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

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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 . . .

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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