9wmby2q) asks: Are Mausoleums Kosher For Jewish Burial? and then answers its own question stating: A mausoleum may be defined as a magnificent tomb. It should be noted that Abraham was buried in one. Talmudic law is quite specific about what constitutes a kosher mausoleum: Open burial above ground is prohibited as it is disrespectful to the body (for similar reasons Jews do not have a wake). If the structure is to stand above ground level, the coffin must be filled with soil with a mausoleum enclosing the grave. The requirement is to bury the body in earth, either directly or indirectly. In the case of an ohel, the structure is usually erected after burial and is, therefore, technically not a mausoleum. Above-ground burial is sometimes mandatory, such as in New Orleans which has a high water table.

PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind/U>.

Comments: Mausoleums

Opuscula Hanukkah quiz

THE HANUKIOT ARE DUSTED, the potatoes are piled up ready to shred, the dough is in the ‘fridge, and the oils are at hand.

I am not a rabbi nor do I play one on tv. I cite my sources but you are encouraged to check with your rabbi.

Q1. How many oils are needed for the holiday?

A1. Two. Olive oil for the hanukia and another for the skillet (a/k/a frying pan or מחבת).

Q2. Are latkes a strictly Ashkenazi invention?

A2. No; Actually latkes are Sefardi with the first ones made in Italy. ¹

Q3. Were potatoes always the base ingredient for latkes?

A3. No, The original latkes were made of cheese. Potato latkes were unknown until spuds were “discovered” in Europe.²

Q4. How many hanukias are lit in the home?

A4. It depends. Ashkenazim generally have one hanukia for each member of the family. Sefardim generally have one hanukia for the household; the father normally lights the wicks.⁴

Q5. Candles or oil or a few wicks of both?

A5. EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) is the preferred fuel for the hanukIa wicks sticking through a round float of cork (פתילות עם פקק צף). Wax candles are an acceptable option as many hanukiot have only candle holders. It is NOT permitted to mix oil and candles – either one at a time, but not both.⁵

Q6. Are all hanukiot “kosher?”

A6. Sadly, no. A “kosher” hanukiah has all the wickss except the shamash on the same level. While some hanukiot are designer specials, if the candles are at different levels – suggesting that one day is more important than others – the hanukiah is not kosher. ^6a

A hanukiah made be big or small and made of precious metal or simple tin. The only criteria is that it supports none (9) wicks – 8 for the 8 days and one for the shamash.^6b

Round hanukiot are considered not suitable.^6c

Q7. Why is the full Hallel said on each of the 8 days when half Hallel is said on the intermediate days of Pesach and Sukot?

A7. Each of the 8 days is considered its own holiday; there are no “intermediate days” for the holiday.⁷

Q8. What were Shamai’s and Hillel’s opinions on the order of lighting the wicks?

A8. Shamai said to light ALL the wicks on the first night to emphasize the miracle, with one wick less each following night. Hillel, whose decision currently is followed, preferred to ADD one wick each night.⁸

Q9. When may the wicks be lit?

A9. WITH THE EXCEPTION of erev Shabat, wicks are lit after dark with the blessings. On erev Shabat, the wicks are lit before the Shabat candles.⁹

Q10. Where are the lights to be placed?

A10. The traditional site for the hanukia is opposite the mezuzah on the door facing a public thoroughfare, the purpose to advertise the miracle. For most people, that is either dangerous or impossible (or both). The more common location is by a window where it can be seen by passersby.¹⁰

Q11. Who lights the wicks?

A11. Lighting these wicks is a man’s job (unlike the Shabat candles which the ladies do). HOWEVER, if a male 13 years old or older is not available, a woman lights the wicks (just as a man lights the Shabat candles in the absence of a woman). Children are not obligated to light the wicks (but they may if that is the family’s tradition.)¹¹

Q12. What is the difference between an ISRAELI dreidel (top) and dreidels everywhere else?

A12: Israeli dreidels have four Hebrew letters – נגהפ – representing a Great Miracle Happened Here Non-Israeli dreidels also have four Hebrew letters – נגהש – representing a Great Miracle Happened There.

Q13: How do you spell the holiday’s name?

A13. There is only one way: חנכה. There are many variations in transliteration depending on what web site you visit.¹³

---

1. Everything You Know About Latkes Is Wrong: http://tinyurl.com/y8tfyzgg

2. Discover the History of Latkes During Hanukkah: http://tinyurl.com/yb9a6ufm

3. Origin of latkes: https://toriavey.com/toris-kitchen/cheese-latkes/

4. How many hanukiot?: http://www.midrash.org/halakha/hanukkah.html

5. Menorah, Oil and Wicks: http://tinyurl.com/y8sapw4s

6a. “Kosher?” hanukiot: http://tinyurl.com/y8dhakpa

6b. Hanukiot material: http://tinyurl.com/ycetbwgl

6c. Hanukiot style: http://tinyurl.com/y8dhakpa

7..Hallel: http://tinyurl.com/yajvghaw

8. Shamai & Hillel: http://tinyurl.com/ybvgvlfa

9. When to light: https://ohr.edu/1304

10...Where to put the hanukia: http://www.neveh.org/chanukah/chanuka3.html

11. Who lights: http://www.midrash.org/halakha/hanukkah.html

12. Dreidels: http://tinyurl.com/y85rnvre

10...Where to put the hanukia?

11. Who lights: http://www.midrash.org/halakha/hanukkah.html

12. Dreidels: http://tinyurl.com/y85rnvre

13. Is There a Right Way to Spell Hanukkah? Chanukah? Hannukah? (http://tinyurl.com/m5a6tzc)
Yes, Virginia, Hanukkah Has a Correct Spelling (http://tinyurl.com/yaaucmtm)
Sixteen ways to spell Hanukkah (http://tinyurl.com/3xdh558)

PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.

Comments on Hanukah quiz

Opuscula Trump declares Jerusalem Israel’s capital

The Internet is replete with references to Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. The only references to Jerusalem and the “Palestinians” are on pro-”Palestinian” web sites and in the dreams of leftist politicians.

If you like maps, two sites are worthy of a visit:

“Mandate for Palestine” - The Legal Aspects of Jewish Rights at http://tinyurl.com/2btdush
History in Maps - Israel & "Palestine" at http://tinyurl.com/2eovou5

What’s in a name – “Palestine,” history

The first clear use of the term Palestine to refer to the entire area between Phoenicia and Egypt was in 5th century BCE Ancient Greece, when Herodotus wrote of a "district of Syria, called Palaistinê" in The Histories, which included the Judean mountains and the Jordan Rift Valley. (Source: Timeline of the name "Palestine" at http://tinyurl.com/oacnnod )

By comparison, Abū al-Qāsim Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib ibn Hāshim (or simply Muhammad) was born in Mecca around 570 of the CURRENT ERA (="AD"). King David, Israel's second king, established Jerusalem as his capitol, according to multiple sources, "more than 3,000 years ago," centuries before Muhammad was born. The first expulsion of Jews from Jerusalem was by Nebuchadnezzar around 600 BCE.

Partition

The UN's Plan Of Partition And End Of The British Mandate is documented on the UN.org's page at http://tinyurl.com/hqwv836 .

The plan included:
• The creation of the Arab and Jewish States not later than 1 October 1948;
• Division of Palestine into eight parts: three were allotted to the Arab State and three to the Jewish State; the seventh, the town of Jaffa, was to form an Arab enclave within Jewish territory;
• The international regime for Jerusalem, the eighth division, to be administered by the United Nations Trusteeship Council.

The Council was still born.

The Jewish Agency accepted the resolution despite its dissatisfaction over such matters as Jewish emigration from Europe and the territorial limits set on the proposed Jewish State. The plan was not accepted by the Palestinian Arabs and Arab States on the ground that it violated the provisions of the United Nations Charter, which granted people the right to decide their own destiny. They said that the Assembly had endorsed the Plan under circumstances unworthy of the United Nations and that the Arabs of Palestine would oppose any scheme that provided for the dissection, segregation or partition of their country, or which gave special and preferential rights and status to a minority.

The New York Times position, titled Nov. 29, 1947 - U.N. Partitions Palestine, Allowing for Creation of Israel (http://tinyurl.com/yads588v), is that The plan, which organized Palestine into three Jewish sections, four Arab sections and the internationally-administered city of Jerusalem, had strong support in Western nations as well as the Soviet Union. It was opposed by Arab nations.

The General Assembly voted, 33-13, in favor of partition, with 10 members, including Britain, abstaining. The six Arab nations in the General Assembly staged a walkout in protest. The New York Times reported: “The walkout of the Arab delegates was taken as a clear indication that the Palestinian Arabs would have nothing to do with the Assembly’s decision. The British have emphasized repeatedly that British troops could not be used to impose a settlement not acceptable to both Jews and Arabs, and the partition plan does not provide outside military force to keep order. Instead, it provides for the establishment of armed militia by the two nascent states to keep internal order.”

How did Jerusalem fall into modern Israel’s hands?

Briefly, from Britannica.com (http://tinyurl.com/lfhaut5) Arab and Israeli forces clashed for the third time June 5–10, 1967, in what came to be called the Six-Day War (or June War). In early 1967 Syria intensified its bombardment of Israeli villages from positions in the Golan Heights. When the Israeli Air Force shot down six Syrian MiG fighter jets in reprisal, Nasser mobilized his forces near the Sinai border, dismissing the UN force there, and he again sought to blockade Elat. In May 1967 Egypt signed a mutual defense pact with Jordan.

Israel answered this apparent Arab rush to war by staging a sudden air assault, destroying Egypt’s air force on the ground. The Israeli victory on the ground was also overwhelming. Israeli units drove back Syrian forces from the Golan Heights, took control of Gaza and the Sinai Peninsula from Egypt, and drove Jordanian forces from the West Bank. Importantly, the Israelis were left in sole control of Jerusalem.

In other words, the invaders from 1948 ran from the city and left it in Jewish hands. Under Jewish control, Jews had access to their holy sites, likewise Muslims and those of other beliefs.

President Trump may have recognized the facts on the ground, but he did NOT “declare that Jerusalem is Israel’s capitol.” King David did that more then 3,000 years ago.

U.S. State Department to the contrary

Contrary to what the pro-Arab U.S. State Department would have people believe, Jerusalem has been Israel’s capital since 1967.

The government – Knesset – meets there.

The Supreme Court sits there.

Main offices of most national offices are there.

Tel Aviv – thanks to the U.S. State Department’s clout – has most of the embassies, but now that State has been over-ruled by the first forceful U.S. president since 1967, the U.S. and other nations will relocate their embassies to Israel’s capital. Even Arab leaders – Egypt’s late President Muhammad Anwar el-Sadat and Jordan’s late King Hussein bin Talal – have met Israeli leaders in Jerusalem; even U.S. politicians meet their Israeli counterparts in Jerusalem.

If the PA rules Jerusalem the capital will be free of Jews

Palestinian land laws refer to ownership of land under the Palestinian Authority (PA). These laws prohibit Palestinians from selling Palestinian-owned lands to "any man or judicial body corporation of Israeli citizenship, living in Israel or acting on its behalf." These land laws were originally enacted during the Jordanian rule of the West Bank (1948–1967). Land sales to Israelis are considered treason by the Palestinians because they threaten the founding of a future state and to "halt the spread of moral, political and security corruption". Palestinians who sell land to Israelis can be sentenced to death, although death penalties are seldom carried out; a death sentence has to be approved by the Palestinian Authority President.

Under Israeli law, Muslims and followers of other beliefs can live freely in Jerusalem and, unlike under Jordanian rule, have no fear that the government will turn a blind eye to vandalism of holy sites.

If I forget thee, O’Jerusalem . . .

---

PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.

Comments on Jerusalem

Opuscula Pope crazy or just Ignorant of facts?

I'm sorry, but I must ask: IS THE POPE NUTS?

Speaking to Palestinians ahead of Trump's scheduled speech, Pope Francis said Wednesday that "recognizing the rights of all people" in the Holy Land was a primary condition for dialogue.

The pope, who spoke to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas about the crisis on Tuesday, made his comments to a group of visiting Palestinians involved in inter-religious dialogue with the Vatican.

"The Holy Land is for us Christians the land par excellence of dialogue between God and mankind," he said.

He spoke of dialogue between religions "and also in civil society."

"The primary condition of that dialogue is reciprocal respect and a commitment to strengthening that respect, for the sake of recognizing the rights of all people, wherever they happen to be," he said.

FIRST let’s consider the pope’s first comment: "recognizing the rights of all people" in the Holy Land was a primary condition for dialogue.

Where else in the Middle East can Jews of all viewpoints, Muslims, Baha'i, Roman Catholics, Greek Catholics, and “other” Catholics as well as Christians of other beliefs can coexist sans government – religious or civil – interference. That does not mean that Christians won’t continue to fight over who owns a holy site, not does it mean that extremist Jews won’t harass Jews who don’t believe as they do, but it DOES mean that Jerusalem is the one capital in the Middle East were all are welcome in peace. That was the case when Solomon was king and that is the case now. It was NOT the case when Jordan ruled the city, it is NOT the case in Ramallah, the PA’s seat of government, and it would NOT be the case in a “Palestinian” Jerusalem.

Try and bring a Christian bible into Saudi Arabia or tefillin into Jordan. You may not like the results of the experiment.

"The Holy Land is for us Christians the land par excellence of dialogue between God and mankind," the pope told Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas about the crisis on Tuesday, during comments to a group of visiting Palestinians involved in inter religious dialogue with the Vatican.

Interesting that the pope is telling MUSLIMS that The Holy Land is for us Christians the land par excellence . Does he really think the Muslims care what Christians think​? Do the Muslims really think a pope cares what THEY think? That stretches the limits of diplomatic pandering.

The pontiff continued pontificating – what pontiffs do best I suppose – adding "The primary condition of that dialogue is reciprocal respect and a commitment to strengthening that respect, for the sake of recognizing the rights of all people, wherever they happen to be."

Dialogue, according to several on-line dictionaries¹ means an exchange of ideas or opinions on a particular issue, especially a political or religious issue, with a view to reaching an amicable agreement or settlement among two or more people.

Who refuses to “dialogue?” Abu Mazen and his henchmen. Israelis of all political points of view are willing, and have been willing, to sit down with PA representatives. Every time there seems to be an opportunity, the PA adds new “pre-conditions” that scuttle the parley before it begins. The pope needs a refresher course in PA “diplomacy.”

As for recognizing the rights of all people, if you query Muslems living in Israel if they would prefer to live under PA domination, the majority, according to poll after poll, respond they would prefer to stay in Israel as Israeli citizens. They may not feel they are “first class” citizens and there admittedly are Israelis – particularly from Muslim-controlled lands – who are suspicious of Arabs in general and those from the PA in particular, for all that Arab workers receive greater respect for a job well done in Israel than in the PA realm.

ON THE OTHER HAND, a Jew is prohibited from living in PA-controlled areas; no respect problem there since there are no Jews. Almost anyone with the money can fly on an Israeli airliner (Arkia, El Al, Israir); not so Jews on several airlines based in Muslim countries².

Don’t talk to Israelis about “recognizing the rights of other people” until Abu Mazen and his hangers-on do the same.

The pope’s remarks lend a new meaning to the term “papal bull.”³

The pope, of course was not alone in preferring that Jerusalem remain open to Muslim take-over. Others commenting at http://tinyurl.com/yadtjut5 included:

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei proclaimed Wednesday, hours before the expected American announcement, that the move was a sign of "incompetence and failure."
The Kremlin said on Wednesday that Russia was also concerned that the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians could be aggravated further by Trump's plans to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters at a at a news briefing that the status of Jerusalem was a complicated and sensitive issue and China was concerned the U.S. decision "could sharpen regional conflict."
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Wednesday that it would be a "grave mistake" for the U.S. to move its embassy and that he had warned U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson that the move would have dire implications.
The Syrian government also condemned Trump's decision, the government-controlled Syrian Arab News Agency said. "[The move] is the culmination of the crime of usurping Palestine and displacing the Palestinian people," SANA said, quoting a Foreign Ministry source.

Germany's Foreign Ministry posted a warning on its website that demonstrations were expected and that its nationals should avoid them and any large crowds in east Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza.

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson offered “Let's wait and see what the president says exactly. But, you know, we view the reports that we have heard with concern because we think that Jerusalem obviously should be part of the final settlement between the Israelis and the Palestinians."

Never mind that Abu Mazen and friends won’t meet with Israeli government officials who could ink a peace agreement within days of an agreement.

It worked with Egypt.

It worked with Jordan.

But in both cases, both sides were willing to work toward a common goal: peace.

The pope may be infallible regarding his religious rulings on Roman Catholics, but no one – not even the pope – should claim infallibility on political issues; he proved, once again, where his sentiments lie.

---

1. See

http://www.dictionary.com/browse/dialogue
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dialogue
https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/dialogue
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dialogue

2. Kuwait Airways: http://tinyurl.com/y9q8fqb8
Saudi Arabian Airlines: http://tinyurl.com/y7yrbfaw

3. Definition of “papal bull”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papal_bull

PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.

Comments on pope

Opuscula U.S. media: Blind in one eye, Can’t see with other

Cite EU terror attacks; ignore attacks on Israelis

In a not-at-all-surprising evidence of “Israel doesn’t exist” thinking, U.S. networks, discussing the latest Islamist attack in New York City, cited similar attacks in Europe.

Israel, which has suffered similar attacks for many years, was ignored with the exception on one (1) instance noted by CNN.

But then, so was the alleged “white supremist” attack in Charlottesville, VA.¹

A quick sampling from the Internet

In 2016 alone, there were 12 vehicular ramming attacks and 100 stabbing attacks thwarted by security forces in Israel. From September 13, 2015 to August 2017, 55 people were killed in terrorist attacks and 812 people (including uninvolved Palestinians) injured. There were 184 stabbing attacks and 129 attempted stabbings; 161 shootings, 60 vehicular attacks, and one vehicular (bus) bombing – as well a higher rate of miscarriages, depression, and a 50% increase in post-traumatic stress disorder among young children. ²

In Israel, car-ramming attacks have featured heavily in a wave of Palestinian terrorism and violence that has killed at least 34 Israelis, two Americans, an Eritrean and a Sudanese since October last year. Some 215 Palestinians have been killed in the terror wave; Israel says most were attackers or would-be attackers who died in the course of carrying out attacks. Additional car-ramming attacks, some of them lethal, were carried out by Palestinians in Jerusalem and the West Bank in late 2014.

In May 2013, two Islamists smashed their car into British soldier Lee Rigby before attempting to behead him on a London street in broad daylight.

The pair, who were of Nigerian heritage, said they attacked the 25-year-old fusilier to avenge the deaths of Muslims at the hands of British troops.

Just 18 months later, a man claiming to be acting in the name of radical jihad ran over and killed Canadian soldier Patrice Vincent, also injuring a second man.³

A snapshot of planned and executed attacks on Israelis in Israel ... and elsewhere (including NYC): http://tinyurl.com/y9smgvdg ⁴

A Palestinian terrorist struck and wounded three soldiers as they walked with their unit on the side of Route 60, near the Shiloh junction in the West Bank around 3 p.m. on Thursday.

Two of the soldiers were seriously wounded, and were transported – one by helicopter and the other by ambulance – to Hadassah University Medical Center in Jerusalem’s Ein Kerem. The third soldier, Lt. Daniel Albaz, was taken to Beilinson Medical Center in Petah Tikva where he described for reporters how the white four-door car plowed into them.⁵

Benjamin Netanyahu, flanked by security service agents, spoke into the television camera. The truck attack that had just resulted in the deaths of four Israeli soldiers in the Jabel Mukaber neighborhood of Jerusalem was “part of the same pattern inspired by Islamic State, by ISIS, that we saw first in France, then in Germany and now in Jerusalem. This is part of the same ongoing battle against this global scourge of the new terrorism. We can only fight it together, but we have to fight it, and we will.” Netanyahu, speaking on January 8, was referring to the ISIS-claimed truck attacks in Nice, which left 86 people dead on Bastille Day, and in Berlin, which left 12 people dead at a Christmas market in the center of the German capital.

Anyone reading Netanyahu’s statement at face value would believe that the Islamic State militant group (ISIS) had inspired scores of Palestinians to conduct vehicle attacks in the group’s name. The Jerusalem attack was perpetrated by a 28-year-old Palestinian named Fadi Qunbar. While Qunbar may have been inspired by the extremist group—evidence for that is yet to surface—this is not the case more generally in vehicle attacks perpetrated by Palestinians, experts say. They say that ISIS and other jihadist groups witnessed the success of vehicle attacks used for years by Palestinians, and then adopted those tactics for attacks in Western countries.⁶

(CNN) Once again, a driver has plowed into a crowd of innocent pedestrians, turning a car into a lethal weapon.⁷

This time, it was in New York's lower Manhattan, where the driver of a rental truck drove down a busy bicycle path near the World Trade Center. The city joins a list of cities worldwide that have fallen victim to a growing trend.

Here's a look at some recent similar attacks and the possible motives behind them.

CNN then lists a number of vehicle-as-weapon attacks; with one exception (Charlottesville VA) the vehicles all were driven by Islamists. The list includes:

— New York, October 31, 2017 (I)

— Barcelona, August 17, 2017 (I)

— Charlottesville (VA), August 12, 2017 (Racist)

— London, June 3, 2017 (I)

— Stockholm, April 7, 2017 (I)

— London, March 22, 2017 (I)

— Nice, July 14, 2016 (I)

— Berlin, December 19, 2016 (I)

— Columbus (OH), November 28, 2016 (I)

— Jerusalem, January 8, 2017 (I)

— St.-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, October 20, 2014 (I)

All other attacks in Israel were ignored by CNN’s “journalists,” but other media ignored even that.

(CNN) Here is some background information on terror attacks involving vehicles used as deadly weapons by radicalized individuals or terror groups.⁸
Al Qaeda's Yemeni branch encouraged its Western recruits to use trucks as weapons. A 2010 webzine article, "The Ultimate Mowing Machine" called for deploying a pickup truck as a"mowing machine, not to mow grass but mow down the enemies of Allah."

In September 2014, ISIS spokesman Abu Mohammad al-Adnani called for lone wolf attacks using improvised weaponry, "If you are not able to find an IED or a bullet, then single out the disbelieving American, Frenchman or any of their allies. Smash his head with a rock or slaughter him with a knife or run him over with your car or throw him down from a high place or choke him or poison him."

While only a few of the attacks happened on U.S. soil, President Trump has called on Homeland Security to use extreme vetting for potential visitors and immigrants to the U.S. The left, as expected, objects to this as focusing on Islamists . . . despite the fact that of the majority of the vehicles were driven by Islamists.

NOT ALL MUSLIMS are jihadists, terrorists. I have known and worked with Muslims — some observant and some not — a number of times in the U.S. and ridden in Arab buses and taxis without concern in Israel. I do not believe “the only good (pick an attribute) is a dead (attribute).” AT THE SAME TIME, given the preponderance of attacks on “infidels,” — that is, anyone who is not a member of Daesh⁹ or similar extremist group — by Islamists, I fail to understand why the U.S., or any country, would welcome, sans “extreme vetting” by qualified personnel, people whose goal is to maime and murder the country’s citizens. I’m not convinced that Homeland Security has the ability to perform the vetting, but I am convinced U.S. embassies and consulates lack any capability in this area. Should the U.S. continue to let locals vet potential tourists and immigrants – that is, to this scrivener’s mind, akin to having the fox watch the chicken coop and, as the attacks around the world prove, not a satisfactory option.

Bear in mind that ramming vehicles into people is just one of many ways vehicles have been used by Islamists, Basques, home-grown crazies (e.g., Timothy McVeigh) and others¹⁰.

Resources

**1 New charges for Charlottesville car attack suspect James Fields Jr.: http://tinyurl.com/y96cnst4
**2 Sacrifice the Children: http://tinyurl.com/y769r4zx
**3. Before Nice, Palestinian terrorists used cars as lethal weapon: http://tinyurl.com/ybosng6r
**4 Jewish man among 5 Argentineans killed in NY attack: http://tinyurl.com/y9smgvdg
**5 Palestinian strikes three IDF soldiers with vehicle in west bank terror attack: http://tinyurl.com/qa8jrvo
**6 Experts say ISIS ramming attacks were inspired by Palestinians, not vice-versa: http://tinyurl.com/ycfos63f
**7 Vehicles as weapons: http://tinyurl.com/m4sr8e8
**8 Terrorist Attacks by Vehicle Fast Facts: http://tinyurl.com/ybshehae
**9 What does Daesh mean? ISIS 'threatens to cut out the tongues' of anyone using this word: http://tinyurl.com/o7dzwyq
**10 List of mass car bombings: http://tinyurl.com/ycxlzscc

PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.

Comments on U.S. Media

tJvdU6CcsSquAz

Opuscula Go to Rhodes For kosher bread

IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD (south Florida) parve bread with a kosher label is becoming harder and harder to find. Too many bakeries have dropped certification.

Gone are Arnold and Sara Lee, two popular brands.

One brand with an unusual name, “Bimbo,” still is available at Walmart – or at least some Walmarts.

What to do, what to do?

BAKE YOUR OWN

OK, I realize that baking bread from scratch can be too time consuming for our home chefs who also have to deal with jobs outside the house and with children in the house, but there IS a middle ground.

If – big “if” – you can find it.

The middle ground is to buy (almost) ready to bake frozen dough.

There is a company I know about – there may be others – that sells bake-it-yourself products that are UO parve.

I “discovered” Rhodes rolls and loaves when I was working a contract in Bloomington IL c 2000.

I was partial to the wheat bread and Texas wheat rolls. (Rhodes entire product line is available online at /nhttp://www.rhodesbakenserv.com/rhodes-products/ )

I have NO financial interest in Rhodes Breads. The only reason for this blurb is to encourage people to try the products; if they are not available locally, contact Rhodes customer service (customersatisfaction@rhodesbread.com) and tell them you want their product in your area – also contact the stores where you buy bread with a kosher label.

My Spouse has been using Rhodes white bread to make hallot. The product comes three or five loaves in a bag in the frozen food section – when it’s available. (We stock up.) Unfortunately for us, the only Rhodes products the local Walmart carries are white bread loaves and dinner rolls.

The cost of a Rhodes loaf is less that most non-kosher breads.

Rhodes DOES require both planning and patience.

Since it’s frozen, it needs time to thaw to room temperature.

Then it needs time to rise.

Baking time is only 30-35 minutes.

Producing good tasting breads and rolls is simple enough for me to do it (but it always tastes better when the Spouse does it). Just follow the directions on the bag.

Of course there is nothing to stop anyone from adding their personal preference … a little garlic power or an egg wash.

Rhodes does the prep; no heavy duty mixer with bread hook needed; no touring the market’s shelves for the basic ingredients. It’s great for bachelors (and bachelorettes) and on-the-road consultants (how I came to appreciate Rhodes’ products).

So what if Arnold and Sara Lee dropped their certification – Rhodes and its Orthodox Union parve certification saves the day . . . at least at my house.

PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.

Comments on Rhodes breads

In Israel Ultra-”Orthodox” Want benefits Sans obligations

Opuscula Everyone already Knows the secret

According to Arutz 7¹ (a/k/a Israel National News), Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon says that Israel enjoys warm relations with many Arab countries despite the fact that these countries officially refuse to recognize Israel's existence.

That has to come as a surprise to the one or two people who didn’t already know.

Back in the day, c 1977, I worked for one of Israel’s electronics giants. (There were then two.)

I wandered to the production line on one occasion and I noticed there were product labels in what I (incorrectly) thought was Arabic. (The script was Farsi.) What’s this, I innocently asked. I was told that we had an Iranian partner that assembled Made in Israel components, under license to my employer. The Iranian partner put its name on the product.

It also was well known that Israeli-made air conditioners were popular in Saudia Arabia. The sheiks, being pragmatic, wanted ACs that could withstand Saudia’s environment. Both of the major Israeli electronics firms exported their products. All of the Made in Israel products arrived via intermediaries, but the products’ origin was obvious.

No one advertised the fact that, if one paid close attention, a number of Made in Israel products could be found in Muslum-dominated countries, including those of Israel’s neighbors who refused to recognize the State.

Danon’s “admission” that Israel has ties to several of its Muslim neighbors – to the best of my limited knowledge, Iran no longer is counted among those neighbors – uncovers a secret that has not been a secret for decades.

The trade with the Israel’s Muslim neighbors probably has played at least a small part in precenting another multi-national invasion by Muslim armies. Peace with Egypt – made by two former terrorists, Begin and Sadat -- and with Jordan also play a role; all three countries benefit from quiet borders (albeit Egypt is sufering at the hands – and bombs – of fellow Muslims).

1. Arutz 7: http://tinyurl.com/y7cxzu8s

PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.

Comments on Danon’s “secret”

Opuscula Hotovely is right: U.S. Jews don’t Know Israeli life

THERE’S A BIG FLAP in Israel and in the U.S. over a remark Israel’s deputy Foreign Minister made about American Jews.
According to two news sites, she said that U.S. Jews have "convenient lives. They don't know how it feels to be attacked by rockets." 

Unless an American Jew has lived – not just visited, but LIVED – in Israel, her remarks are 100 percent accurate.

Meanwhile, wishy-washy Bebe Natanyahu severely admonished Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely for making offensive and trivializing remarks about U.S. Jews in a television interview.

IT SEEMS THE JEWS Ms. Hotovely so insulted are non-observant Conservative and Reform. Admittedly, while the so-called “Orthodox” population is growing, non-observant Jews far outnumber those who are observant. These people, collectively, provide Israel with a large percentage of its foreign currency.

Hotovely does have support among at least one U.S. Jewish organization.
The Coalition for Jewish Values on Thursday expressed support for Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely (Likud), following a backlash against statements she made during an interview on i24 Wednesday about the relationship between Israel and the American Jewish community.

In Israel, the unrealists harangue Hotovely even in the one Israeli newspaper that is not solidly liberal/left.

Israel HaYom’s Sunday (26 Nov 17) e-edition includes an opinion piece by Yoav Limor who opines that
Hotovely's remarks displayed a combination of ignorance and lack of judgment. A quick review of the subject would have made Hotovely aware that many American Jews have served and continue to serve in the U.S. military, and that quite a few have been decorated. Over half a million American Jews served in the military in World War II. Today, over 100,000 Jews do so, some in senior positions. Thousands of American Jews have been killed in active service.

Hotovely also did direct damage to Israel with her comments. This is not just because thousands of Americans serve in the Israel Defense Forces at any given time, but because those who want the support, financial and otherwise, of American Jews should be willing to listen to their opinions on every subject. And as for Hotovely's claim that American Jews do not understand the situation in Israel because they do not have missiles falling on them, one could say the same about Hotovely. As someone who lives in Rehovot, she has no idea what the children in the Gaza border communities and near Israel's northern border must endure.

The “American Jews” who Hotovely criticized (a) don’t serve in the U.S. military and (b) don’t send their sons and daughters to live in Israel and certainly do not send their sons and daughters to the IDF.

Limor’s remark that As someone who lives in Rehovot, she has no idea what the children in the Gaza border communities and near Israel's northern border must endure. That is an assumption based on his own opinion of the minister; unless he lives with her and knows her every thought, how COULD he know what she thinks.

Hotovely's opinion of American Jews – and it was NOT a blanket statement despite what her detractors would have everyone think – is based on the American Jews’ statements to the media. Altough not all Conservative and Reform Jews are leftists, a majority are, and the majority DOES rule. Observant Jews, among the European Jews this translates to “Orthodox” Jews, largely support Israel, even if they have second thoughts about its prime minister and his knesset, a knesset that tolerates members who actively work to destroy Israel.

Limor contends that Hotovely (and by extension, all Israels in and out of government) should be willing to listen to their (American Jews’) opinions on every subject. Listening is one thing, kow-towing to American Jews who have zero first hand knowledge of life in Israel other than perhaps a brief visit to Tel Aviv – and not South Tel Aviv, mind you. This willingness to listen applies as well to the U.S. government; listening never should be considered doing what America wants at Israel’s expense. (Should the U.S. government listen to Israelis and do as Israelis tell them? That makes as much sense as the other way around.)

Limor remarked that Hotovely said American Jews do not understand the situation in Israel because they do not have missiles falling on them. I wonder, how many American Jews have had rockets fall on or near them except those of us who have lived and worked in Israel. (I had that “pleasure” when I lived in Zefat.) Has anyone heard of rockets falling on Jews in Manhattan, Los Angeles, or even south Florida? Terrorists’ bombs, certainly; that we share with Israelis, but the last rockets to fall on Americans fired by a foreign power where during the War of 1814 (when Francis Scott Key wrote the impossible-to-sing song that became the U.S.’ national anthem).

Limor is entitled to his opinion, but in typical liberal fashion, he missed the mark on reality. It is unfortunate that the editors of Israel HaYom’s e-edition failed to include any credentials for Limor. Is/was he an American? Is he an observant Jew? What are the sources for his claims about American Jews.

Finally, I’d like to know what relevance the number of Jews fighting against the Axis in World Wars 1 and 2 has to do with Jews today. Today, most Jews, even observant ones, are discouraged from joining the U.S. military, although there are those of us to did join and serve. (In times of danger, not before … thus it has been since at least the 1600s; see http://www.bartleby.com/73/1731.html .)

Finally, Limor ends up his misguided opinion piece with Hotovely's comments indicate she is not fit for the role of deputy foreign minister. While most of those involved in Israeli politics are pyromaniacs, it would be wise to keep them as far away as possible from the tinderbox. Apparently he has never heard Henry Kissinger or John Kerry, U.S. secretaries of state who never had a problem chastising Israel for defending itself.

I suppose even an allegedly right-wing publication needs to have at least one leftist’s opinion to show balance – or in Limor’’s case, ignorance of reality.

---

PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.

Comments on Hotovely is right<>

Opuscula Are we too Sensitive?

Do we see slights where none are intended?

THERE WAS AN on-line advertisement for an “Anne Frank” costume.¹

The costume for sale at HalloweenCostumes.com posted to social media shows a smiling girl wearing World War II-era clothing with a beret.

Carlos Galindo-Elvira, who leads the Anti-Defamation League's Arizona office, wrote on Twitter that the costume trivialized Frank's memory.²

I’m not certain how closely the cartoon character in the on-line advertisement resembled the real Anne Frank (see below) or even how accurate the costume.

Since Jewish organizations regularly honor Ms. Frank in plays, lectures, etc., might not the costume be considered another means of making more people aware of Ms. Frank, and by extension, the Holocaust?

I find it astonishing that, given the numbers of famous and near-famous Jewish writers, actors, and other public figures that Jews wait until they feel someone is attacking them — or something they have decided “belongs” to them — before doing any decent PR.

Even Israel — this scrivener holds dual citizenship — is plagued by lousy “hasbarah,” PR. Much of Israel’s international image is bad today not because Israel and Israelis are bad, but because other’s negative PR about Israel dominates. The current prime minister finally, a few years ago, realized the government’s mistake and is making an effort to improve the image of Israel, its citizens, and, to a lesser extant, Jews in general. It is an uphill battle.

There ARE things — images, stories, etc. — to which we should, to which we must, take umbrage, but a costume of a young girl in World War 2-era apparel seems akin to Don Quixote tilting at windmills, but without encouragement from either Sancho Panza or Dulcinea del Toboso.³

Better to work to counter the rhetoric of the so-called “Palestinian Authority” and its brain-washed leftist ideologues in Israel and elsewhere, e.g., U.S. and other college campuses.

Jews do not “own” the Holocaust. The nazis targeted Jews, but they also targeted — and exterminated — many others: political foes, mentally and physically handicapped, and Roma, to name a few others who, unfortunately, most Jewish organizations fail to acknowledge. That’s a mistake; that’s bad PR.

Was the costume — for a singularly non-Jewish holiday, the Eve of All Saints, halloween — really that offensive. Was it demeaning to Ms. Frank or even Jews of her generation? Perhaps every non-observant Jewish girl should wear the costume as she goes trick-or-treating, or — better, perhaps some observant Jewish girls could wear the costume to a Purim magelah reading. We survived Haman; we survived Hitler, and we will survive the extremists on the left and on the right.

Maybe the Anne Frank costume should be sold through synagogues and stores catering to the aware Jew.

Perhaps Jews should rethink concerns about the costume and its advertisement.

Sources

1. Anne Frank outfit: http://tinyurl.com/ydg5nozc

2. Carlos Galindo-Elvira: http://tinyurl.com/y7r5xhj4

3. Don Quixote: http://tinyurl.com/y8zprut6

PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.

Comments on Sensitivity

Opuscula What happened To starving artists?

THE ISRAELI TABLOID Israel HaYom -- if you can believe ANY “news”paper — had a story about artists in Israel complaining that , essentially, the government refused to subsidize anti-Israel “art.”

Whatever happened to the proverbial “starving artist” or artists who worked for the love of their art? They disappeared with the advent of (a) government subsidies and (b) paint-by-the-numbers production lines.

In the U.S. government subsidies really got started in earnest during the depression and — I suspect Eleanor — Roosevelt started funding artists, primarily photographers and writers, to record the depression’s impact on America.

Governments are no different than other patrons of art; they fund what appeals to them. Artists quickly learn that if they bite the hand that feeds them, soon the subsidies (the “food”) will go to other artists who know what their patrons appreciate.

APPARENTLY THIS “economic fact of life” has been ignored by some in Israel who claim to be artists.

The “weasel wording” some in Israel who claim to be artists is because this scrivener suspects that some who fall into this category are not Israelis — neither Jewish Israelis nor Arab Israelis.

Under a headline reading Artists decry funding limitations as curtailing freedom of creation the tabloid reported that:

“Representatives of various artists' organizations and cultural institutions in Israel met this weekend at the Jaffa Theater to discuss "the significance of the orders that have been handed down to the world of culture and art."

“The participants in the meeting expressed unilateral solidarity with the Jaffa Theater and the Arabic-language Al-Midan Theater in Haifa, which have come under the budgetary gun for hosting a program whose content was deemed inappropriate or subversive. This summer, Jaffa Theater hosted an event for former Joint Arab List MK Basel Ghattas, who was convicted for smuggling cell phones to Palestinian security prisoners. Al-Midan Theater has mounted a play glorifying the terrorist murder of IDF soldier Moshe Tamam in 1984.

“The artists are calling on the government to "stop the hounding and persecution of Al-Midan Theater, the Jaffa Theater, the cinematheques, creators and artists because of their artistic activity in various fields of the arts."

Then there are the artists who complain when Israel won’t fund projects that those involved will not perform over the so-called green line.

Given that Israel tolerates members of knesset who actively incite violence against the government in which they sit and the state that provided their education and pays their (knesset) salaries, I suppose the “artists” demands are to be expected.

Even with the ever growing chasm between left and right wing politicians in the United States, I can’t think of anyone in congress (House and Senate) who, as an act of treason, promotes violence against the government or promotes the overthrow of the government as a whole. (Yes, there are politicians who encourage rioters and who encourage people to rail against people of the opposing party — I don’t mention ex-presidents and ex-presidential candidates names — but at least they don’t promote replacing the government with that of a self-proclaimed foe of the country. It would be as if a senator stood on the floor of the Senate and proclaimed America should be ruled by North Korea.)

Maybe I’m simple, but if a movie stars an actor I dislike, I keep my money in my jeans. If a concert program lists early Aaron Copeland, I’ll pass; on the other hand, if it is “later” Copeland I may be first in line for tickets. I’ll pass on Yiddish comedies (I don’t understand Yiddish), but a Hebrew comedy is another matter (I understand Hebrew — פחות או יותר.(

Governments are, after all, funded by taxpayers. I don’t want my money — taxes or otherwise — funding something that I find obnoxious, obscene.

If the “artists” want to slam — or shame — Israel, that’s their right, but don’t whine when the State refuses to fund the activity.

Israel HaYom
http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=45271

PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.

Comments on Artists

Opuscula Uninvited guests And “fake news”

THIS IS BEING KEYED FROM SOUTH FLORIDA as Hurricane (Tropical Cyclone) Irma is buffeting the area with strong winds and rain.

The wind, trying to sneak past accordion shutters and the rain, beating against those shutters, is making a racket, albeit not so loud as to prevent an afternoon nap from the boredom of being sequestered in a 10 year old house.

This scrivener has lived in Florida for many years and has “survived” a fair number of severe storms, (I was not in town when Andrew devastated south Florida in 1992, but I have been in storms in south, central, and Gulf areas of the state.)

Image created by Joel Nihlean; Andrew on left, Irma on right

According to an Israel HaYom headline reading Israelis in Florida report 'hysterical panic' as Irma approaches (see URLs below),

Israeli expats in Sunshine State report sky-high prices for airline tickets out of Florida, gas and water shortages • Irma to hit Sunday as Category 4 storm • Model shows Irma moving west • National Hurricane Center: This is a life-threatening situation.

Now, as the late Paul Harvey was wont to say, The rest of the story,

About a week before Irma made landfall on Sunday, 10 September 2017, local officials had been telling residents to prepare to relocate or to prepare to ride out what was expected to be a Category 5 storm. A Category 5 storm’s MINIMIM wind speed is 156 mph. More than a week out, Irma seemed poised to hit Miami and Dade County head on.

All the media had the information. All the media repeated what emergency managers said about hurricane preparation: get ouFHer familyt or get prepared to survive the storm in situ. Board up windows, stock up on non-perishables, have at least a gallon of water per individual per day, get plenty of batteries for flashlights, check first aid kits and make sure prescription medicines were available for 10 days or so. Fill up the flivver with fuel.

Over and over and over again the media mantra played on tv, radio, and in the press.

Moreover, the state government made it very clear it would punish price gougers severely.

A week before the storm, there was plenty of fuel across the state to get the worst gas guzzler across the Florida-Georgia or Florida-Alabama line.

HOWEVER, Israel HaYom managed to find “ex-pat Israelis” who, despite all the media hype, refused to listen. Israeli chutzpah or Israeli stupidity?

A 71 year old Israeli told Israel HaYom, "There's hysterical panic here. We don't have any gas, and the supermarkets are empty. We're really in a state of siege."

There was, as far as this scrivener could tell, no panic anywhere in Dade (Miami) or Broward (Fort Lauderdale) counties. There were some MINOR altercations at some gas stations on the day before the storm hit, and there were delays getting to the pump at the lowest price-per-gallon stations. (I waited about 10 minutes to fill up; everyone was calm and polite.) Police were stationed at some gas stations in Dade County, mostly to keep the lines moving.

Several days before “D-Day” we hit the markets — super, kosher, and dollar. The only thing not found on my list was more fuel for my two hurricane lanterns. (They both are filled to the brim and Florida Power and Light (FPL) has an excellent reputation for keeping the power on in my neighborhood. Well into the second day of wind and rain and the lights flickered once with no impact on things electronic and once for a few seconds requiring me to set a clock.)

Under the same headline, a woman opted to shell out for pricey plane tickets and fly out of Florida with her husband, their three children and the family dog. Her family was headed for San Francisco. "The airlines are taking everyone for a ride and the prices are insane. But it's better to be safe than sorry. There's crazy stress here. The schools are closed. The whole family is glued to the news and most places have run out of water and gas. Not to mention the traffic jams [caused by the mass evacuation]," she said.

Anytime anyone flies from Miami to San Francisco they can expect “pricy plane tickets.”

If her “entire family” was “glued to the news” she — and they — have no excuse for waiting to relocate for the duration. Schools were closed for (a) student safety and (b) to be used for FREE shelters-as-a-last-resort. There even are shelters that welcome pets. The family had options they preferred not to exercise.

Israel HaYom reported that Irma has also rubbed some of the sweetness off one couple's honeymoon; the newly weds were in Orlando. "Shortly after midnight we got emergency messages on our mobile phones that would put the apocalypse to shame -- 'Leave now!'"

As of Thursday, 9/17, Orange County (Orlando) had issued NEITHER evacuations orders or curfews.

ARUTZ 7 picked up an NPR story, including the NPR headline Who stayed in Miami despite fear of Irma?.

NPR's Kirk Siegler lead off his blurb with Many have evacuated south Florida, but many others either can't get out or are choosing to stay behind and hunker down, prompting concerns about whether there is enough shelter space.

The NPR story starts off that “More than 5 million people have been warned to evacuate South Florida, including in Miami-Dade County.” He could be correct; people living along the coast, on the islands — including Miami Beach, in low-lying areas, and in mobile homes were told to evacuate, albeit police did not go door-to-door enforcing the order. Miami and many other parts of Dade County have a history of flooding. Some people living near construction cranes also were advised to ride out the storm elsewhere. (Irma did damage one crane and that crane damaged a nearby building.) To Siegler’s credit, or perhaps an editor’s, the copy correctly read “More than” rather than incorrectly “Over…”

Siegler noted that there are many homeless in Dade County. What he failed to mention — or perhaps he couldn’t be bothered to find out — that there was transportation for these people who were WILLING to go to a shelter — they cannot be forced into a shelter — and others who were taken to a hospital for mental evaluation (Baker Act) where they can be accommodated for 72 hours.

MEANWHILE, according to Arutz 7, there is delegation of the Israelife Foundation headed for Miami to help the Jewish and Israeli communities following Hurricane Irma.

A delegation of the Israelife Foundation left for Miami on Saturday night to help the local Jewish community and Israeli community in the wake of Hurricane Irma.

"We will lead groups of residents on missions that will arise following Hurricane Irma, which is said to be the most powerful storm ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean" one volunteer said.

Having been involved in emergency management for a number of years, and having worked with other emergency managers around the world, having volunteers — no matter how skilled and how willing — drop in sans coordination with the overall emergency management operation causes more trouble for both professional and volunteer personnel and for the people they are present to assist.

There was no indication in the Arutz 7 article that the Israelis were invited or with whom they are to report.

---

LINKS

Israelis in Florida
http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=45243

Orlando “Leave now!”
https://newsroom.ocfl.net/2017/09/orange-county-activates-level-2-status-ahead-hurricane-irma/

NPR
http://www.npr.org/2017/09/09/549690133/those-who-remain-in-miami-brace-for-irma

Volunteers
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/235278?utm_source=activetrail&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nl

PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.

Comments on Uninvited guests

Opuscula Swiss hope to expel Jews and Muslims

A SMALL PARAGRAPH from Arlene J. Mathes-Scharf's Kashrut.com web site is innocently headlined Swiss to vote on banning import of kosher and halal meat¹ should be read for what it is: The Swiss want observant (and perhaps non-observant, too) Jews and Muslims out of Switzerland.

Kosher and even the less restrictive halal slaughter already is banned; now the Swiss want to prohibit importing kosher/halal to make life more difficult for Jews and Muslims.

According to Wikipedia² History of the Jews in Switzerland reaches back at least a thousand years. Jews and Judaism have been present in the territory of what is now Switzerland since before the emergence of the medieval Old Swiss Confederacy in the 15th century.

Switzerland has Europe's tenth-largest Jewish community, with about 17,500 Jews, roughly 0.2% of the population. About one-third of the Jewish community lives in the Zürich metropolitan area. As of 2009, there were 38 synagogues in the country.

According to Kashrut.com’s source, Jewish News Online, the Swiss banned kosher and halal slaughtering as far back as 1894.

The Swiss have a mixed history with Jews.²

Switzerland gave refuge to approximately 23,000 Jews, but on the other hand the government decided to stay neutral and to be only a country of transit. Those refugees did not get treated that same way as the other refugees from other religions as to financial support, and the Swiss government even persuaded Germany to stamp "J" on the passport of Jews, making it easier to refuse Jewish refugees. When thousands of Jews tried to flee Austria after the Anschluss of March 1938, and again in 1942-1943 when Jews tried to escape deportation from France, the Netherlands, and Belgium, The Swiss borders were completely sealed to Jewish refugees. Till the Second World War was finished, 25,000 Jews were accepted in Switzerland as a refuge, and around 30,000 Jews were denied from entering the country. Most of the refugees has left the country around 1953.

(Ed.: The U.S. under Democrat FDR was far worse than the Swiss regarding Jewish refugees. It did, however, welcome nazi scientists, notably rocket builders, once Germany surrendered.)

A survey from 2014 has exposed that more than one in four Swiss residents are anti-Semitic, making Switzerland’s population one of the most anti-Jewish in Western Europe, according to an online report released this week by the Anti-Defamation League.

A World Jewish Congress lawsuit³ against Swiss banks was launched to retrieve deposits made into Swiss banks by victims of nazi persecution during and prior to World War II. Initiated in 1995 as WJC negotiations with both the Swiss government and its banks over burdensome proof-of-ownership requirements for accounts, strong support from United States politicians and leaked documents from a bank guard pressured a settlement in 1998 in a U.S. court for multiple classes of people affected by government and banking practices. As of 2015, $1.28 billion USD has been disbursed for 457,100 claimants.

(Ed: United States museums are refusing to return Nazi-confiscated artwork by stalling and often purposefully undergoing court hearings to allow the statute of limitations to run its course.⁴)

There is no European country that has not had, over the centuries, an ambiguous relationship with Jews and now with Israel.

The Jewish World Review⁵ notes that such a ban (on kosher slaughter) was an early step of Hitler's Third Reich, some fear the action is part of a growing assault on Jewish life linked to the spread of anti-Semitism sweeping across Europe.

The production of kosher meat, known as shechita, has long been illegal in Norway, Denmark and Sweden. And in Switzerland, attempts to lift a century-old ban caused an anti-Semitic backlash earlier this year.

Some fear the measures may gain ground in European governments because of growing anti-Jewish sentiment. Israel's deputy foreign minister, Rabbi Michael Melchior, said in a statement reacting to the Dutch initiative that "they simply don't want foreigners and they don't want Jews."

While the U.S., despite a State Department that is notoriously anti-Semitic and anti-Israel, kosher and halal slaughter still is legal. When a country abridges religious freedom, it’s time to relocate to a place where a person can freely — and fully — practice his or her religion.

Resources

1 Swiss to vote on banning import of kosher and halal meat

August 18, 2017: JewishNewsOnlline:

"Lawmakers in Switzerland will vote on a bill that outlaws the import of meat from animals that have undergone ritual slaughter, which already is illegal" in Switzerland.

"The bill, which was submitted in June by Matthias Aebischer, a federal lawmaker for the Social Democratic Party of Switzerland – the country’s second largest — has prompted opposition because foie gras is part of the ban. A delicacy made of goose liver that is particularly popular among French-speaking Swiss consumers, foie gras is produced through forced feeding that is widely considered cruel."

"The debate on the measure, which has divided the multinational Swiss state, has extended beyond a proposed ban in the same bill on importing any meat that is produced from animals that are not stunned prior to their slaughter"

"Shechitah, the Jewish ritual method of slaughtering animals, requires they be conscious when their throats are slit — a practice that critics say is cruel but which advocates insist is more humane than mechanised methods used in non-kosher abattoirs. Muslims slaughter animals in a similar method, albeit with fewer restrictions, to produce halal meat."

"Shechitah for all animals except poultry has been illegal in Switzerland following legislation in 1894." "The Swiss Federal Council, which is part of the federal government, in 2016 said banning the import of meat from ritual slaughter would violate international trade agreements that Switzerland had signed." http://www.kashrut.com/News/?alert=W606

2 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antisemitism_in_Switzerland

3 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Jewish_Congress_lawsuit_against_Swiss_banks

4 http://dailycaller.com/2016/06/09/us-museums-are-refusing-to-return-art-stolen-by-nazis/

5 http://www.jewishworldreview.com/0702/euro_kosher.asp

PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.

Comments on Expel Jews

Opuscula Turn UN blacklist Into an opportunity

ISRAELI AND PRO-ISRAEL web sites are heading Israel, US Blast Pending Publication of UN ‘Blacklist’ of Israeli Companies (see http://tinyurl.com/y9exrbc6).

The web sites are bewailing the threat by the anti-Israel organization. (Even a former UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, admitted the UN’s bias.)

I’m not a Pollyanna or a cockeyed optimist, but I see the “blacklist” as an opportunity for Jews and the companies on the UN’s list.

SHOW ME A COMPANY on the UN’s blacklist of organizations doing business with Israeli organizations beyond the Green Line or actually having operations beyond the Green Line and I will make every effort to patronize that organization.

In truth the UN’s black list is little more than Boycott-Divest-Sanction (BDS), an action that many U.S. states have declared illegal. The list has is being compiled by the UN Commission on Human Rights based in Geneva; no surprise there.

Trouble is, while states can punish BDS offenders, what can New York or Washington do about the UN? Fine it? Israel’s foes will willingly pony up any fine. Stop funding the UN? That might get someone’s attention. How about tossing the UN out on it’s political posterior? I wager the UN properties in the U.S. could be sold and rented out and the owners would pay taxes on the property — a boost to New York’s tax base; 405 East 42nd Street, New York, NY, 10017 is prime real estate. Geneva surely can absorb the UN members currently enjoying diplomatic immunity in New York City.

The Pakistan-led proposal to create the report on settlement ties was backed by 32 countries. (The U.S. gave Pakistan less than US$1 billion in 2016.) While European Union nations opposed the creation of the list, they "Obama'ed" and did not vote against the resolution, electing merely to abstain.

The Obama administration was widely criticized for not using its Security Council veto power to stop the anti-settlement resolution.

I don’t know what organizations are on the UN’s blacklist — a list, incidentally that both Israel and the U.S. are trying to convince the UN not to publish — but if the list is published (and the UN goes unpunished), I will encourage everyone I know — Jewish and non-Jewish — to do as I intend to do: patronize the organizations on the list.

According to Israel Today (  http://tinyurl.com/ybhezkyu) a few of the companies that are included in the UN’s blacklist are Caterpillar, TripAdvisor, Priceline.com, and Airbnb. While I doubt I’ll ever buy anything from Cat, I do use, and will continue to use, Tripadvisor and Priceline

OTHER RESOURCES

http://preview.tinyurl.com/zwnnr4e

http://tinyurl.com/h85bx6o

http://tinyurl.com/ybhezkyu

http://tinyurl.com/yax8n62u

http://tinyurl.com/yb5lognb

PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.

Opuscula Notes on Selihot

A few notes on selihot.

In the beginning>/B>

For Sefardim, selihot starts on the night of the second day of Elul.¹

For Ashkenazim, if the first day of Rosh HaShana is Thursday or Shabat, selihot begin Sunday before Rosh HaShana. If the first day of Rosh HaShana is Monday or Tuesday, selihot begins two (2) Sundays before Rosh HaShana. ¹

Before selihot

Before reciting selihot, Sefardim start with (as they awaken) מודה, wash hands, אלהי נשמה, the morning blessings, תקון חצות, ,פתיחת אליהו, and Kadish “Al Israel.”²

When to recite selihot²

Sefardim traditionally recite selihot after halachic midnight (that may be different from 12:00 midnight) but before dawn (עלות בשחר)

Ashkenazim traditionally say the first selihot after halachic midnight on the first night, but then …

Some Ashkenazi and Sefardi congregations recite selihot later in the day, even to early evening.

Sefardi Torah students, teachers (מלמדי תינוקוצ) and workers who could not do their work well if tired, are exempt; however, they should make an effort to recite selihot as do the Ashkenazim (ibid.).⁴

Selihot are not receipted on Shabat.

Tallit or no tallit

The Sefardi prayer leader (שליח ציבור) does not wear a tallit (gadol) during selihot since traditionally selihot are said before dawn and tzit-tzit are not worn in the dark.⁵

Blowing the shofar³

Sefardim have different customs, but most (a) blow the shofar during the 13 attributes (13 מדות) and during the kadish before Answer Us (תענו) — there also are some congregations that do not sound the shofar at either time. The shofar is not blown erev Rosh HaShana

Ashkenazim blow the shofar every day (excluding Shabat) during the month starting with the second day of Elul.

Selihot sans minyan⁶

According to R, Ovadia Yosef a”h, when reciting selihot sans a minyan all Aramaic prayers are skipped.

According to Moroccan tradition, however, the Aramaic passages are recited; the 13 attributes (13 מדות), and instead of saying בדיל ויעבור as Have mercy (רחמנא), is recited, amen is said.

Aramaic See Selihot sans minyan

Resources

In the following list of resources, English language resources are presented in Latin characters. Hebrew language resources are given in Hebrew.

1. Ask Moses, http://tinyurl.com/y792ted5

2 סליחות סוכת גוג

3 קצור שלחן ערוך של הרה''ג מרדכי אליהו

4ילוט שמ''ש של הרה''ג שלום משאש

5 הוד יוסף חי של הרה''ג יוסף משאש

6 דברי שלום ואמת של ברב''ג שלום משאש

NOTE: In the קצור שלחן ערוך של הרה''ג מרדכי אליהו, the Ashkenazi traditions are from the “mappa” of R. Moses Isserles (a/k/a Rema) on the Shulhan Aruk of Maran Yosef Caro.

PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.

Opuscula CHUTZPAH ! PA terrorists expect Israeli hospitals’ To save their lives

THEN THEY INCITE THEIR PEOPLE TO KILL ISRAELIS.

It boggles the mind the absolute gall, the chutzpah; in other words,
arrogance
brass
brazenness
cheek
conceit
effrontery
guts
haughtiness
impertinence
impudence
insolence
presumption.

The PA’s chief spokesperson against Israel has checked into an Israeli hospital in hopes of getting a life-saving lung transplant.

The Ministry of Health and the National Transplant Center made clear on Tuesday that senior Palestinian Authority (PA) official Saeb Erekat will only be permitted to undergo a lung transplant in Israel under very rare circumstances, according to the Arutz 7 site.

Why don’t these people who demonize Jews want to eliminate Israel go to a Muslim country for treatment? Surely there are good Muslim doctors in the more “enlightened” Muslim countries such as Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Emirates, and Dubai; what about Turkey?

Russia is trying to make its presence felt in the mid-east again; won’t the Russians foot the bill to transport PA executives and their families to Russian hospitals?

Aren’t they worried that the Israeli medical personnel — Arab and Jew — will send them to their graves?

Erekat is not the only one who wants to kill all Jews and eliminate any hint that Israel exists.

The hospitalization of the sister of Hamas’ Abu Marzouk is the latest case of a relative of a member of the terror group being treated in Israel despite a toxic relationship with the Jewish state.

The incident marks the latest in a series of medical treatments Israel has offered to the families of Hamas leaders.

Even at times of open hostilities, Hamas and PA officials do not hesitate to seek treatment in Israeli hospitals for themselves and their loved ones. And Israel accommodates them, allowing them to cross the borders for humanitarian purposes.

Ismail Haniyeh’s daughter was hospitalized at Tel Aviv’s Ichilov Hospital for “a number of days,” according to a hospital spokesman. The hospital did not disclose her medical condition, but Reuters reported the treatment followed complications during a standard medical procedure the woman had undergone in Gaza.

In June, Haniyeh’s 68-year-old mother-in-law was treated in Augusta Victoria Hospital, near Jerusalem’s Mount of Olives.

The brother-in-law of PA President Abu Mazen (a/k/a Mahmoud Abbas) underwent life-saving heart surgery at a private hospital in Tel Aviv.

Doctors in Israel performed surgery on Abu Mazen's' wife, Amina Abbas, at a private clinic near Tel Aviv over the weekend, coinciding with the search for the three murdered teens, Eyal Yifrah, Naftali Frenkel, and Gilad Sha’ar by Palestinian terrorists.

Despite Israel treating PA and Hamas' officials near kin, the Middle east Monitor contends that The former head of the World Health Organisation’s cancer programme, Professor Karol Sikora, predicted that advances in genetics means doctors will soon be able to prescribe medicines targeting each individual’s cancer.

This is wonderful news for all cancer patients; all, that is, except those who live in the Gaza Strip, especially women with breast cancer. This is now the biggest killer of Palestinian women in the besieged territory, not least because the heartless Israeli authorities refuse to let them pass through checkpoints for life-saving treatment.

It’s not just PA and Hamas’ leaders kin that find care in Israeli hospitals. Hundreds of Syrians injured in the Muslim-vs.-Muslim war make their way to the Israel border where they initially are treated by IDF medical personnel. Those that need additional care are transferred — by Israel at Israelis’ expense — to appropriate hospitals where they are treated — at Israelis’ expense.

PA doctors train at Jewish hospitals, notably Hadassah in Jerusalem, continuing a tradition that preceded statehood. Once trained, these doctors are expected to return to PA territory.

The Arab leadership can only be described as schizophrenic.

On the one hand, they want Israel desroyed and all Jews — and a few Israeli Arabs as well — killed … driven into the sea.

On the other hand, the “leadership” of the PA terroritories and Gaza travel to Israel (Erekat) and send their near kin to Israel for medical treatment.

Palestinians travel to Europe and other Muslim states daily via Israel’s main international airport (Lod). Gazans can travel to Egypt, and from there travel to any country that will have them.

THEY DO NOT NEED TO SEEK TREATMENT IN ISRAEL and Israel never should be expected — or feel the need — to treat the leadership of peope sworn to destroy Israel.

It is obvious to even the most anti-Israel bigot that treating PA and Hamas’ leadership only increases hatred for the only country in the middle east that offers freedom to all its citizens.

---

If the links fail to work, see http://tinyurl.com/y82lye4d to learn how to find/access them. It's a Google problem.

PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.

Comments on Chutzpah