I say "Genocide," you say "Massacre" - Let's Call the Whole Thing Off!

The current media shitstorm over Abe Foxman of the ADL's upgrade from "massacre" to "genocide" to describe the murder of 1.5 million Armenians by the Ottoman Empire between 1915-1918 really stinks.

"Genocide" is the attempted extermination of a group of people by another group of people. The Turks did it to the Armenians. The Nazis did it to the Jews. The Soviets did it to the Russian dissidents. The Japanese did it to the Chinese. The Khmer Rouge did it to the Cambodian people, Rwanda's Hutu's did it to the Tutsi, and the Serbs did it to the Muslims in Bosnia-Herzegovina too.

Turkey is in an uproar because the American Congress (which apparently has nothing else to do) is about to pass a non-binding resolution to condemn the Ottoman Empire (FYI: no longer in existence) for its atrocities during the early part of the 20th Century. "Don't you dare call it genocide," they warn. Heavens no, anything but that! Mass murder, pre-planned massacre...that's ok, but dear Lord - not "genocide!"

"What's in a name?" mused Juliet, leaning over the balcony in her reverie. "That which is called a rose by any other name would smell as sweet! So Romeo would, if he were not Romeo called, retain that dear perfection which he own! Oh Romeo!" she swoons, thinking herself alone in the night, "Doff thy name! And for thy name, which is no part of thee - take all myself!"

Juliet, whose last name was Capulet, stabbed her own heart out, and died entombed with her Romeo, whose last name was Montique, poisoned by his own hand.

Apparently there is something in a name.

Hey so-called modern State of Turkey - what's in a name? Let the U.S. Congress, the ADL and anyone else call a proverbial spade a spade. Take it like a man - if a country can be asked to do such a thing.

Anyway, the world will forget. It always does. Genocide is, after all ... so very 20th Century.

Fly the Holy Skies

El Al started it all, but as usual the Christian world follows suit...

POPE GIVES BLESSING TO HOLY PLANES

ROME, Italy (AP) -- A Vatican-backed charter airline service made its inaugural flight Monday, aiming to carry pilgrims to such Catholic shrines as Lourdes, Fatima, Santiago de Compostela and the Holy Land.
The flights, scheduled to start regular service next year, are tailored to the pilgrims' needs, with inscriptions such as "I search for Your face, Lord," decorating the seats, and religious videos shown on board.
"We want to create the conditions to enable pilgrims to live their pilgrimage starting at their city's airport and even before they arrive at their destinations," said the Rev. Caesar Atuire, CEO for the "Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi," an outfit that organizes pilgrimages for the Diocese of Rome.
"That's why we created this initiative, with a dedicated aircraft, trained staff, and messages (on board) to help people live a better experience," he told reporters at a presentation ahead of the inaugural flight, which carried VIPs and church officials to Lourdes.
The five-year agreement between Mistral Air, a small airline owned by the private Italian post office, and the "Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi," offers flights leaving from seven Italian airports, including Rome and Verona, with a Boeing 737-300.
Officials expect the deal will bring an estimated 150,000 passengers a year to destinations including Fatima, Portugal; Lourdes, France; Santiago de Compostela, Spain; the Holy Land; Czestochowa, Poland; and Sinai, Egypt.
Details on schedules and fares are still being discussed. However, Atuire said the airline is hoping to offer pilgrims competitive prices.
Rome Cardinal Camillo Ruini praised the initiative.
"The way to make pilgrimages can change over time but their deepest meaning remains the same: To look for a deeper contact with God," he told reporters before boarding the inaugural flight.
The Vatican does not have an airline or its own airport, and the pope regularly takes special flights with commercial carriers for his trips around the globe.

What George Said

An occasion worth noting:

In 1790, The sexton of the Hebrew Congregation of Newport, Rhode Island, wrote a letter to George Washington, on behalf of the Jewish community welcoming the President on his visit to Newport.

In his letter, he expressed a vision of an American government that would permit all religions to live side by side in harmony, giving all its citizens the freedom to practice their religions.

On August 18, 1790, President Washington responded:

The Citizens of the United States of America have a right to applaud themselves for having given to mankind examples of an enlarged and liberal policy: a policy worthy of imitation. All possess alike liberty of conscience and immunities of citizenship. It is now no more that toleration is spoken of, as if it was by the indulgence of one class of people, that another enjoyed the exercise of their inherent natural rights. For happily the Government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance, requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens, in giving it on all occasions their effectual support...May the Children of the Stock of Abraham, who dwell in this land, continue to merit and enjoy the good will of the other Inhabitants; while every one shall sit in safety under his own vine and figtree, and there shall be none to make him afraid...

Tzfat's Khan of the White Donkey

Although it is only 180 years old, "The Khan" is Tzfat's newest musical space, and so much more. Moshe Tov Kreps and his all-star team including Gavi Strauss and Eliyahu (Andy) Alperin have expanded the Center for Healthy Living into the historic space of what was once a "khan" or caravansarai -- a lodging place for the donkey caravans that came to the market place in the old days. Hence the new moniker: HaKhan HaHamor HaLavan - the Khan of the White Donkey. After all, it's an undisputed Talmudic fact that the Messiah will pass through Tzfat on His way to Jerusalem, and not only that, that a white donkey will make a key appearance in the story itself. The Khan was the site of 3 nights of musical innovation including a guest appearance by Yehuda Katz. Chai shop, beer (imported all the way from the Golan Winery), kosher snacks and fun was had by all.

Moshe Tov describes the Khan this way:

We're very happy to announce that about 3 months ago we acquired an historic 160-year-old property in the heart of old Tzfat that will provide a site for expanded activities of the Center. Located in the Artists' Quarter near the General Exhibition (the old mosque) and the Maayan HaRadum, and unused and rundown for almost 20 years, it is dominated by a large stone-arched hall of over 100 meters, one of the largest single rooms in Tzfat. We believe it used to be a "khan" or caravansarai, a kind of combination stable and inn where in the old days traveling merchants and their caravans of pack animals (most likely donkeys) would gather and stay while doing business at the central shuk (marketplace) next door. There is also a small apartment, courtyard and rooftop. It is a very special place with much potential that calls out for sensitive restoration.
We have been cleaning it up, exploring its spaces and patiently assessing possibilities. Our ideas include using the big room for large group activities, yoga, movement, dance classes, lectures, community meals, childrens activity groups, music performances, theatre, movies, art gallery, workshop space, etc. The apartment area could serve as an office, library, meeting space, holistic treatment rooms, guest rooms, etc. In addition we envision creating a food preparation and service space which could support nutrition and cooking classes as well as a simple natural food bar open to the public.
We are excited that this space could anchor a larger development growing into a conference center, institute or community center manifesting the purposes of the Center for Healthy Living: improving the quality of the environment, supporting holistic approaches to personal and community health, demonstrating the practical benefits of traditional arts & culture, and stimulating community creativity. In short, to be a catalyst for the much-needed sustainable vitalization of Tzfat and the Upper Galilee.
The building renovation itself will become an open project of the Center, as we learn and share knowledge of appropriate traditional methods and materials. We are interviewing architects, builders, environmental designers, health workers, etc to form a team of professionals, consultants, locals and visitors to work together to create a showcase for creative stewardship. We plan to have fun doing it.

Anyone interested in finding out how they can help with the Khan's restoration and development, please contact Moshe Tov Kreps at Tzfat's Center for Healthy Living, (054)7338388.

Tzfat Klezmerfest!

The annual Klezmer Festival is Tzfat's claim to musical fame, and this year was no exception to the rule. Three nights (Monday August 20th through Wednesday August 22nd), multiple stages, venues both public and private, publicized and secret, saw the best of the best of Klezmer (a.k.a. Jewish Soul Music), as well as jazz, blues, improv, old hippie stuff, original materials, "religious music" (isn't all music religious) all-enveloped in the perennial strains of the ubiquitous chant of: Na Na Nah Nachman m'Uman!

Catch a Falling Star

A spectacular view of the Perseids Meteor Shower was seen from the hills of Kadita, outside of Tzfat. The hours between Midnight and 4am of Monday August 13th saw the greatest frequency of falling stars. The assembled Chaverim huddled on the hillside brought plenty of blankets and bottled water, but surprisingly no one remembered a flashlight. Lo and behold: cellphones are the new flashlights. Although it had been in the high 90's all day, a strange mist rose all around us, and we lay looking up at the Milky Way, all solar mist itself. Truly cosmic in the best sense of the word!

Musical Road Trip Part 1

As if the Deadheads United concert in Jerusalem Moe'tzi Shabbas wasn't enough, it was time to take a musical road trip North.

Ultimate destination: Tzfat's annual Klezmer Music Festival.

First stop: pick up itennerant Jewish (but not Klezmerish) musican, fresh in from a gig in Turkey, at the Benjamina bus stop.

Second stop: pick up sound system in Zichron Yaakov - which quickly became perfect excuse to swim the rest of the day away at a beautiful secluded beach north of Hof Dor.

Swimming in the Medeterranian Sea, so far from anyone or anything, with only endless blue of sea and sky punctuated by rocky reefs and mossy flats upon which to explore, was a much-appreciated delightful treat.

Jerry in Jerusalem - "The Rebbes of Rock"

Deadheads United at Jerusalem's Yellow Submarine on August 11th for a night of Grateful Dead music celebrating the 12th Yartzeit of Jerry Garcia. Spearheaded by N Safeq frontman and former Carlebach session artist Aryeh Naftaly, the All-Star Israeli musical lineup included Reva L'Sheva's Hanan Elias, Danny Roth and special guest guitar jammer Yehuda Katz; Duvid Swirsky of the Moshav Band, and Yood's Elizer "Lazer Lloyd" Blumen.

Edem MiQuedem's Shmuel Nelson was also scheduled to appear but couldn't make it because his wife was giving birth to their child. Mazel Tov!

The band opened with Sugaree, then played One More Saturday Night, followed by an ironic Friend of the Devil, and Deal. The room became electric with "One Way or the Other," the lyrics "One way or another / this darkness got to give" took on a special meaning here in Jerusalem that it never had in the United States, even in the dark Nixonian era of the early '70's.

The evening also treated the lucky listeners to Samson & Delilah (a paean to the local homeboy!) went into a Franklin's Tower / Space jam. The night also included U.S. Blues, Ship of Fools, Eyes of the World, as well as a somewhat out-of-place Casey Jones and a sweetly poignant Ripple.

Crowd reaction ranged from estactic to blissful. Original Deadheads (who have actually seen Jerry) and the next generation who've inherited the love of the music experienced nostalgia and an overwhelming sense that we (read: Jerusalemites, Israelis and Anglo Transplants) NEED some of the old spirit of those days - even though it has been "a long strange trip," indeed we know now, more than ever, that WE NEED A MIRACLE EVERY DAY.

Lawsuit Against God Rejected

BUCHAREST, July 12 (RIA Novosti) - A Romanian court has rejected a lawsuit against God filed by a local prisoner serving a 20-year term for murder, a local newspaper said.
Evenimentul Zilei said Mircea Pavel's suit was against "defendant God, resident in Heaven, represented here by the Romanian Orthodox Church."
In late 2005, it was reported that the convict, serving his term in the western Romanian city of Timisoara, blamed God for the troubles in his life and wanted God brought to account for failing to fulfill the commitments He undertook and for taking bribes.
The plaintiff said that when he had been baptized in childhood, he concluded a contract with God that had legal effect - God was supposed to protect him from evil, and insisted that the Romanian church should compensate him for the alleged God-inflicted damage.
"God received different material valuables from me, as well as prayers in exchange for promises of a better life. In reality, this did not happen - I found myself in the devil's hands," the plaintiff said.
The court rejected the prisoner's claims on the grounds that "God is not an object of law and has no residence address."

Dancing in the Streets of J-Town

The Jewish Agency for Israel is throwing a 3-day street festival.

Olim

Yerushalyem,

"Ascending to Jerusalem," is a celebration of the 40 years since Jerusalem's re-unification and an opportunity for anyone and everyone to find out more information about making Aliyah - becoming a citizen of Israel.

Jewish Agency Absorption Counselors are out in droves to answer questions, give directions and suggestions and evangelize on behalf of the wonder and magic of living as a Jew in the Jewish State.

Musicians, storytellers, craftspeople, jugglers, artists, hippies and hipsters gather together to enjoy the street party, all in the hopes of attracting some of the Jews who are here on holiday to think about staying a little longer ... like the rest of their lives!

"The Cry of the Mothers"

"Zakat HaEemahot" means

"The Cry of the Mothers," and the mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, family & friends of young Israelis who have been killed by random violence such as murders, car thefts gone wrong, being in the wrong place at the wrong time, etc. are camped out in front of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's residence in Rehavia, trying to get him to pay attention to their plight.

This group is advocating for a change in procedures for the "24 Hour Law," meaning police won't open a file or an investigation on a missing person until they've been missing 24 hours.

The families sit on chairs behind pictures of four young Israelis whose lives might have been saved if their frantic families who had called police about their missing children would have been able to open an investigation before their child had been missing 24 hours.

Pictured (in frames behind the seated family members):

Inbal Amram

Shaket Shahov

Raz Morr

Mayan Sapir

Unfortunately, Prime Minister Olmert was too busy giving away land to Fatah (and their almost newly reconciled ex-best-friends Hamas, who are just about to re-join the PA government after their recent spat in Gaza that killed hundreds of their own) and freeing terrorists to pay any attention to "the cry of the mothers."

United Buddy Bears Visit Jerusalem

United Buddy Bears comes to Jerusalem - here I am between the Buddy Bear from the United States (that's the big green one holding the torch and wearing the Statue of Liberty's crown) and the United Kingdom (Union Jack, y'all).

Yes, as befitting an art installation whose title is: "United Buddy Bears: The Art of Tolerance," the bears line Jerusalem's Safra Square in alphabetical order. Israel's Buddy Bear (wearing a Kotel-inspired motif) is sandwiched between Iraq and Iran (pictured).

There are even Buddy Bears from countries that exist either in memory only (i.e. Armenia) or in fantasy (the Palestinian Authority, see picture of Palestinian Buddy Bear with kafiyah around neck next to Pakistani Buddy Bear).

Crossroads

When standing at a crossroads - at the metaphorical corner of Shamai & Hillel - what's the right choice?

Shamai always insists on the more stringent path, while Hillel tends towards leniancy.

Our Sages say that in this world we follow the rulings of Hillel and in the Messianic Age we will follow the rulings of Shamai - in other words, right now we have to be realists (Hillel) and when Messiah comes we can afford to be idealists (Shammai).

So does that mean that in the upcoming Likud primaries we should be "realists" and vote for Bibi, or "idealists" and vote for Moshe Feiglin?

Realists will never build an idealistic world, and idealists will never be able to live in a realistic world. History proves this, again and again.

What kind of REAL choices do we have here?

All I can do is quote those non-Talmudic sages, Led Zepplin:
"Standing on my heels on the mountain of dreams, telling myself it's not as hard, hard, hard as it seems"

The Judy Tradition Lives On!

The esteemed Rabbi Neal from NYC is the first "mule" from the U.S. on behalf of The Judith H. Wachtel Travel & Hospitality Relief Fund - bringing Dove Unscented Soap for Sensitive Skin (bar version of course), zip-lock baggies and Swiffers all the way from NYC to me in Jerusalem.

The Judith H. Wachtel Travel & Hospitality Relief Fund was named for the late, great, adventurous, beloved and much-missed Judy Wachtel, mother of my best friend Amy.

Judy began it all by being the first to schlep important things we needed in Israel when Amy & I lived as teenagers in Jerusalem - such vital, life-saving personal care items such as Herbal Essence shampoo and other then-impossible-to-get toiletries!

Although much has changed in Israel since we were 18 (toilet paper: much better; traffic: much worse) one thing remains the same - there are certain items that need to be...shall we say, imported?

ANYONE coming to Israel from the U.S. who has: A) a heart, B) one inch of room in their luggage and/or C) a sense of humor, please contact me via email (lorelaikude@yahoo.com) and you will be put in touch with either the East Coast or West Coast representatives of the Judith H. Wachtel Travel & Hospitality Relief Fund and you will be asked to become a "mule" - bringing VERY IMPORTANT items for ME from the U.S.!

Judy would be proud of you for doing this kind of a mitzvah! :)

What's Going On?

Tony Blair becomes special envoy to the Middle East.
President Bush wants to give the Saudis $20 Billion in heavy armaments - just what the neighborhood needs.
Condi Rice tells Israel our future is in the Galilee and the Negev, and calls for a Palestinian State in the West Bank and Gaza.
American Evangelicals send letter to President Bush urging him to push for a 2-State Solution in the Middle East and disabuse him of the impression that all "Evangelical" Christians support Israel unilaterally and in all things.

...and that's just what's going on OUTSIDE of Israel!

INSIDE Israel, the Olmert Government can't give concessions away fast enough. Terrorists are released from jail, more Jewish communities in Biblical Judea & Samaria are slated for future "disengagement" evictions, and Olmert desperatly grasps for something, anything, to claim as his legacy instead of the disgrace of his administration during the "Second Lebanon War," last summer.

WHAT'S GOING ON, PEOPLE???

et tu, Bugs Bunny?

There is something distinctly wierd and disconcerting about watching Bugs Bunny and other favorite Warner Bros. cartoons from the '60's on Middle Eastern Satellite TV. At first I didn't realize the dialogue was Arabic voice-over because Road Runner cartoons have no dialogue, but there's no mistaking the famous phrase, "What's up, Doc?" even when it's said in Arabic. However, Arabic fails to catch the sarcasm, the Bronx / Brooklyn accent, the hint that Bugs Bunny actually knows the answer to the question before he asks it. I can't image what the late great voice artist Mel Blanc (yes, of course a Jew) would say if he could hear what "What's up, Doc?" sounds like in Arabic, and I wonder if the programmers of Saudi Satellite TV where the cartoons play know that Bugs is Jewish too :)
Road Runner & Wiley E. Coyote - definitly not Kosher animals, therefore not Jewish.
Foghorn Leghorn - although chicken itself is Kosher if slaughtered correctly, Foghorn Leghorn is obviously a Southern Baptist (Fried chicken is to Southern Baptists what Cholent is to Orthodox Jews).
Daffy Duck - Kosher yes but not too bright. Maybe only half Jewish.
Elmer Fudd and Yosemite Sam - both Methodists, one practicing (Elmer) and one not (Sam).
Pepe LePew - French. Nothing more to say.
Porky Pig - Trafe. Need I even go on?
"Th...th...th...th...that's all, folks!"

Jerusalem Mourns Jerusalem

The fast of Tisha b'Av came at sunset last night, after the final meal (carbs, baby!) and a pre-fast marathon of drinking immense amounts of water to ensure some probability of making it through the longest fast day of the Hebrew calendar without emerging with a migrane or dehydration.

I joined several thousand other people in Safra Square (the HQ of the Jerusalem Municipality) where Women in Green ("Women for Isrel's Tomorrow) sponsored the evening - first Ma'ariv prayers ("we can't begin davening until women move to the left side of the square and men to the right, please!") and then the reading of Eicha (the Book of Lamentations), the most mournful of all Scriptures.

And so begins the prophet Jeremiah's lament:

How doth the city sit solitary, that was full of people! How is she become as a widow! She that was great among the nations, and princess among the provinces, how is she become tributary! She weepeth sore in the night, and her tears are on her cheeks; she hath none to comfort her among all her lovers; all her friends have dealt treacherously with her, they are become her enemies.

After reading (in Hebrew of course) the entire Book of Lamentations, the entire group of some thousands of people all walked together around the walls of Jerusalem's Old City. After reading about the destruction of the walls, the gates and the Temple, the exile of our people and the humiliations we endured at the hands of our enemies, it was noteworthy to mark the high level of police and army security accompanying the walkers, especially through East Jerusalem, where Arab pop music wafted through the night and bathed the marchers in the sounds of discomfort.

Finally ended up at the Kotel with about 100,000 other people. Some sat on the ground, others on low chairs, mats or pillows, others stood and roamed. More people than ever wore orange bracelets, orange t-shirts - orange is the color of protest against the disasterous Israeli government policy of "disengagement," which has wrought nothing but havoc and heartache on the population of Gush Katif, Northern Samaria, and threatens everyone else in Eretz Yisrael if our government continues to believe and act on The Big Lie - i.e., that if we give land for peace, there will be peace.

We gave away Gaza - and not a day has gone by since we "disengaged" that Kassam rockets have not fallen in Israel "proper," especially the Western Negev town of Sderot.

We have a lot to mourn for - past and present.

We will have a lot MORE to mourn for if we continue our present course of idiocy and denial of reality.

Our Siddur (prayer book) reminds us every day that Jerusalem was destroyed and we, the Jewish people, were sent into exile "because of our sins." Not because of other people's sins, not because of "anti-semitism," but because of OUR sins - first and foremost amongst them, NOT believing and having faith in the God of Israel.

May this Tisha b'Av bring clarity to our minds, repentance to our hearts and determination that we should remember the words of Jeremiah in the 3rd Chapter of Lamentations:

"This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. Surely the LORD'S mercies are not consumed, surely His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Thy faithfulness. 'The LORD is my portion', saith my soul; 'Therefore will I hope in Him.' The LORD is good unto them that wait for Him, to the soul that seeketh Him. It is good that a man should quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD."

Everybody's talking, nobody's listening

Sunset tonight we will begin to commemorate the fast of Tisha b'Av, the climax of the Three Weeks when we mourn the destruction of the Holy Temple - not just once, but twice - which took place on the 9th of Av as well as many other disasters for the Jewish nation including the Spanish Inquisition, the outbreak of WWI, Krystalnacht, etc.

It all began in the year 1312 B.C.E. when the Spies returned to Moses and the Children of Israel to bring their report of what the Land of Israel was like. They all agreed it was a very good land, but 10 out of the 12 spies said the inhabitants of the land were "like giants" and that they would swallow us Jews up and that there was no possible way we could take the land.

Only two of the Spies - Joshua and Caleb - said to the Israelites that the Lord would fight on our behalf and that we shouldn't worry about the "giants" because the land was to be given to us by the Lord, not by our own ability to fight battles.


Of course the Israelites believed the 10 negative Spies and that is why we had to wander a total of 40 years in the desert instead of only a few weeks - as punishment for disbelieving the Lord our G_d who brought us out of the land of Egypt, fed us in the desert with Manna, and gave us the Torah at Mt. Sinai. If He could do all that, a few "giants" in the land should be nothing for Him. And yet we still didn't trust Him.

Our Sages say that the sin of believing the negative report of the Spies is the basis for all of the rest of the disasters that befell the Children of Israel throughout history.

The more things change, the more they stay the same. Everybody is talking, no one is listening. We still believe the negative report of the Spies and we still don't trust the Lord our G_d Who brought us back to this land after 2,000 years of exile.

So tonight here in Jerusalem will begin a time of mourning, fasting, the reading of the book of "Lamentations" written by the Prophet Jeremiah. We will assemble, sit on the ground, weep, tear our clothes, and call out for redemption.

The Lubavicher Rebbe said: "Our sages tell us that the Holy Temple was destroyed and we were exiled from our land because there was "baseless hatred" amongst us. Accordingly, the way to bring the Redemption is through baseless love -- to love a fellow even though one sees no cause whatsoever for such love."

Secular and Observant, Haredi and Religious Zionist, black hat and white kippah, Litvaks and Chassidim, Ashkenazi and Sephardi, left and right-wing - is there any possible way, for once in our lives, that we can transcend what divides us and remember who we are and why we are here?

Dig that Temple Mount, man!

This would be a good time to pray that the illegal destructive digging the Moslem Wakf is doing on the Temple Mount results in a complete cave-in of the Dome of the Rock so we can rush in with our pre-fabricated Holy Temple and build!

The Temple Institute reports:

On the Eve of the Fast of the 9th of Av, 1937 Years after the Destruction of the Holy Temple at the Hands of the Roman Invaders, the Destruction Continues!Workers under the direction of the Moslem Wakf have dug a trench two meters deep and eighty meters long (2.5 feet x 87 yards) on the Temple Mount.

Ostensibly, this excavation has been carried out in order to lay down electrical cables. However, the Israel Antiquities Authority, charged by Israeli law with the important responsibility of overseeing all work at archaeological sites, is turning a blind eye. The turning of this blind eye, it would seem, is the government of Israel's policy concerning Moslem destruction of Jewish artifacts on the Temple Mount. The IAA supervises every other archaeologically-sensitive area in the country with great scrutiny. Why are the Israeli police on the Temple Mount physically preventing concerned archaeologists from assessing the damage being done? These archaeologists have been able to ascertain, even from a distance of many meters, that irreparable damage to ancient structures is being caused by this unsupervised and illegal excavation. How could it be otherwise? The trench being dug stretches from the location of the great altar to the Sanctuary itself!

Happy Yartzeit Holy Arizel!

The "Ari" (Rabbi Isaac Luria Ashkenazi, a.k.a. the Holy Arizel) passed away in Tzfat in 1572. This is a picture of his Ohel ("tent" or tomb where he is buried).


The Ari was born in Jerusalem in 1534. In 1570 he settled in Tzfat, where he lived for two years until his passing at age 38.

The Ari revolutionized the study of Kabbalah, and came to be universally regarded as one of the most important figures in Jewish mysticism.

"Every created entity has a spark of G-dliness within it, a pinpoint of divinity that constitutes its soul. When we utilize something to serve the Creator, we penetrate its shell of mundanity, revealing and realizing its divine essence. Thus we elevate these "sparks", reuniting them with their Source." - The "Ari", Rabbi Isaac Luria

Scenic Samaria - Blessings and Cursings

Yesterday I visited Itamar, out in luscious, beautiful Samaria.

Located in the Shomron area of Biblical Israel (also known by the politically incorrect term of "The West Bank," "The Occupied Territories," "Beyond the Green Line," etc.), Itamar is literally a stone's throw away from Mt. Garazim and Mt. Ebal - the mountains of Blessings and Cursings which were commanded by Moses to be pronounced by the 12 Tribes when they entered the Land of Israel (Deut. 11:29-30, Deut. 27:11-26).

After leaving Jerusalem and crossing through the various security barriers, everything changes. Beyond other side of the Security Fence that divides the "green line" is a vast moonscape, barren rocky hills occupied by Arab villages, tents and trailers. An occasional flock of goats driven by barefoot boys wielding sticks and stones are sighted as we drive.

In our rental car, we are flying over poorly paved pock-marked roads "condemned by international standards," as my Guide, riding shotgun in the passenger seat, likes to say. The road rises and falls before us, a narrow asphalt ribbon disappearing into the hills.

We whiz by Arab villages with outlandishly oversized houses, garishly designed desert mansions in ghostly configurations, some with improbable pagoda roofs, all unfinished so that future generations may "add on" as they like.

Donkeys and dust, roadside fruitstands, futility and flies.

"Careful here," my Guide warns me in whispers, inscrutable behind his Ray Bans. "This is where the big Arab gravel trucks like to run us off the road and leave us for dead."

"I grew up on the L.A. Freeway system," I said with serene confidence. "No driving experience can possibly intimidate me."

"Good, I'm glad to hear it. Now gun it and drive as fast as you can through this part, and don't stop for anything or anyone. Usually we prefer bulletproof busses but I have a good feeling about this rental car today. Did you take out full insurance?"

Once inside the massive electronic security fence, Itamar is beautiful. Green and lush, edged with plenty of barbed wire, watchtowers, road patrols, infrared cameras and IDF sharpshooters, suddenly we realized we were perfectly safe.

As if to illustrate how safe it is within the "Settlement" itself, we picked up hitchhikers - two little girls, looked to be 6 and 4, to whom we gave a ride to the top of the hill where our host's house and property is located. The site of these two little girls hitchhiking within the apparent total and complete security of Itamar itself was shocking in an unnameable way.

We were there to visit Baruch, who has a large farm where he presses his own olive oil, makes his own honey and wine, raises chickens on organic feed grown on his own property, and where he grinds and stores kosher organic flour grown in Israel.

Baruch has lived in Itamar for over 20 years. He and his wife have 7 sons, all of whom study Torah and the older ones work with their father in the fields and the groves. It's possible they are still trying for a daughter.

Baruch takes us on a tour of the olive oil press, the honey farm, the massive and unexpectedly air-conditioned storage facility where tons of the world's best Kosher Organic Flour is grown, ground, packaged and stored. Baruch sells it, kilo by kilo, to customers in Jerusalem who can't get enough of it - he delivers once a week, and no matter how much he brings in there isn't enough supply to meet the demand.

He gives us a small jar of homemade quince jam and two plastic spoons. My Guide and I dip in and within moments our mouths are filled with the sweetest, most delicious taste ever - and we begin to laugh "like dreamers...our mouth will be filled with laughter and our tongue with glad song" (Psalm 126). We battle with our spoons within the jar for another and another heavenly mouthful.

"Enough," says my Guide, holding the half-finished jar high above his head. I can't argue about quince jam with someone who is well over 6 feet tall and possibly a trained assassin. "I need the rest of this for my ulcer, it's like medicine to me."

Baruch points out Mt. Garazim and Mt. Ebal, which rise like the most luscious of breasts, languid supine against the mercilessly blue sky. In the cleavage is a natural amphitheater, acoustically perfect, where in approx. 1423 B.C.E. after the Israelites, led by Joshua, defeated both Jericho and Ai, the voices of the our ancestors were heard with perfect clarity pronouncing blessings and cursings upon themselves and future generations.

Six Tribes stood on Mt. Garazim and the other six on Mt. Ebal, and according to what they had been taught by Moses and Joshua, and call back and forth to one another the words recorded in Deuteronomy 28.

It SEEMS simple enough. Obey the LORD our God and we will be blessed. Disobey and we will be cursed. What's wrong with that?

Driving back to Jerusalem we see evidence of our cursing everywhere - as we have failed to obey the Lord's commandment to drive out the inhabitants of the Land that He gave to us. We have listened to the voices of other nations, who say "peace" when they mean "war," who tell us we have no rights to the Land that the Lord Himself gave to us, whom we allow to strike fear of the worst sort into our hearts - the fear of "what will the neighbors think?"

What will the "neighbors" think, indeed - especially when things get ugly.

But right now - it's a beautiful day in the neighborhood, Mister Rogers! "Won't you be my neighbor?"

Can't we all just get along?

Apparently not...now.

I Heard It Through The Grapevine

Grapevines -a -go-go in Tzfat, adoring the courtyard of The Center for Healthy Living, currently housed in the home of Moshe Tov Kreps, but soon to be revealed in all of its ancient and refurbished glory in the NEW location (more on that later)....remember, you heard it through the grapevine!

Jezreel Valley Magical Mystery Tour

Driving my rental car through the breathtakingly beautiful, holy land of Israel is so theraputic. I found myself at the foot of Mount Tabor, mysteriously shrowded in mist even though the rest of the Jezreel Valley was sunny and cloudless.
Judges Chapters 4 & 5 relate how the prophetess Deborah ralled the Israelites against the Canaanites on Mt. Tabor, and how Jael, another remarkable woman, saved the Israelites from the hands of the Canaanites, only a short

Sitting on the hood of my car listening to the wind, , imagining I could hear Deborah's song itself:

Blessed above women shall Jael be, the wife of Heber the Kenite, above women in the tent shall she be blessed.
Water he asked, milk she gave him; in a lordly bowl she brought him curd.
Her hand she put to the tent-pin, and her right hand to the workmen's hammer; and with the hammer she smote Sisera, she smote through his head, yea, she pierced and struck through his temples.
At her feet he sunk, he fell, he lay; at her feet he sunk, he fell; where he sunk, there he fell down dead. ( Judges 5:24-27)

Happy Birthday USA!

Happy Birthday USA!

At a mere 232 years old, you're lookin' pretty darn good for your age.

The last time I was out of the U.S. for the 4th of July I was 16 years old. It was the summer of 1974, Richard Nixon was on the verge of resigning over the Watergate scandal, and I was picking pears on a kibbutz in the middle of the Megiddo Valley in central Israel (future site of "Armageddon's" climactic battle, a.k.a. "Gog and Magog").

America - still Israel's best friend in the world. God bless America for that, and for everything else she stands for - freedom, liberty, equality, fairness, generosity, opportunity - and of course one of the the things I miss the most which is ENDLESS VARIETY IN RETAILING OPPORTUNITIES, i.e. a dozen different incarnations of a single product line (DOVE SOAP FOR EXAMPLE!). Some may call that "Consumerism" but I just call that FREEDOM OF CHOICE IN SHOPPING!

So Old Glory, long may you wave o'er the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave!

Weeping for Tammuz

Today is the 17th of the Hebrew month of Tammuz, beginning of The Three Weeks, a time to focus on the calamities that befell the Jewish people throughout history between 17 Tammuz and 9 Av - "Tisha b'Av," when the destruction of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem occured not once - but twice - on the same day in history.

Some of the things in history that happened on the 17th of Tammuz include:

2006 - Outbreak of the "Second Lebanon War," between Hezbollah and Israel.

Moses Breaks Tablets (1313 BCE) - The Talmud (Taanit 28b) lists five tragic events in Jewish history that occurred on Tammuz 17, on account of which a fast was instituted on this day.

The first of these occured in 1313 BCE, forty days after the Giving of the Torah on Sivan 6. Upon descending Mount Sinai and witnessing Israel's worship of the Golden Calf, Moses smashed the Tablets inscribed with the Ten Commandments which he was carrying down from the mountain.

The daily sacrificial offerings (Korban Tamid) in the Holy Temple were discontinued, three weeks before the Babylonians' destruction of the First Temple in 423 BCE.

Jerusalem Walls Breached (69 CE)

The other three national tragedies mourned on Tammuz 17 are connected with the Roman conquest of Jerusalem and their destruction of the Second Temple in the year 69 CE:
--The walls of the besieged city of Jerusalem were breached.
--The Roman general Apostomus burned the Torah and,
--placed an idol in the Holy Temple.
The fighting in Jerusalem continued for three weeks until the 9th of Av, when the Holy Temple was set aflame.

Oh yeah people, it's going to be a long, hot summer.

Hamas Plot to Capture Temple Mount Foiled

Hamas Tried To Take Control of Temple Mount

16 Tammuz 5767, 02 July 07 09:54by Hana Levi Julian, Israel National News

(IsraelNN.com) The Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) and police revealed Monday morning a sting operation that resulted in the arrest of 11 Hamas officials who led an effort to take over the Temple Mount from the Jordanian Wakf. Ten of those arrested possess cards identifying themselves as Israeli citizens.

One of the detainees is 39-year-old Nasser Yaakuv Abu S’oud, who carried out money transfers for Hamas and other activities for the group on the Temple Mount. Abu S’oud was not directly involved in weapons-related activities, nor was 47-year-old businessman Amin S’wini. He was also involved in funds transfers and other Hamas activity in the capital.

"Their goal is to gain full control over the Temple Mount," a security official said, adding that the Hamas terrorist party has built a bathroom and expanded its library and prayer rooms at the Temple Mount.

Hamas, funded by Syria, Iran and other Arab nations, has invested millions of dollars in the Temple Mount site, where it has conducted tours and preached Hamas ideology.

The terrorist organization has provided social services support to low-income Arabs living in eastern Jerusalem neighborhoods, thus cementing its support in the population.

Shin Bet sources reported Hamas terrorists have used the identity cards to operate throughout Israel, gaining grassroots support among the Palestinian Authority and Israeli Arab population, which it uses to recruit new members.

Covert surveillance by security personnel has revealed that the terrorist organization, which took over Gaza in a bloody civil war with PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah organization, is working actively to consolidate its control over the Temple Mount complex.

“If it wasn’t for this operation, Israel could have been dealt a harsh blow,” said a senior Shin Bet official.
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/

Evil Islamic Jihadist Mickey Mouse Ripoff Finally Dies!

Hamas TV on Friday broadcast what it said was the last episode of a weekly children's show featuring "Farfour," a Mickey Mouse look-alike who had made worldwide headlines for preaching Islamic domination and armed struggle to youngsters.

In the final skit, Farfour was beaten to death by an actor posing as an Israeli official trying to buy Farfour's land. At one point, Farfour called the Israeli a "terrorist."

"Farfour was martyred while defending his land," said Sara, the teen presenter. He was killed "by the killers of children," she added.

The weekly show, featuring a giant black-and-white rodent with a high-pitched voice, had attracted worldwide attention because the character urged Palestinian children to fight Israel. It was broadcast on Hamas-affiliated Al-Aksa TV.

Station officials said Friday that Farfour was taken off the air to make room for new programs.
Station manager Mohammed Bilal said he didn't know yet what would be shown instead.
Israeli officials have denounced the program, "Tomorrow's Pioneers," as incendiary and outrageous. The program was also opposed by the state-run Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation, which is controlled by Fatah.

Muslim Militants Threaten Tennis Doubles Partners

Some people think neutral activities such as sports can bring political, cultural and religious enemies together. Sounds good, right?

If you've ever wondered, in the spirit of Rodney King - "why can't we all just get along?" the following story will answer that question.

LONDON, June 28 (Reuters) - India's Sania Mirza hopes her decision to renew her doubles partnership with Israel's Shahar Peer at Wimbledon does not stir up another religious storm.

"We're playing tennis, we're not making statements. We're just here to play tennis and we're here to perform and be the best we can be," the Indian number one said on Thursday.

"Me and Shahar are playing just like the way me and (Eva) Birnerova played the French Open, just like the way I played with anyone else the last six weeks. It doesn't make any statement."

The last time Mirza, a Muslim, joined forces with Peer at the 2005 Japan Open, their association was short-lived. Under pressure from militants furious over a Muslim and a Jew playing together, Mirza called for some time out.

She hopes their second stab at success will be remembered more for their on-court exploits.
"We've grown up together. We're great friends. So we said, why not?" said Mirza, who comes from the southern Indian city of Hyderabad.

"We were both very lucky to find each other because it's someone who suits each other's game. I have a big forehand, she has a big backhand. We've done well in the past. We really don't care whether she's from Israel or I'm from Pakistan. At the end of the day it matters whether we win a match or not."

Doubles partnerships between Muslim and Jewish players have not gone down too well in the past. In 2002, Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi was threatened with a suspension from Pakistan's tennis federation when he entered the Wimbledon men's doubles with Israel's Amir Hadad.

The partnership won the duo a humanitarian award from the organisers of men's tennis but Mirza does not want any similar recognition. "I'm here to play tennis and so is she. That's the end of that. It has nothing to do with anything else," she said.

Israel Beat

And the beat goes on, hot summer nights on the streets of Jerusalem, where every kind of music wafts from street to street.

From beat box to bossa nova, from klezmer to hassidish soul, music pours out to relieve our souls.

This week has been hot, hot, hot...a sense of waiting in still close heat for night to come colors each cruelly bright day in shades ranging from coffee to cream.

The heat began last Shabbat, whose Torah portion was Chukat. The Red Heifer, that most incomprehensible of any chok (Divine decree), kicked off the latest round of stifling hot weather, which every Israeli over a certain age assures me has not been seen at this time of year and in this manner of intensity for the last 30 years.

It is too hot to sleep. At 4am I move from bedroom to the front room, opening the big windows to the night air at the hour which temperatures have cooled down as far as they are willing to go. I lie upon the couch and gaze up beyond the silhouetted tree tops into the starry Jerusalem sky.

The street is quiet, the inaudible sounds of both prayer and private thoughts subsumed by this single silent hour, perhaps the only one where peace – “what Jerusalem is famous for” – might be found in unconsciousness, and blessedly uneventful dreams.

The Mishna (Sotah 9:15, II, W-LL) records the following about the coming of the Messiah:

Sotah 9:15, II
W. With the footprints of Messiah: presumption increases, and dearth increases.
X. The vine gives its fruit and wine at great cost.
Y. And the government turns to heresy.
Z. And there is no reproof.
AA. The gathering place will be for prostitution.
BB. And the Galilee will be laid waste.
CC. And the Gablan (the Golan) will be made desolate.
DD. And the men of the frontier will go about from town to town, and none will take pity on them.
EE. And the wisdom of the scribes will putrefy.
FF. And those who fear sin will be rejected.
GG. And the truth will be locked away.
HH. Children will shame elders, and elders will stand up before children
II. For the son dishonors the father and the daughter rises up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a man’s enemies are the men of his own house (Micah 7:6).
JJ. The face of the generation is the face of a dog.
KK. A son is not ashamed before his father.
LL. Upon whom shall we depend? Upon our Father in Heaven.

As to the above, to some degree almost each and every one of the points have been in play, to some extent, throughout history and most assuredly as a woman in labor travails harder and faster towards the end of her ordeal, in an even more frequent and intense way in our recent times.

The exceptions are the Mishna's predictions about the Golan and the Galilee being destroyed – of course, with “The Second Lebanon War: Part Two” looming on the horizon this summer, anything can happen.

I feel like Scarlett O'Hara in Gone With The Wind:
"War, war war! That's all anyone is talking about. Why, all this talk of war is spoiling every party this spring!"

And yet everybody is talking about war, war, war. And it's very, very hot.

“It’s going to be a long, hot summer."

Bong Hits 4 Jesus

In recognition of what is sure to become an example of 1st Amendment history gone amuck, I share the following tragic story:

Student loses ruling over "Bong Hits 4 Jesus"
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A high school student who was suspended for unfurling a banner saying "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" did not have his rights violated, a divided U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Monday in its first major decision on student free-speech rights in nearly 20 years.
The high court's conservative majority ruled that a high school principal in Juneau, Alaska, did not violate the student's constitutional free-speech rights by confiscating the banner and then suspending him.
Student Joseph Frederick says the banner's language was meant to be nonsensical and funny, a prank to get on television as the Winter Olympic torch relay passed by the school in January 2002.
But school officials say the phrase "bong hits" refers to smoking marijuana. Principal Deborah Morse suspended Frederick for 10 days because she said the banner advocated or promoted illegal drug use in violation of school policy.
Frederick, 18, had been standing on a public sidewalk across the street from the school when Morse grabbed his banner and crumpled it. Students had been allowed out of class to watch the event.
The majority opinion written by Chief Justice John Roberts said the court agreed with Morse that those who viewed the banner would interpret it as advocating or promoting illegal drug use, in violation of school policy.
Roberts, who was appointed to the court by President George W. Bush, said a principal may, consistent with the First Amendment, restrict student speech at a school event when it is reasonably viewed as promoting illegal drug use.
Liberal Justices John Paul Stevens, David Souter and Ruth Bader Ginsburg dissented on the constitutional issue. Justice Breyer said he would have decided the case without reaching the constitutional issue by ruling the principal cannot be held liable for damages.