Life in Israel: 2020

Dec 31, 2020

Quote of the Day

I didn't feel like blogging today, but I couldn't leave this one behind...

I have suffered enough

-- Jonathan Pollard, on the possibility of joining Israeli politics...

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Dec 30, 2020

Fractious elections ahead of us

Weird politics. more and more parties joining the fray. I am not sure from where they all plan on getting enough votes to get into Knesset.

Yaron Zelikha, an economist and formerly the MoF Accountant General, just announced he is forming a party. he says everyone wants to be Prime Minister, he just wants to be Finance Minister. he claims Israel is on its way to financial ruin and he knows what needs to be done to save it and that plan with him as Finance Minister will be a condition of his for joining any government.

Ofer Shelach formed a party. I don't know what their goals are. It might also have to do with finances, based on the context of his party when he formed it.

Gantz's party is falling apart.

Ron Huldai is forming a party. he says he can save Israel from internal combustion.

It seems to me like Zeleikha's and Shelach's parties should merge.

Gantz should join up with either Huldai or Yesh Atid. Both are difficult moves. Lapid won't make Gantz #1 again in a joint party, so Gantz would have to be willing to sit under Lapid. Joining Huldai presents the problem of Avi Nissenkorn being Huldai's #2. Menaing Gantz would likely have to be behind Nissenkorn, after both of them being in Kachol Lavan with Nissenkorn behind Gantz. Gantz really doesn't have any good moves, but those are the parties that seem best suited for him to merge with. if he doesn't he will be lacking any influence, at best, if he even passes the threshhold.

It is going to be a weird election season, with a fractious left, a fractious right, and some parties that nobody really knows what they are.

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Interesting Psak: accepting charity from United Arab Emirates Muslims

An interesting question was asked of Rav Bentzion Kook, rav and posek in Petach Tikva. According to Kikar, an administrator of a tezdaka fund that supports Torah learning along with widows and orphans presented a question to Rav Kook asking regarding a donation being offered.

the story goes that one of their donors is a local businessman and he has been doing real estate deals in Dubai. During one of his meetings with a Muslim partner in Dubai, he mentioned about this charity fund he donates to and described what they do. The fellow said he would like to donate to the fund as well. The question is if they are allowed to accept a donation from a non-jew?

Kikar reports that Rav Kook paskened that even though the Shulchan Aruch says not to accept charity from a non-Jew, as it makes it seem that the Jews cannot survive without assistance from the non-Jews, and it would only be acceptable in a really tight situation when there really isn't enough Jewish support available, in this case it would be allowed. it is not allowed when the non-Jew intends to actually give charity, but when he is giving for other reasons, such as to create goodwill or for publicity or honor, that is not called charity and the donation can be accepted.

Rav Kook also said that the Jewish activities in Dubai can accept monies form the government there because the government isn't giving it as charity but to show the world they support the Jewish citizens equally, in addition to the fact that the Jews there pay taxes like everyone else and can receive benefits in return and it is as if they are getting their own, Jewish, money back.

Rav Kook felt it important to add that this allowance does not include accepting money from Evangelical Christians, as that is being given with the ulterior motive of missionizing.

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Tweet of the Day

Yu Darvish is a star pitcher in Major League Baseball. He recently played for the Chicago Cubs and was just traded to the San Diego Padres.

Darvish tweeted this out, and it makes me wonder if he ever heard the Jewish song, or if maybe he is even Jewish, or maybe Chabad! (he isnt). It also makes me wonder if maybe the song has sources outside of Judaism...

Don’t walk in front of me
There is no guarantee I will follow

Don’t walk behind me
There is no guarantee I will lead in the right direction

Walk alongside me
Because together we are one pic.twitter.com/Cq2YDYjJLk
— ダルビッシュ有(Yu Darvish) (@faridyu) December 30, 2020

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Pollard and Politics

Jonathan Pollard committed the crime and paid his time. He should be left to live his life out, how he wants, preferably in private.

There is talk now that Pollard, having just arrived in Israel, might be recruited to run for Knesset under either the Likud or Yamina party lists.

Pollard is so popular and thought of as a hero in some crowds that he could be thought of as an attractive draw for voters. It might even bring the party that snags him a few votes.

Whether he joins a party or not remains to be seen, but right now those are the rumors swirling.

As I said, he paid the time for his crime, he should be left alone. He lives in a free country. If he wants to join politics, that is his prerogative. I personally think it would be a lousy idea. I would dislike any party that puts him on their list for Knesset.

Jonathan Pollard was a spy against his employer, his own country. He spied for Israel, sure, but a spy nonetheless. He might have also sold information to other countries as well. I think putting him in government would be a bad idea. I am not sure if once a spy always a spy, but I am also not sure I would trust him with sensitive information and public policy. I have nothing against him personally, but I dont think someone like that with his history should be involved in governance, privy to sensitive information.

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Quote of the Day

with a new party being announced and people moving between parties, there were a lot ofoptions for this qotd, but I am going with this selection..

If [Bennett] is not shomer, keeping safe, the Shabbos, how will he protect, yishmor, the Right?

-- MK Moshe Abutbol (Shas)

1. Bennett didn't break or desecrate Shabbos. He interviewed on Friday. The tv station broadcast the interview on Shabbos. One might disagree with, and criticize, his judgement and think he should not have agreed to that, but Bennett didn't desecrate the Shabbos

2. In Israel's history there have been plenty of people who did not keep shabbos but "protected" the Right. I am not quite sure what the connection is.

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Picture of the Day

I don't know to whom that private jet belongs (maybe Sheldon Adelson?), but quietly overnight Jonathan and Esther Pollard flew on that private jet to Israel....

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PM Netanyahu greets Jonathan and Esther Pollard upon their arrival in Israel (video)

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Shuli Rand & Motty Steinmetz Tzama (video)

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Dec 29, 2020

Quote of the Day

This one is a bit long. I apologize.

We will work [after the elections] to create a bloc of four parties - Yisrael Beyteynu, Yesh Atid, Yamina, and Tikva Chadasha, to run the negotiations with other players and to form a Zionist and Liberal coalition that will take care of the wider public... The Finance Ministry would be a true challenge for me, as someone who has already served in the Defense, Foreign, National Infrastructure, and Transportation ministries there is no one more appropriate for this role of the next Finance Minister.... the next coalition agreement will be a real contract with the public, the public that serves in the IDF, works and pays taxes, and we will work to implement laws to allow civil marriage, public transportation on Shabbos, passing the decision whether to open businesses on Shabbos to the local governments, drafting yeshiva bochurim to military service or national service, and core curriculum studies to be obligated in the entire education system.

-- MK Avigdor Lieberman (Yisrael Beyteynu)

Lieberman also said that in addition to the Finance Ministry for himself, he would be requesting for his people the Ministry of Internal Security, the Health Ministry, and the Absorption Ministry.

That is a lot of ministries for a small party of 5-8 mandates. Though I am surprised he didn't mention the Ministry of the Interior, which he has fought over in the past and is a favorite of Shas, and the head of the Finance Committee which is favored by UTJ. Both of those are very powerful positions that control a lot of the interests Yisrael Beyteynu talks about.

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screaming does pay

The new reported this afternoon that Minister of Health Yuli Edelstein decided to cancel the requirement for people returning from abroad to stay in a Quarantine Hotel. Rather, they will be able to do their quarantine at home.

Which shows that in Israel screaming does pay.

The reason Edelstein decided on the requirement for a quarantine hotel in the first place was because they found that a nice percentage of people don't bother following the quarantine rules. That along with the increasing number of infections (that lead to a lockdown), plus the risk of the new mutations arriving and spreading in Israel by travelers not keeping to quarantine, prompted Edelstein to require the quarantine hotels.

The thing is, most people returning form abroad did not want to go to the quarantine hotels. They stood in line for hours at the MoH table in the airport to try to be given an exception and not have to go to the quarantine hotel. Most people were still sent to the hotels, but that quickly became a disaster. There were complaints about poor conditions in the hotels - lousy food, no heating, dirty environment, etc. Probably some of it was exaggerated, but at some point it led to groups of "inmates" trying to break out and screaming and protesting and threatening a hunger strike.

And the next day Yuli Edelstein cancels the requirements to stay in a quarantine hotel. Instead of improving the conditions of the hotels to make them bearable and decent for people to stay 10-14 days under decent conditions. They screamed and threatened like a mob, and he gave in.

Screaming does pay.

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Netanyahu gets what he wants, though it is too late to help

In the final days before the Knesset dissolved (due to lack of budget), the negotiations between Kachol Lavan and Likud to come to an arrangement to keep the Knesset coalition intact had focused largely around Avi Nissenkorn, the Minister of Justice.

While other issues were on the table, according to the news reports the main impediment was Nissenkorn in the Justice Ministry. Netanyahu wanted him out, seeing him as implementing Leftist policy and preventing Netanyahu from being involved in the selection of judges, while Gantz supported his guy and said he will not remove Nissenkorn from the Justice Ministry.

Nissenkorn has announced he is leaving Kachol Lavan and will instead join the new party to be formed by Ron Huldai (currently mayor of Tel Aviv). Reports say that, in light of that decision, tonight Gantz is going to remove Nissenkorn from the Justice Ministry.

It is a little late now to save the government, but it is ironic that now that the government has fallen and elections declared, Gantz is really giving Netanyahu what he wanted that probably could have saved the government from collapse just a week ago.

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Another mockdown

So, so far the lockdown looks more like a mockdown than a lockdown.

Obviously the lockdown is hurting businesses, as anything not deemed essential and not included in the list of what is allowed to stay open had to close.

Yet everything else seems to be pretty close to normal, the way it has been until now. Personally I had to drive to another city this morning. I went and returned, encountered no roadblocks, did not have to plead with a policeman to let me through as my need was essential (it was) or anything of the like. I just drove, did what I had to do, and drove back. And the traffic on the roads at that time of day seemed pretty normal to me. I did hear that at night there have been random roadblocks, but overall it seems to so far be business as usual.

With everything else nearly business as usual, it is more upsetting that businesses had to be shut down. Why are they the only ones that need to pay the price of a lockdown?

Regardless, as little as a lockdown is the answer, a mockdown is even less of the answer.

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timely Corona tests still difficult to obtain

One would think that with a lockdown in place, with the numbers of infections consistently increasing, with the urgency in the country to cut the chain of infection, that the government and institutions responsible would make it relatively easy to get a timely Corona test.

We are approaching a year of the virus, 9-10 months of lockdowns and tight regulations, and still it is a fight and a hassle to get a corona test.

With two kids in quarantine because of infections in their schools, I need to get them tested. Pikud HaOref, the Home Front Command, operates walk in or drive thru Corona testing sites around the country. You can go to these without a referral from your doctor and without an appointment. You just have to be willing, and have the time, to stand in line for up to a couple of hours, depending on how backed up they get. Besides for that the Kupot Cholim all have their own testing sites. For these you need a referral and an appointment. The referral is easy to get - you just call the central kupa number and request it, after waiting on hold for a nice amount of time. The appointment is more difficult. There are not that many appointments available, I guess because a lot of people are being tested, so you can often only get an appointment for a couple days down the line.

Normally that wouldnt be a big deal. If I needed an appointment and couldnt do it quickly through the kupa, I would go to a Pikud Haoref walk in site. The problem is that they don't have them all the time. Each city is different, but in Bet Shemesh this week, for example, they only have walk in locations twice - on this past Sunday and on the coming Thursday. That isnt very helpful for someone who suddenly needs a test on Monday or Tuesday and cant go to a walk in until Thursday and can't get a kupa appointment until Wednesday night.

That is all anecdotal. And it will all work out. The point is that in the situation we, as a country, are in right now, after so much time, it should really be easier to arrange a quick and timely Corona test.

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Drive-Thru voting

The Central Elections Committee is busy trying to figure out how to run an election during Corona times and keep everyone safe and healthy.

It looks like Israel will not use the mail in method recently employed by the United States of America. And that is probably a good thing, considering we don't want to wait weeks for the ballots to come in, nor do we want a good percentage of them to just disappear. And, the people who need to count the ballots aren't going to want to wait in line forever at the post office to pick them up.

TOI reports that among the measures to be taken will be an increased number of polling stations, to reduce crowds, along with multiple voting booths in each station. The will be Corona gabbais at the polling stations to make sure people adhere to health guidelines. More special voting locations for the ill and quarantined. And the most interesting is the "voting drive thru" stations - for people in quarantine and with CoronaVirus.

They will have all the regular safety measures at the polling stations, with dividers and distance and masks and all that. They decided to not allow online voting, nor to spread out the election over a few days as a way of decreasing the potential for crowding.

In these drive-thru voting stations, the voter will drive up right to a voting booth stand to select the ballot just by rolling down the window and taking one from the booth, and then to drive a couple more meters to place the ballot in the ballot box. If a couple comes together, one will have to get out while the other votes, and then I guess switch.

There will also be voting locations place din Corona Hotels (Coronatels) and Quarantine Hotels.

I am not sure what will happen with Corona patients or people n quarantine who do not have access to a vehicle to go to a drive thru to vote. Maybe there will be volunteer drivers who were already vaccinated or had previously been sick.

I read elsewhere that those using the drive thru will be given a time slot to vote, an appointment, and will have to come within a few minutes of that time slot. I don't know how that will work as Israelis are not known for their being on time. It will cause riots when they are refused the right to vote, because they missed their slot. it will cause a backup of people waiting, causing more people to miss their voting slot, which will cause more anger and screaming. it will be chaos. Sounds like fun.

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Kindness Survives 2020! (how those in need still smile) (video)

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BAR STOOL FUND (KEN'S DINER) FILM (video)

such a great restaurant. I hope it works out for them

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What do Israelis wish for in the New Year? (video)

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UnderDos: My brother is getting vaccinated (video)

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KEL MALEH - Echoes from our Past - Benzion Klatzko (Official Music Video)

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Dec 28, 2020

Quote of the Day

there were a few good quotes for today, but this one takes the cake. I am amused by how snide and snippy it is, and how demeaning and upsetting it is to so many people..

A city rav needs to first and foremost be an expert in halacha, not a security officer of some city or someone who learned in some hesder yeshiva..

-- Chief Rabbi Rav Yitzchak Yosef

Rav Yosef later apologized, after many people got very upset about this remark as if the yeshivot hesder can't and don't produce talmidei chachomim... though in his apology eh did not explain what he meant to say - he just said that he respects and values the yeshivot hesder and is in torani communication with many students of these yeshivas through his shiurei torah and halachic discussions and apologizes if his words were not understood properly.

That means, it is your fault for misunderstanding him, but he won't bother explaining what he really meant.

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Saar announces electoral reform platform

Gideon Saar, head of the Tikva Chadasha (New Hope) party, announced some of the electoral reform agenda his party plans to push.

At the top of the agenda is term limits for Prime Minister.

Saar said he will pass the term limits issue as the first law he will pass, limiting the Prime Minister to two terms.

In a parliamentary system, it is difficult to define two terms, especially when the government, as is in Israel, just about never serves out its full term. In the past two years Netanyahu has served 4 terms. If something similar should happen in the future, a government collapses after a year, twice, is the PM disqualified form running again? he served two terms but only, say, two years.

So a few weeks ago Saar mentioned the term limits as being 8 years. That makes sense. 9 or 10 years would also make sense. I am just pointing out that however it is to be defined, it has to be defined and cannot just be left as "two terms" - not as long as Israel continues with the current form of a parliamentary system.

This is an issue I have brought up in the past, several times. Just because of this I think it is worth considering support for Gideon Saar as PM. The question is if he will really do it. Netanyahu has expressed support in the past for term limits as well, but once he was prime minister he never went ahead with it.

In addition, Saar announced a couple additional aspects of his proposed electoral reform that include making the Members of Knesset more representative of the people. he would do this by electing half the Knesset via regional elections. Those sent to Knesset via regional elections would be more connected to the electorate that sent them and more in tune with their specific issues and concerns. Additionally, Saar would give local government more power at the expense of the national government.

I like the idea of improving the level of representation. I don't have an opinion on strengthening local government over national at this point. I am not sure what the ramifications of that would be.

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Rabbis Schachter and WIllig apologize for getting the vaccine

Rav Hershel Schachter and Rav Mordechai Willig both recently were given the COVID-19 vaccine in a very public way, with the two rabbis encouraging the public to go get vaccinated.

Initially they were praised for this. Not only did they get the vaccine but used the experience as a way of encouraging the public to do so.

Then it turned out that they got the vaccines through Parcare, now under investigation for obtaining the vaccines fraudulently and illegally distributing them not according to the priority order set by the State. Suddenly what they did is not good. They broke the rules, they participated in this illegal scheme, they jumped the line, put healthcare workers at risk, etc.

JTA is reporting that the two rabbis, Rav Schachter and Rav Willig have apologized. According to the article they did not know they were doing anything wrong and had been told that them getting the vaccination was above board.

According to the article they specifically asked if it was legal and legitimate to receive the vaccines and were told that it was. Despite the State making the priority list publicly clear and well known, so they should have known, they were told it is ok. They said that had they known they were not supposed to receive it yet, they would not have gone to get it.

From my own experience in Israel, so many people are posting online that they got the vaccine, even though they don't qualify yet under the priority list set by the Ministry of Health. The health clinics are giving it out, against the priority list, because they don't want to waste vaccines. From what I have heard, they open trays of vaccines, and once open the trays cannot be re-frozen. If the trays contain more vaccines than the appointments scheduled for the time frame of the vaccines, rather than disposing of the remaining vaccines they let "walk ins" use them.

Does that mean anyone who took advantage of this to get vaccinated early is doing something bad and participating in illegal activity? At most that should be the fault of the health clinics who should say no to walk ins, if it is really bad.

I would say the same happened there. They didn't know. They were told it was ok. They did not know why, but were explicitly told it is legal and fine. It is either Parcare's responsibility or the people who brought/convinced them to get vaccinated telling them it is ok. At least they apologized when they found out.

I wonder if they will be offered the second dose when necessary if it is still before their official turns come up according to the priority list.

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Son of Holocaust Survivor - How He's Become Successful (video)

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Palestinians: If a Palestinian refugee receives foreign citizenship, is he still a refugee? (video)

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Behind the Bima S2E13, Special Guest: Meir Kay (video)

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The Magic Yarmulkah - Pitch Meeting (video)

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Shulem - Rise Up (Cover) (video)

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Dec 27, 2020

3rd lockdown like the 1st or 2nd

So we in Israel are now in our third lockdown of the year due to the fats spread of CoronaVirus.

The big question is if this third lockdown will be more similar to the first, the second or if it will have an identity of its own.

The first lockdown was for Pesach and some time after. That was a serious, very tight lockdown. No in or out. The rules were very strict and everything was enforced. People pretty much followed the rules.

The second lockdown was more of a mockdown than a lockdown. It was late summer, locking us down for the holidays (Rosh Hashana through Sukkot and then some). The rules were confusing, contradictory and nonsensical, often influenced by lobby groups. There was little enforcement. People were already tired and had had enough of Corona and crazy rules that generally made little sense. Adherence to the rules was generally minimal, and enforcement was a joke.

Will this lockdown be strict or loose? People see the vaccines and think it is already just about over, so rules are being ignored. Schools are being left open. People can take kids to and from school, people can go out for essential needs (food, hardware stores, car repairs and a bunch of other exceptions) and in general be out up to 1km from their homes. It definitely will not feel much like a lockdown. We don't know yet what enforcement will be like. Will it be like the first or second?

In the first lockdown I did my daily exercise of running in my parking lot doing tens of loops of 35 or so meters. In the second lockdown running and some other exercises outdoors were not limited so I was able to run on the roads as usual as far as I wanted, limited only by my physical abilities. The rules for the new lockdown in this regard, and in most regards, are more like the second. the question will be more in the enforcement side of it.

We wait and see.

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Fighting in UTJ to give the other the top position

Behadei is reporting that there is a dispute within UTJ about the upcoming elections.

According to the internal agreement, Agudath Yisrael has led the joint party in recent elections, with Yaakov Litzman holding the #1 spot in UTJ with Degel Hatorah having the first choice of job, with Degel Hatorah, headed by Moshe Gafni, taking the next spot, with the following slots alternating positions. In the upcoming elections it is supposed to be reversed, with Degel Hatorah taking the top spot at the head of the joint party and Agudath Yisrael taking the second spot with the first choice of job.

Degel Hatorah does not want this agreement to go into effect. Degel is claiming that the recent term was too short, with each party not really having enough time to have any effect or influence in its positions, so the upcoming Knesset should keep the same roles, with the reversal only going into effect in the elections after that.

It seems that Litzman wants to take the head of the Finance Committee for himself (it should be noted that he held this spot before Gafni did) instead of being a minister, which he might not be able to do at some point because of his legal issues. Degel on the other hand does not take ministerial positions, unlike Aguda, and it considers the head of the Finance Committee to be significantly more important than other positions that would be available after that. Degel, if it has its way, would take Finance Committee and let litzman take a ministerial position, and the rest gets divided up evenly. If Litzman has his way, Litzman would, possibly, take the Finance Committee, and then Gafni would only be able to take less important positions.

Gafni is adding to the threat that if he does not get that spot, he would retire. He is considering retiring anyway, but is saying this is the only job that would possibly keep him there. It seems Yisrael Eichler is taking out his long standing conflict with Litzman by taking Gafni's side in the dispute, if that makes a difference.

How will this end? I don't know. We wait and whatever happens happens. It is interesting that instead of fighting about leading the party they are fighting over taking the second spot. And not like in the maaselech we have all read of great people fighting each to give the other more kavod. Here they are fighting because due to unusual circumstances the leadership gets the lower hand and neither side wants that.

Reality does not always play out like the stories they teach us in school.

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getting the COVID-19 vaccine in NY

According to news reports, Parcare Community Health Network is under investigation for fraudulently obtaining doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine and violating the distribution plan of prioritizing healthcare workers and the elderly. They allegedly vaccinated non-qualifying people in Boro Park and Williamsburg.

There is a reasonable debate, or complaint, about the distribution plan, with the governor of NY and the mayor of NY not putting the Jewish neighborhoods high on the priority list for receiving the vaccines. They were definitely among the harder hit communities - restrictions along the way even recognized that with Jewish neighborhoods at times being singled out with restrictions because of their high infection rates. Yet now that the vaccine is being distributed, the Jewish neighborhoods aren't being counted among the harder hit communities and aren't being given priority for receiving the vaccinations. That is a fair complaint. The mayor of NY, and the governor, should have to respond to that and explain.

Regardless of that, I do fid it funny that in the communities that until now have been accused of, and defamed for, refusing to take vaccines, now they are in trouble for running to be the first to take vaccines.

What a strange world.

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Quote of the Day

If Gideon Saar comes to us with 45 mandates and UTJ and Shas will complete his government, compared to Netanyahu coming to us with 10 mandates - it is clear to you what will happen. If Netanyahu will have no chance of forming a coalition and Gideon Saar has a chance to, obviously our considerations will be different.

-- MK Yitzchak Pindrus (UTJ)

Deputy Minister Uri Maklev, also of UTJ, said something very similar this morning, saying all efforts will be made to not come to a situation of the question to support Saar or not as Netanyahu is the first choice.

Everyone knows anyway what would happen if someone else other than Netanyahu would be tasked with forming a coalition. UTJ and Shas would try to get in the coalition, as long as their issues and concerns and considered. What they said is no chiddush. But they said it. That is the chiddush. They openly spoke about possible support for a candidate other than Netanyahu. And, Bibi can't be happy about that, though that is beside the point.

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Headlines Podcast: 12/26/20 – Show 303 – Secular Holidays in Halacha (audio)

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MK Naftali Bennett on Ofira and Berkovitch: these elections are between politics and the citizens (video)

this interview is actually somewhat controversial because while filmed before Shabbos it was broadcast on Shabbos. And it led to a debate whether the head of a religious party should participate in this.

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UnderDos: The Chanukiyah of Yehudadi (video)

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Synagogues of New York Part 85 West Hempstead (video)

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Nemouel - Chalom (Official Music Video)

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Dec 25, 2020

Shvurei Lev cover by Shai Abramson for 10 Teves (video)

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Dec 24, 2020

the way to vaccinate everyone easily

The government can easily complete the vaccination program on about 80% of Israelis in one day.

Here is how

In March we are going to have elections. The polling stations should be staffed with nurses. When a person goes in to vote, in addition to voting, the vaccination can be administered at the same time.

Boom. The entire country (or at least whoever wants it) will be vaccinated.

Two birds, one stone.

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Chinese food on Christmas

For all the Jews who eat Chinese food on Christmas.... I hope they won't be serving you bats this year.

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Quote of the Day

I have already proven that what is important to me is ideology and not the seat. I already gave up my position as minister, and the Likud got the message. People thought I was just threatening, but they then saw that there is someone willing to give things up for ideology... I am the last one to worry about lowering the minimum threshold. I represent the largest Chassidic group, and it would be enough for me to coordinate with Vizsnitz to succeed and get past the threshold. The reason I oppose it is because I dont want machloket/argument. A low minimum threshold opens the door to arguments, and I won't be a part of that.

-- Minister Yaakov Litzman explaining why he refused to Support his party member's law proposal to lower the minimum threshold

1. they also all saw that as soon as the crisis finished, Litzman took his seat back. So it is less about giving up for ideology and more about avoiding responsibility. But yes, they saw he was willing to give up his seat for something

2. if he is so against machloket and therefore against lowering the threshold, maybe he should also be willing to give some power in his party to some of the other people and not take it each time for himself while leaving some of the others with very little (ie Eichler)

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can Shelach attract voters from the Right?

MK Ofer Shelach announced a little while ago that he is leaving the Yesh Atid party and will be forming a new party.

Shelach will be forming the new party together with Ron Cohen, chair of the organization for independent business owners. Rumor has it that Ron Huldai, currently mayor of Tel Aviv, and Avi Nissenkorn, currently Justice Minister, will join this party running for Knesset. The new party will be called something like Mifleget HaAtzmaim - the Freelancers Party. While I know nothing about their plans, just from the context it seems like one of their major issues will be to improve the situation of freelancers in Israel, which is highly taxed with minimal benefits.

The one thing I heard Shelach say about this is that it is time to cooperate with the Haredi parties and not fight with them, and he plans to rebuild the relationship of our side of the political map with the Haredi parties.

Benjamin Netanyahu once said he doesn't get involved in how the Left divides up its seats. Someone once compared the Left to the Titanic saying that like on the Titanic they shuffled the deck chairs while it was sinking, the Left shuffles its seats and votes while continuing to shrink its voter base.

Both the Right and the Left are enjoying the early portion of the latest election season by dividing up into more parties. On the Right we have Gideon Saar breaking off from the Likud and forming a party, and on the Center and Left the changes are just beginning - nobody knows what will be with Kachol Lavan, Shelach now left Yesh Atid, Labor is starting back up again though Amir Peretz is abandoning it, the Joint List Arab party looks like it is set to break up into at least two parties, and it is likely that there is more to come.

With polls showing the right parties bringing in upwards of 75-80 seats in the coming elections, the divisions in the Left are almost meaningless. None of them, except maybe one, are going to attract new voters. they are basically just shuffling the deck chairs. As of now, I think, only Ofer Shelach's new party has a chance of attracting new voters, because the issue of the freelancers is such a big one. If Shelach and his people really take that issue on and focus on it, it has the chance of attracting voters from the Right. Voters from the Right who want the issue of freelancers dealt with might vote for him, but only if that si really his issue of interest. If they feel he just brought them in to then focus on other issues such as the Palestinians and whatnot, they won't support him. If he focuses on the freelancers issue as his main thing, he has a chance.

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Interesting Psak: CoronaVirus vaccinations on Shabbos

A number of hospital rabbis have asked Rav Shlomo Amar, Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem, regarding getting vaccinations on Shabbos. It seems the medical clinics are preparing to also provide the vaccinations on Shabbos, using pikuach nefesh as justification. The hospital rabbis and some doctors are unsure about this and sent the question to Rav Amar.

Rav Amar responded rejecting the claim of pikuach nefesh. Rav Amar says that if giving the vaccination is pikuach nefesh, they should be vaccinating 24 hours a day. The fact that they are not shows that pikuach nefesh isn't behind this.

Rav Amar concluded and paskened that upon consultation with medical professionals he has decided that it is prohibited to get the vaccination on Shabbos.

Rav Amar suggested that on Shabbos they use non-Jewish doctors/nurses to vaccinate non-Jews.

The Eida Hachareidis has received similar question and similarly paskened that vaccinating on Shabbos is not allowed. The beis din of the Eida added that people should protest against their kupot that are planning to vaccinate on Shabbos.

source: Kikar

The government, the Ministry of Health, has already discussed the possibility of speeding up the vaccination effort by working around the clock. I wonder if they do decide to do that if the psak of Rav Amar will change.

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Kushner, Netanyahu Israeli delegation, Morocco, etc (video)

I made kind of a cholent here of several videos of recent diplomacy

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MK Bennett announces candidacy for PM of Israel (video)

I somewhat like Bennett, though his smile does always remind of the Joker from Batman... I kind of feel sorry for him now. His thunder has been stolen by Gideon Saar and tonight his big announcement was hijacked by the big news of Zeev Elkin joining Saar's new party..

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Ashley Blaker on Christmas (video)

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Exclusive Interview With Former Iranian National Judoka Sam Rajabi (video)

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Sruli Broncher ft. Dovid Pearlman // Let Go (Official Music Video)

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Dec 23, 2020

Tweet of the Day

הדרת מוזיקאים חרדים? גלגלצ פסלו ל'פלייליסט' השבועי את השיר החדש 'בצורת' של אביב גפן ואברהם פריד, ודחו זאת לשבוע הבא. מעניין האם רק כשזמר חרדי מגיע לדיון, אוטומטי הוא נפסל? pic.twitter.com/nSzU4ASF6M
— איציק אוחנה (@ok125125) December 23, 2020

Haredi journalist Itzik Ohana tweeted (my translation):

Excluding Haredi singers? Galgalatz invalidated the new song Batzoret from Avraham Fried and Aviv Gefen for this week's playlist, and postponed it until next weeks, when they will discuss including it. Interesting to know if only when it is a Haredi singer that gets to the discussion is automatically invalidated.

It looks' to me like Ohana is trying to make a mountain out of a molehill.

1. I don't know how Galgalatz decides when to include music in its playlist and when to not include it, but I have definitely heard frum singers on Galgalatz (at least Ishay Ribo and Yonatan Razel, off the top of my head, and probably others as well).

2. Just the other day Ohana himself reported about Menachem Toker upset about Avraham Fried participating in this song with Aviv Gefen and stating he won't play the song on his shows. Toker later clarified and said he won't play the song on his Kol Hai show, but will play it on his other shows on non-Haredi stations (such as Radio 13, El Al, etc). Even if Galgalatz is not going to play the music, maybe they are taking the lead from Menachem Toker? And maybe they just don't like it?

3. And even if, why is it ok for the Haredi stations to refuse to play the secular music but not ok for the secular stations to refuse to play religious music?

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Interesting Psak: goverment as a beis din

I haven't written about any of the piskei halacha from various rabbonim regarding taking the COVID-19 vaccine because the overwhelming number of rabbonim have said to take it and there isn't really anything interesting to write about that (unless you want to get into a discussion about the need for rabbis to determine medical issues, which I don't)..

But here is one that is interesting and slightly different.

Rav Yitzchak Zilbershtein, rav of Ramat Elchonon neighborhood of Bnei Braq, has paskened that people should take the Covid19 vaccination. According ot Rav Zilbershtein, the risks of the vaccine are minor compared to the risks of the virus itself should one contract it.

Interestingly, Rav Zilbershtein rejected the claims against taking the vaccine and added that the government authorities regarding this have the status of a beis din and must be listened to, especially with most doctors around the world saying that taking the vaccine presents is no danger, while CoronaVirus itself is a disease presenting danger to millions of people.

source: Haredim10

Declaring the authority of the government as that of a beis din is interesting. If they do not always have that authority, when do they and when do they not?

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picture of the Chafetz Chaim discovered

Remember when the old video clip of an Agudath Israel conference in Europe came to light a few years ago and gave us a rare glimpse of gedolim from previous generations, specifically the rarely seen Chafetz Chaim? That video immediately went viral. People were drawn to it.

Now a never before seen photograph of the Chaftez Chaim, Rav Yisrael Meir Hakohen Kagan, just came to light.

Earlier this week, Rav Dan Schlesinger published a special booklet, with the picture, with stories about the Chofetz Chaim, including the story of his planned trip to settle in Eretz Yisrael, which has never been published before.

Rav Schlesinger discovered the anecdotes about the Chofetz Chaim when he received an inheritance which included documents and banknotes that the Chofetz Chaim sent to a Yerushalmi Jew named Rav Yosef Levi Chagiz. Rav Chagiz had sent 100 liras to the Chofetz Chaim in Radin to finance his trip to Eretz Yisrael. The trip never came to fruition and the Chofetz Chaim sent the money back to Rav Chagiz with a shaliach.

Among the documents was the rare photo of the Chofetz Chaim. There are very few existing pictures of the revered Gadol, especially a relatively close-up photo such as this one. The Chofetz Chaim is seen sitting at a table with two other Jews but as of now their identities are unknown.

sources: Behadrei and YWN

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Interesting Psak: change text of Avinu Malkeinu

With Asara BaTeves coming up on Friday, another fast day during CoronaVirus times, Chief Rabbi Rav Dovid Lau has issued a set of guidelines with piskei halacha for the fast.

- all guidelines form the Ministry of Health must be followed, with davening and minyanim only taking place according to the guidelines.

- people should go get vaccinated

- in the Avinu Malkeinu prayer said on 10 Teves, instead of the phrase "Our Father, our King, withhold the plague from Your inheritance" - Mena Mageifa M'Nachaltecha - people should say "STOP the plague..." - Atzor Mageifa.

- mincha should be davened earlier to have enough time for the Torah reading and haftorah and birkat kohanim before Shabbos begins

- anyone with CoronaVirus should not fast, even if he does not feel sick with any symptoms

- anyone in quarantine who does not feel well should not fast

- people leading the services Friday night should not extend them with lengthy prayers and tunes, as the fast only ends when people make kiddush

That is a big one - instructing people to change the text of the prayer to reflect the current reality.

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Quote of the Day

Our land is committed to the agreement with Israel. The relations between our countries will be normal, including bilateral visits and meetings at all levels, including the most senior diplomatic levels. Everything will be normal and we have no intention to do this half way.

-- Nasser Bourita, Foreign Minister of Morocco

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the never-ending speech by MK Yitzchak Pindrus in Knesset (video)

MK Pindrus spoke for nearly two hours form the Knesset podium to filibuster before the vote the other day regarding the budget and elections.

Two hours sounds like it would be mind numbing and boring, but it was anything but. It was enlightening, illuminating, educational and even fun. Besides for divrei torah, Pindrus spoke about issues like vaccines, the Haredi community asking halacha from the Chief Rabbi, Haredim and the State, torah learning and protection, Satmar, Jerusalem, what time the mikvas in Bnei Braq close and much more....

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Camp Mesivta Circa 1942 (video)

from the Youtube description:

This footage is seeing the light of day after nearly 80 years. The original 8mm film was shot primarily by my grandfather Harry Haber. He was born in Pomorzany, Galicia, Austria on May 7, 1895, and immigrated to U.S. arriving in New York on February 1, 1910 aboard the S.S. Amerika. The ship manifest lists his last place of residence as Kadworna, Austria. His arrival in the U.S. was two years after his father's immigration to the U.S., and proceeded by one year his mother's and 5 siblings' immigration. (His parents had four more children once in the U.S.) The film was stored in a box with other slides and family photos. Originally stored in Washington D.C. and Maryland until approximately 2000, at which time the box was stored in a garage in Florida until it was discovered in late 2020. Once digitized by DigMyPics.com, I was only able to identify my father, David Haber in the film. Only moments after posting a shorter version of the film to Facebook (to the group "Tracing the Tribe - Jewish Genealogy") I received a a message which led to a conversation with a gentleman who identified the location as Camp Mesivta in Upstate New York. This was the summer camp for boys of Yeshiva Torah Vodaas in Brooklyn, NY. The rabbi walking towards the camera on the path with other people at 4:14 in the video has been identified as Rabbi Hisroel Chaim Kaplan. The rabbi with the red-ish beard at 4:30 is Rabbi Shlomo Heiman.

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Exclusive Interview With Muslim Emirati Delegation In Israel | SHOCKING (video)

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Space IL Co-Founder: 'Israel is Returning to the Moon' (video)

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Refaeinu - Klatzko Family - Composed by Benzion Klatzko - RCCS | (video)

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Dec 22, 2020

this year's Thanksgivukah

Last year, if I remember correctly, we had Thanksgivukah, when Thanksgiving fell out on Chanukah itself.

This year, with Christmas landing on Asara BTeves, we are going to have your choice of Asara BTevex or Christmeves.

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Overdose on CoronaVirus vaccine

According to Channel 12 News, a medical professional went to get his COVID19 vaccine yesterday.

Somehow they accidentally gave him the entire bottle of vaccine that contains 5+ doses, rather than pulling one dose and watering it down with saline as is supposed to be done.

The fellow was kept in the hospital for monitoring, and after it was determined that he was ok he was released to the wild.

What is going to happen to this guy?

a. This guy is going to have the fastest internet in the country with all the 5g chips they pumped him with

b. His horns and tail will be longer than everyone else's

c. the Illuminati won't be able to track him because of the abundance of vaccine causing crazy problems

d. he will now be protected for life from COVID19 infections - with no need to retake the vaccine in coming years, or even to get the 2nd dose in 3 weeks.

e. something else?

f. none of the above

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Quote of the Day

We are seeing a consistent increase in positive infections - and I am frustrated. We recommended to the Cabinet that they require Corona tests in Ben Gurion Airport, and the recommendation was rejected. I also do not understand why they are not enforcing quarantine orders for those returning from abroad. It is no surprise that these are the results.

-- Professor Nadav Davidovitz, adviser to the Corona Cabinet

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Picture of the Day

Someone's tefillin accidentally went into the garbage, in a school in NY, and ended up being collected. With the snow storm delaying the next garbage pickup they were able to uncover (via security cameras) what happened with the tefillin before they were destroyed or gone. With assistance from some askanim they were able to locate the truck and search the contents and found the tefillin

(hattip: Mayer Fertig)

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why we all use the same tune when lighting Chanukah candles (video)

interesting. i had no idea. They find the source but don't really explain how it spread and became the one tune for everybody. I would like to know that.

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Jeremy Saltan Debate vs Mitchell Barak on Gidon Saar (Dec 9 2020) (video)

Debate vs Mitchell Barak on Gidon Saar (Dec 9 2020)

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The HatzalaCast Episode 4 | Dr. Zecie Maltz | The Silent EMT (video)

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Lenny Solomon Live (video)

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MI K'AMCHA YISROEL - Joey Newcomb feat. Benny Friedman (Official Music Video)

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Dec 21, 2020

Quote of the Day

Without God these peace arrangements would not have come about. Every morning in my prayers I say "Bestow Peace Upon Us"... My gratitude and my love goes to the people in Israel, a bright future is ahead of you.

-- Senior Adviser to President Trump, Jared Kushner

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not high risk

I saw a notice that Meuhedet is expanding the Covid vaccinations to the Bet Shemesh clinics starting tomorrow, Tuesday the 22nd of December.

I figured I would try to get myself an appointment. I went online to my Meuhedet account and tried to book the appointment. after choosing the clinic, day and time, and clicking to reserve the appointment, it gave me the following message:

It rejected my appointment saying that for now they are only vaccinating those classified by the Health Ministry as members of a high risk group.

Baruch Hashem, thank God, I am not in a high risk group. I can wait patiently.

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