Everybody wants spirituality. To be a good person means to walk in G-d's ways. How does that translate to reality? The only guidebook to spirituality that has stood the test of time is the Hebrew Bible. The Bible says that the Jews will be a light onto the nations. But if you are not a born Jew, you have to convert, which is not so easy!! If you do convert, it is a lot of work to be a Jew (three times a day prayer, keeping kosher, observing the Sabbath).
This blog will show you how to be Jewish without the work!!
Monday, November 29, 2021
The 29th of November a great day for Israel was yesterday and Arriving in Israel? Exit Airport Only Via Private Vehicle or Taxi American Muslim rapper finds truth, new life in Judaism and Luxembourg to Pay Restitution to Holocaust Survivors By Hana Levi Julian and Brooklyn School Bans Zionist Shirt, Okays Black Lives Matter Garb By Hana Levi Julian and Rabbi Kanievsky says children 5 and up should be vaccinated and Arab Media Condemn Samuel’s Tomb Menorah in Effort to Erase Jewish History By David Israel and Chanukah Day Two today
Yehuda Lave is an author, journalist, psychologist, rabbi, spiritual teacher, and coach, with degrees in business, psychology and Jewish Law. He works with people from all walks of life and helps them in their search for greater happiness, meaning, business advice on saving money, and spiritual engagement.
Rabbi Kanievsky says children 5 and up should be vaccinated
Disinformation in the ultra-Orthodox sector and the high number of children led senior health officials to approach the leading rabbi for his blessing for the child vaccination drive.
By JEREMY SHARON Rabbi Chaim Kanivesky meets with senior medical officials in his Bnei Brak home on Thursday(photo credit: SHUKI LERRER)Advertisement Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky, one of the most senior Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) rabbis in the world, said that children over the age of five should be vaccinated against corona, a ruling that should bolster the vaccination drive among young children in the Haredi sector. The rabbi, 93, met at his Bnei Brak home on Thursday with senior medical officials and doctors, who informed him of new developments regarding the vaccine, rising case numbers, and the recent approval by the US Food and Drug Administration for administering the Pfizer vaccine to children from the age of five. Of the Haredi population, 678,000 are aged 0-19 of whom 200,000 are five to 11, so the vaccination drive for this cohort is of high importance for the national child vaccination drive in general.
The 29th of November a great day for Israel was yesterday
The 29th of November
On November 29, 1947, the UN General Assembly voted in favor of a resolution, which adopted the plan for the partition of Palestine, recommended by the majority of the UN Special Committee on Palestine (UNSCOP). 33 states voted in favor of the resolution and 13 against. 10 states abstained. UNSCOP was appointed seven months earlier, after Great Britain, which ruled the country on the basis of a League of Nations Mandate, decided that in light of the growing Jewish resistance and violent opposition to its rule, it was unwilling to continue on the existing basis, and handed the whole issue over to the UN. The UN Committee reached the conclusion that the Mandate for Palestine should be terminated, and most of its members recommended the establishment in the territory of Mandatory Palestine of an Arab state and a Jewish state, while internationalizing Jerusalem.
The partition map proposed by UNSCOP allotted the Jewish state only a small part of Western Palestine. Despite this fact, the Zionist Organization and the institutions of the Jewish community in Eretz Yisrael agreed to accept the plan, since it recognized the right of the Jewish people to a state and not only a "national home" as stated in the 1917 Balfour Declaration and the 1922 Mandate for Palestine.
The adoption of the partition resolution by the General Assembly was received by the Jewish community with great joy and thousands went out to the streets to celebrate, even though it was clear that the Arab states and the Palestinian Arabs would embark on a relentless war against the realization of the plan to establish a Jewish state.
Arriving in Israel? Exit Airport Only Via Private Vehicle or Taxi
People arriving from abroad at Israel's Ben Gurion International Airport will no longer be able to take any form of public transportation – such as a bus or train – to exit the airport, effective Sunday at midnight, the Ministry of Transportation announced.
The newest restriction comes after a second case of the new COVID-19 variant, Omicron, has been confirmed in the Jewish State. The infected woman, age 32, had been vaccinated three times and returned to Israel recently from South Africa, according to a report by Channel 13 News.
New arrivals will only be able to leave the airport via private vehicle or taxi.
"The idea is that those in quarantine won't be able to take public transportation from the airport," Israeli Health Ministry Director-General Professor Nachman Ash said in an interview with Galei Tzahal Army Radio. "Everyone will need to take a car or a taxi by themselves or with family."
Thus far, passengers leaving Israel will still be able to arrive at the airport via bus, train or shared taxi, although it is not yet clear how long that will remain in force. To encourage the use of private vehicles in both directions the price of long-term parking tickets is to be reduced by 50 percent.
Arrivals from overseas – countries that are not on the "red" list – will be required to enter self-quarantine for a minimum 72 hours; two negative PCR tests will be necessary in order to leave quarantine, including the first one carried out upon arrival at the airport.
Those arriving from "red" listed countries (with high infection rates) will be required to undergo quarantine in state-run hotels, in accordance with a restriction that went into effect at 6 pm Sunday evening.
Arab Media Condemn Samuel's Tomb Menorah in Effort to Erase Jewish History
Orthodox Jews celebrate at the tomb of the Prophet Shmuel on the 28th of Iyar, the yahrzeit of the great Biblical leader which falls on Jerusalem Day, May 25, 2017.
On Thursday, the official Palestinian Authority news agency WAFA circulated the picture above under the headline "Israeli settlers erect menorah on Islamic mosque near Jerusalem." We found hundreds of re-published versions of this story everywhere in the Arab media, all repeating one central lie: Israeli settlers today erected a huge menorah on the roof of a historical mosque in the village of Nabi Samwil, northwest of Jerusalem.
Nabi Samuel, the tomb of the Prophet Shmuel—the biblical prophet who anointed both King Shaul and King David and is considered the second greatest leader of the Jewish nation after Moses—is a site sacred to the three monotheistic religions. It is located at the top of a mountain northwest of Jerusalem, about one kilometer from the Ramot neighborhood. The most prominent structure in the area is a large Crusader fortress.
The site is an Orthodox synagogue, with separate prayer rooms for men and women. Religious Jews come to the tomb on the 28th of Iyar, Shmuel's yahrzeit according to Jewish tradition. It is also Jerusalem Liberation Day, which stands to show you we're running out of dates for new holidays. Non-Jews conduct pilgrimages to the great prophet's tomb on their holidays.
The site was liberated from the Jordanian Legion during the Six-Day War by the IDF's Harel Brigade. In January 1968, the Tomb of the Prophet Shmuel was opened to visitors. In 1969, a forest was planted at the foot of the mountain. The area has since been declared Nabi Samuel National Park and includes in its eastern section a small Arab village of about 15 houses and 20 families, a total of 250 people. This village is located west of the separation wall, but outside the Green Line (thank you, Ariel Sharon). Technically it's in Area C, and so it is managed by the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories. The national park features a visitors center for tours and study. On the slopes of the mountain is the Alonei Shmuel nature preserve.
WAFA and hundreds of Arab online outlets are oblivious to all of the above proof of Jewish ownership of the area. And so as far as they're concerned, the fact that the synagogue at Shmuel's tomb ran a test of the rooftop menorah ahead of Sunday night's first light of Chanukah, was nothing more than another landgrab. Anas Obeid, a resident of the village, told WAFA that "settlers, accompanied by staff of settlement organizations, set up a huge menorah on the village mosque purportedly to celebrate the Jewish feast Chanukah."
Also: "The Undersecretary of the Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs, Hussam Abu al-Rub, condemned the settler move as an "infringement upon the sanctity" of the site as he stressed his rejection of any Israeli interference in the affairs of Islamic holy sites across Palestine."
Yes, white is black, black is white, they lie therefore they are.
Hanukkah Menorah Dismantled Due to Waqf, Arab Complaints
Israel's Nature and Parks Authority has dismantled a national Hanukkah Menorah from the Tomb of Samuel the Prophet following complaints from the Islamic Waqf and Palestinian Authority Arabs living nearby, according to a tweet by A7.
The site has been a flashpoint of frequent attacks by Muslims trying to disrupt the prayers of Jews and sometimes simply trying to damage the synagogue itself.
The menorah was installed Wednesday at the Tomb of the Prophet Shmuel, as it has been for years – as seen in the below tweet from Hanukkah 2015.
However, after complaints to the Israeli government by nearby Arabs and the Jordanian Islamic Waqf, after only 24 hours the Chanukah Menorah was removed.
The site, an Israeli National Park, is the traditional burial site of the biblical and Islamic prophet Shmuel (Samuel). It is located at the top of a steep rise that tops off at 908 meters above sea level north of Jerusalem, overlooking the holy city.
There is a synagogue built at the site, as well as a mosque built on the ruins of a Crusader fortress. Jews come to celebrate chalaka, or upsheren (the ceremonial first haircut for three-year-old boys) on the 28th day of the Hebrew month of Iyar at the start of summer. The date marks the anniversary of the death of the prophet, as well as Yom Yerushalayim, the Israeli national holiday celebrated on the anniversary of the 1967 reunification of the Israeli capital, Jerusalem.
Evidence of Jewish settlement from the First Temple period was also unearthed by archaeologists in the 1990s.
Hellenistic Fort Destroyed by the Hasmoneans Uncovered in Lachish Forest By David Israel
Works at the Lachish site, aerial view.
Weapons, burnt wooden beams, dozens of coins, and a Hellenistic fortified structure—tangible evidence of a battle between the Hasmoneans and the Hellenistic Seleucid Empire some 2,100 years ago—are currently being unearthed in Israel Antiquities Authority excavations in Lachish Forest, some 50 miles southeast of Tel Aviv.
The excavations are part of the Kings of Judah Road project, in cooperation with the Jewish National Fund and the Jerusalem and Heritage Ministry, assisted by high school students majoring in the Education Ministry's Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology program, and students from the Asher Ruach Bo pre-military program for youths at risk in Mitzpe Ramon.
Students from 'Ramot Beer Sheva' took part in the excavations. / Saar Ganor, Israel Antiquities Authority
According to Saar Ganor, Vladik Lifshits, and Ahinoam Montagu, excavation directors on behalf of the IAA, "the excavation site provides tangible evidence of the Chanukah stories. It appears that we have discovered a building that was part of a fortified line erected by the Hellenistic army commanders to protect the large Hellenistic city of Maresha from a Hasmonean offensive. However, the finds from the site show that the Seleucid defenses failed and the building was devastated by the Hasmonean attack."
The excavation in Lachish Forest, aerial view. / Vladik Lifshits, Israel Antiquities Authority
The excavation revealed a 15 × 15 meter building that was planned as a well-fortified unit. The external walls, no less than 3 meters wide, were built of large stones and had a sloping outer glacis to prevent the wall from being scaled. The inside of the structure was divided into seven rooms, preserved to an exceptional height of roughly 2 meters. The excavation uncovered a stairwell leading to a second floor, which was not preserved. The building is estimated to have been about 5 meter high.
The site lies on the summit of a high hill commanding a view of the ancient main road, which ran along the Nahal Lachish streambed and connected the coastal plain to the central highland ridge. The building overlooks Maresha, the largest Hellenistic city in the area and the capital of Edom during the Hellenistic period.
A weapon uncovered in the building, probably used in battle in the Hellenistic period. / Saar Ganor, Israel Antiquities Authority
The students assisted in the excavation as part of an IAA program aimed at nurturing community awareness of the country's heritage, learning about history in hands-on experience. The work is part of their matriculation studies, thus turning the archaeological excavation into an educational lab.
Thousands of large stones that had collapsed from the upper part of the building were removed in the excavation. A massive destruction layer, about half a meter thick, was discovered beneath the stones. The layer yielded hundreds of finds, including pottery, slingshots, iron weapons, burnt wooden beams, and dozens of coins dated to the late second century BCE.
"Based on the finds, the building's destruction can be attributed to the Hasmonean leader Yochanan Horkenus's conquest of Edom around 112 BCE," say the archaeologists.
Pottery, slingshot stones, weapons, from the excavation. / Davida Eisenberg-Degen, Israel Antiquities Authority
The Hasmoneans, whose rebellion against the Hellenistic rule of the Seleucid dynasty followed the anti-Jewish decrees of King Antiochus IV. Yochanan Horkenus's conquests, described in the Books of the Maccabees and the accounts of historian Josephus Flavius, led to the Hasmonean state's expansion to the south.
According to the IAA's general director, Eli Eskozido, "the stories of the Maccabees are coming to life before our eyes, and this is the most fascinating part of the IAA's work when dedicated, hardworking archaeologists breathe life into the historical annals of the people who passed through this land. In a few days, we will be celebrating Chanukah, whose central theme is the Hasmoneans' defeat of the Hellenists, leading to the establishment of the first independent sovereign Jewish state (after the destruction of the Temple – DI). The Hasmoneans had no idea that 2,000 years later, students living in the State of Israel would be tracing their footsteps. It is extremely exciting."
Remains of a sooty wooden beam, evidence of the burning of the site. / Saar Ganor, Israel Antiquities Authority
Minister of Construction and Housing, Jerusalem and Heritage, Zeev Elkin said: "The impressive discoveries from the excavations in the Lachish region demonstrate the history of our great land and the story of Chanukah. The Landmarks program led by the Ministry of Jerusalem and Heritage, for which I am responsible, continues to develop national and historical heritage sites daily. Over the upcoming Chanukah holiday, we will be marking Heritage Week throughout the country and I invite the general public to visit, discover, and experience our national heritage sites."
Minister of Culture and Sports Hili Tropper said: "The Israel Antiquities Authority's fascinating discovery is a classic example of how traditional, well-known, and well-loved stories become part of the historical and archaeological record. The building's excavation reflects the glorious roots of the Jewish people in the Land of Israel and brings the Chanukah stories to life. Added impetus was given to the event by the participation of dozens of youths, who were given a rare opportunity to encounter the history of the Jewish people face to face. The Ministry of Culture and Sports will continue to support this important enterprise, which combines heritage, history, and culture."
After the excavations, the building will undergo conservation and will be opened to the general public in cooperation with the Jewish National Fund's Southern District as one of the sites along the Kings of Judah Road, which is currently under development.
Brooklyn School Bans Zionist Shirt, Okays Black Lives Matter Garb
It's okay to wear a Black Lives Matter (BLM) tee shirt at MS 51 in Park Slope, but according to ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher Jeffrey Levy, a "Proud Zionist" shirt is a no-no.
Levy was ordered by school principal Neal Singh to stop wearing his "Proud Zionist" shirt in the building, according to a report by The New York Post, because it was considered "politically explosive."
But other staffers have been allowed to wear shirts emblazoned with praises for BLM and women's rights.
Levy told The Post that pro-Israel and pro-NYPD clothing – he has also worn a "Back the Blue" tee shirt — are both banned at the school allegedly due to complaints from students and staffers.
In a discrimination complaint Levy filed on September 30 with the NYC Department of Education Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity, he said, "Singh told me that my T-shirt with an Israeli flag on it and the words 'Proud Zionist' were politically explosive."
Singh allegedly told Levy "Zionist involves the retaking of Palestinian land and is 'offensive,'" the complaint said, adding that the principal's definition of 'politically explosive' attire "appears limited to Jews only."
Levy added in his complaint that Singh accused him of endangering the emotional or physical safety of students or staff, which he denied doing. "I have conducted myself professionally and have always respected the beliefs of all while doing my job neutrally and without bias. . . His attempt to threaten and intimidate me is anti-Semitic."
In a statement to The Post, the NYC Department of Education backed the principal.
"Schools are not public forums for advancing personal political views, and per Department of Education regulations, employees are prohibited from using schools for the purpose of political expression," DOE spokesperson Katie O'Hanlon told the news outlet.
"This principal's request followed complaints from students and staff and is consistent with policies around political neutrality in schools."
The DOE Chancellor's Regulation D-130 states, "School buildings are not public forums for purposes of community or political expression.
"While on duty or in contact with students, school personnel may not wear buttons, pins, articles of clothing, or any other items advocating a candidate, candidates, slate of candidates or political organization/committee."
It is not clear why BLM and pro-feminist clothing are not held to the same standard.
Luxembourg to Pay Restitution to Holocaust Survivors
Mirjam Lapid, a Holocaust survivor, lights a torch in the ceremony marking the Holocaust Memorial Day in Yad Vashem with participation of the President and the Prime Minister of Israel. Jerusalem, Apr 11, 2018.
The World Jewish Organization (WJRO) announced Monday that the Claims Conference has begun to distribute EUR 1,000,000 from the Luxembourg Fund allocated for this purpose to Holocaust survivors who are currently living in or were persecuted in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg at the time of the Shoah.
The fund has already approved applicants from 11 countries that applied by the initial deadline of October 15, 2021.
Each survivor will receive a first installment payment of EUR 5,000 by the end of November. The second and final payment is expected to be made in March 2022.
To ensure that additional Holocaust survivors have sufficient time to apply for and benefit from the program, the deadline has been extended to January 31, 2022.
"The compensation program is an important acknowledgment by the government of Luxembourg of how the Holocaust was carried out under Nazi occupation and the suffering endured by Jews in Luxembourg," said Gideon Taylor, Chair of Operations, World Jewish Restitution Organization (WJRO).
"We are pleased that survivors will soon be receiving their first payments. We also urge anyone that may be eligible for the program to apply by the January 31, 2022 extended deadline.
"All survivors will receive equal payments regardless of their application submission date. These funds provide a small measure of justice and will help survivors live their lives with the dignity they deserve."
The Luxembourg direct support payment program is the result of a historic Luxembourg agreement on Holocaust era restitution that was signed on January 27, 2021 (International Holocaust Remembrance Day) between the World Jewish Restitution Organization (WJRO), the State of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the Jewish community of Luxembourg, and the Luxembourg Foundation for the Remembrance of the Shoah.
In the agreement, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg committed EUR 1,000,000 to directly support Holocaust survivors. The funds will be distributed equally in two installments to approved applicants.
"As survivors age, the Luxembourg payment program is especially important," said Laurent Moyse, Acting President, Luxembourg Foundation for the Remembrance of the Shoah.
"Luxembourg's pledge to provide direct support for Holocaust survivors serves as a profound statement of its abiding commitment to supporting Jews who were persecuted and suffered so much during the Nazi occupation of Luxembourg."
"I was born in Luxemburg. When the war began, we left for southern France, where which the Nazis captured my parents," said 82-year-old Haya Nevo.
"I was taken to live by a Christian family while my brother was brought to a hidden camp for children in the mountains. My parents were exiled to Auschwitz never to return.
"We moved to Israel in 1949 with our grandmother. We built our lives in Israel. Although we are not starving for bread, we are pleased and grateful for Luxembourg's government decision. As the saying goes "better late than never".
In addition to the payment program for Holocaust survivors, the agreement also commits dedicated resources to Holocaust memorialization, remembrance, research, and education. The agreement also addresses key restitution issues including dormant bank accounts and insurance, as well as looted art.
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American Muslim rapper finds truth, new life in Judaism
November 14, 2021 Nissim Black and his wife Adina. (YouTube/Nissim Black
Born into an African-American Muslim family, this American-Israeli rapper's journey to Orthodox Judaism is incredible.
By World Israel News Staff
In many ways, Nissim Black's life is typical for an American immigrant to Israel. He lives in Beit Shemesh, a religiously observant Jerusalem suburb with a substantial English-speaking population, with his wife Adina and six children.
In his Hasidic garb and eyeglasses, he certainly looks the part of an Orthodox Jew that's devoted to his faith. But Black's journey to Judaism didn't begin by being born into a Jewish family in the Orthodox enclaves of Crown Heights in New York or Pico Robertson in Los Angeles.
He was born as Damian Jamohl Black in the Seward Park neighrbohood of Seattle, to African-American Muslim parents, rappers Mia Black and James "Captain Crunch" Croone. His parents divorced when he was young and his mother and step-father dabbled in criminal activity, including drug dealing.
An FBI raid on his childhood home preceded his mother dying of a drug overdose at the age of 37. Black struggled to cope with the chaos and lack of structure.
No let-up in antisemitic outrages in Germany during 2021, government figures reveal
"I was going through troubled times as a kid, I had joined a gang, I was smoking every single day, I was expelled from the Seattle school district…and I was twelve, thirteen years old," he told Arutz Sheva.
Searching for truth
Looking for an answer, Black spent time exploring his parents' his Muslim faith, which was heavily influenced by the Nation of Islam sect. Later, he participated in activities at a Christian youth center, which led him to convert to Christianity.
"Being in a gang…was a part of me trying to say, 'I belong to something greater than myself, I don't know where, but I belong somewhere,'" Black told Chabad.org.
Black eventually turned his life around by focusing on his lifelong passion for music. Rapping under the name "Danger," he released music videos which were featured on MTV and performed at major concerts.
But despite his rising music career, Black felt there was something missing. He told Chabad that he was primarily motivated by an "innate search for truth."
"Since I was a kid, I was digging to find the root of everything. I think it was programmed into me to search for the truth."
Coming home
Eventually, Black began reading Jewish texts and researching Judaism on Chabad.org. His research eventually led to an Orthodox conversion facilitated by Rabbi Simon Benzaquen at the Sephardic Bikur Holim Congregation in Seattle.
His wife, whom he civilly married in 2008, converted as well, and the two were re-married according to Jewish law in 2013.
In 2016, the Black family moved to Beit Shemesh. Since becoming Jewish, Black has shunned secular hip-hop music that glorifies drugs and violence. But that doesn't mean he's stopped making music.
"Nissim recognized that G‑d gave him a gift, his musical talent," Rabbi Yochanon Goldman told Chabad.
"Rather than run away from it because it would remind him of his past, he has found a way to elevate the genre of hip-hop music by using this gift to inspire others with messages of positivity and joy."
Since revamping his music to promote a spiritual message, Black has partnered with Jewish singers like Gad Elbaz and his videos on YouTube have racked up millions of views. And when asked if his passion for Judaism is waring off nearly ten years after his incredible transformation, Black laughed off the question.
"You come into Judaism with fire," he said, describing his zeal for his faith. "Everybody else who's frum [observant] from birth, they don't take it as serious."
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