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Free The Hostages! Bring Them Home!

(this is a featured post and will stay at the top for the foreseeable future.. scroll down for new posts) -------------------------------...

Mar 31, 2025

Akiva, Jewish Music Superstar (Behind the Bima #177) (video)







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JERUSALEM TODAY! A Walk Through the Timeless Beauty of the Holy City! (video)







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MCE: The Miami Choir Experience - Kuh Rebon (Official Music Video)







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Mar 30, 2025

Halacha Headlines: 3/29/25 – Shiur 507 – The YU Settlement: Does the Torah agree to it? | How to prevent children from being left in cars (audio)








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I saw the truth and cant sit quietly by the side (video)






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Nighttime Secrets of Kidron Valley, Mount of Olives, and the Old City of Jerusalem! (video)








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Yossi Rodal - We All Have a Song - (Official Music Video)







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Mar 27, 2025

TZAMA - Jack Cohen, Rebbe Glanz, Gabe Bauman [Official Music Video]







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Mar 25, 2025

A Conversation with Anja Listmann (video)

Widen the Circle Executive Director Joel Obermayer talks with 2025 Obermayer Award winner Anja Listmann. Anja is a brilliant teacher, a tireless advocate, and an extraordinary community-builder. The curriculum she wrote to bring Holocaust remembrance into focus teaches empathy, critical thinking, conflict resolution, and democracy education to ninth and tenth graders. Students do extensive research in local archives, libraries, and cemeteries to learn about the lives of Jews in Fulda. By the time they participate in an immersive five-day trip to Auschwitz, students know the personal stories of Jews from Fulda who were killed there. One evening during the Auschwitz trip, a student texted her asking, “Can you miss someone you don’t even know?” She has played a lead role in many community projects, including organizing a reunion for 170 former Jewish residents and descendants in 2023. She organizes Fulda’s annual commemoration of the November 9 Kristallnacht pogrom. And she is helping to restore Fulda’s historic Jewish cemetery. Her continued advocacy led to her being named the city’s official Representative for Jewish Life.






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Aryeh Kunstler "Open Heart" [Official Music Video]







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Mar 24, 2025

Eli Sharabi’s full address at the United Nations (video)







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I was duped (video)

not too impressive





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We Want Moshiach Now! | DJ Farbreng | Eli Marcus | TYH Nation (video)







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Mar 23, 2025

defending Ronen Bar

As I mentioned the other day, I don't think the Left is doing anyone a service by defending Ronen Bar, head of the Shabak, from being fired by PM Netanyahu and his government. Bar Deserves to go home, whether by resignation or by firing. 

The Opposition isnt doing anyone a favor, and is not protecting democracy by defending him. They are simply opposing the government, which is actually their job but in this case it is not a good cause. I think their defense of the Attorney General is fine - whatever you think of her, firing her is more complicated legally, she isn't responsible for the October 7 failure (at least not directly or explicitly), and her work and defending her can be seen as defending democracy.

That being said, Bar's firing has been frozen by the courts until the Supreme Court hears the petitions against the firing. As much as the Netanyahu government is trying to force a constitutional crisis, I don't think Bar's firing is going to bring it. I don't see the Supreme Court canceling the firing of Ronen Bar. I think they will let it pass. The law, and granted I am the furthest thing from an expert on this, seems pretty straightforward and it does not seem complicated to fire him and I think the Supreme Court will allow it. Of course the Qatargate investigation might be the one impediment, but I think it will be allowed. If they try it with the Attorney General and don't make do with just a witch hunt hearing and a statement of intentions but go through with it, then the Supreme Court would likely intervene as firing the Attorney General is far more complicated. We probably have to wait for our constitutional crisis until they try it with Gali Baharav Meara. 

All that being said, I still find it reprehensible and highly hypocritical the way the government has chased everyone involved in October 7 out of office while they themselves refuse to acknowledge responsibility and resign and go to elections. As much as the security forces bear responsibility, the government does as well. Every claim they have made about the various individuals in the security forces applies equally to the government. Can they get away with? Obviously yes, as they have until now, but I still find it highly hypocritical and reprehensible. 

The government should resign and go back to the public with elections for the public to renew its faith in the government, in all the politicians, or say who else they want to lead the country to finish the war or to rebuild the nation.

And, in addition, I think the government should wait for all these reforms and changes, which are highly divisive, until after the war. Greater unity is needed during wartime. Especially in a war that seems to be never-ending,  so far 17 months long with no end in sight, in which the numbers of people reporting for more and more reserve duty has been decreasing, in which many people, rightly or wrongly, feel the government is simply extending the war to keep itself in power without needing to face the public, the government should wait for all these changes that cause protests and fighting. Concentrate on the war and save everything else for later. Yes, the government has the technical right to make these various changes. One can question if they have the moral right considering their responsibility for October 7, but they at least have the technical right. But even with the technical right, I dont see it as the smart or wise thing to be doing right now.




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The heat is on... for now

At a recent conference in Bet Shemesh, organized by Mayor Shmuel 'Shmulik' Greenberg, Minister of Housing Yitzchak Goldknopf made a statement that got him in some trouble. During his talk he said that even housing that had been designated for the general public has been redirected and sold for the Haredi public specifically. He would not give details, but that is what he said. 

Since then members of the Likud (and maybe other coalition parties as well) got upset. There were calls, all from within the coalition, for Goldknopf to be fired for this, for taking away housing designated for the general public and illegally redirecting it to the Haredi public, while the Haredi public already has a lot of housing being built for it [in Bet Shemesh]. The blitz against Goldknopf was led by Minister Amichai Chikli. Chikli said the coalition is large enough and stable enough and they can and should fire Goldknopf, they dont need a minister who cares nothing for the miluimnikim, the Reservists and other soldier.

After a torrent of criticism in today's government meeting, Goldknopf issued an apology. Goldknopf said that he apologizes for the way he spoke at the conference last Wednesday. "To remove any doubt, the Ministry of Housing acts in accordance with the law, and in opposition to how people with personal interests tried to explain his words, nothing was done against the rules. The Ministry acts to benefit all sectors and populations in Israel and I apologize for how I presented my words".

So he says he didn't break the law but he does not say he did not redirect the housing from the general public to the Haredi public. Funny apology, but it seems to have been accepted. Sorry for getting caught, forgetting that other people might hear this. Nobody explained his words like that  - he said it explicitly and there is video all over the internet of him saying it. We'll see how this progresses - will it die down and go away or will the heat increase?





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Halacha Headlines: 3/22/25 – Shiur 506 – The Battle over the Character of Israel – supporting progressive values or supporting Torah. How to handle Reform Judaism’s attacks against Torah observance (video)







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Yaakov Shwekey - Kaddish (video)







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Mar 20, 2025

If there's such starvation in Gaza, how is it that the murdering terrorists are so fat? (video)








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Six13 - Prayer for the Hostages (video)







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Mar 18, 2025

Motty Weiss - Al Aba Lo Shoalim Shaeilot Live (video)








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Mar 17, 2025

Ronen Bar does not deserve backing


I dont think the Opposition, or the people, should come out protecting Ronen Bar. 

Bar deserves to go home, and technically PM Netanyahu has the right to fire him. Obviously I am not taking Qatargate into account and the conflict of interest it creates, but if that is not a legal impediment, there is nothing technically wrong with the firing, and Bar does not deserve the backing of the Opposition.

The Opposition, and the people, should attack Netanyahu. He deserves to go home just like Bar does.

Bar does not deserve the backing of the Opposition. It just makes them look bad.

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Mar 16, 2025

World Zionist Congress Elections Coverage - Part 1 (Behind the Bima #176) (video)







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CITY OF MY DREAMS | AVI GANZ | (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO)







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Mar 13, 2025

ZAY GEZUNT (video)







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Amutat AMI with Amir Dadon: V'Afilu B'Hastara (video)







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Mar 12, 2025

Tweet of the Day







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stop bluffing

The Haredi dailies, the newspapers like Yated Neeman, Hamodia and Hamevaser (and maybe others?) have run a "kol korei" from the Moetzes, the Council of Sages, calling upon the people to gather wherever they are and have a prayer rally to annul the evil decrees against the Torah (referring to the Draft Exemption law), using a lot of verbiage connected to Purim saying Taanis Esther is a day for prayer, etc...





While tefilla is always good, I have another suggestion for them that might work more immediately, and it is a solution they themselves came up with, suggested and have bandied about for many years already...

That would be, leaving the government because what they were promised has not been given. 

the Haredi parties have been threatening this government time after time since it was formed a little over two years ago that if the Draft Law they want is not passed by a variety of deadlines, they would collapse the government. And every time Netanyahu calls their bluff and fails to pass a draft law for them by each deadline, they decide not to collapse the government because they want other things as well that they would have to risk losing by collapsing the government. So the government continues to think they are not serious and keeps promising the passage of the law and just regularly moving the goalposts, and the Haredi parties continue to just accept it despite their regular threats (though recently they have also stopped threatening, and only Minister Goldknopf has continued with the threats).

If they would carry through on their threats they might be taken more seriously next time. And also, collapsing the government would give them more time and kick the can a little further down the road, which is something they have been doing for a long time.




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Mar 11, 2025

David Schwimmer Presents the ADL Heroes Against Hate | Never Is Now 2025 (video)







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Israel. The Unseen Beauty of Galilee! Discover Rosh Pina & Its Enchanting Nature. (video)







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Rebbi, I Want To Learn! | Moshe Auslander | TYH Nation | (video)







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Mar 10, 2025

Quote of the Day

[Ronen Bar, head of the Shabak] has committed a targeted assassination to the concept of personal responsibility and is fortifying himself in his seat in an undemocratic way. If I were the Prime Minister, I would immediately fire him. That he has not yet been fired is a sign of weakness of the political class.

  -- Minister Betzalel Smotritch


to note, I am favor of everyone involved with any responsibility resigning and going home, leaving public life. That includes heads of the military, heads of the various security services, and heads of the political leadership. Everyone. 

That being said, I find it, once again, highly hypocritical of Smotritch and of many others in the government to be strongly pushing all these resignations and/or firings for everyone else, and also pushing to get investigations and conclusions finalized, while they themselves sit tightly in their own chairs and refuse to allow an investigation to even begin into the entire picture and into the political side specifically (ie army investigated itself but didnt look at the political side, shabak investigated but didnt look at political, etc). And specifically saying the above, what a lack of self-awareness. Bar wont quit so it is a targeted strike on personal responsibility? Maybe it is but Smotritch also hasnt quit, and he even said a few times they in government including himself are all responsible.  he is right about Ronen Bar but he is being super-hypocritical, as is everyone else in the government who pushes this all on everyone else while refusing to allow the government to be looked at. 




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embarrassing (for the country) visit

Japan's Ambassador to Court, errr I mean to Israel, showed up in court today to watch a bit. During a break in the proceedings PM Netanyahu went over and chatted with the Ambassador..


Even Amit Segal posted the image with the description of it being embarrassing.

Netanyahu should have resigned when indicted. He should have worked to clear his name, and if he would he could then run again for politics. Deep state, blah blah blah. Others were indicted and resigned.



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Picture of the Day

picture taken from Joshua Wander's FB page


rabbi talking Torah to a group of ascendants on Har Habayit, protected by a visibly religious Jewish Israeli policeman




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Zevi Samet, Basketball Star and Yeshiva Bachur (Behind the Bima #175) (video)







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Mar 9, 2025

Halacha Headlines: 3/8/25 – Shiur 505 – Purim – Fascinating Sources for our Minhagim | Bringing Simcha into our lives – The stories behind "Bardak" and Suki & Ding (audio)







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Gal Gadot Receives ADL International Leadership Award | Never Is Now 2025 (video)







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8th Day - Haman How's It Hangin (Official Music Video)







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Mar 6, 2025

Mel Mathias Jewish War Hero

Dr. Goldmeier teaches at Touro College Jerusalem. He is an award-winning entrepreneur receiving the Governor's Award for family investment programs in the workplace from the Commission on the Status of Women. He was a Research and Teaching Fellow at Harvard. Harold is a Managing Partner of an investment firm, a business management consultant, a free public speaker on business, social, and public policy issues, and taught international university students in Tel Aviv.

 

Another Holocaust survivor has passed away; this 96-year-old was a Jewish war hero. Melvin (Meinhold) Mathias was 7 years old when his family fled Germany and made their way to America before the US State Department locked the entry gates from 1930 to 1939. The current political kerfuffle is not the first over immigration. Neither was Mel the only immigrant/refugee to contribute more than his fair share to the American people. Mel was a family man, Israel advocate, affable friend, businessman, and a distinguished service medal-winning US Army veteran.

Mel’s family were German Jews for two centuries or more during which Germany and civilized society became synonymous until the rise of fascism. Mel was not a displaced person like my wife who was born in a DP camp. He knew his place in life was to be the best American Jew possible, proud of both his heritage and the country that took in his family. He read American and Israeli news every morning and evening.



Growing up, Mel lived in a family-owned, two-flat apartment building. In a unique twist, the family consisted of two brothers who had married two sisters. Each couple had one child. They all lived in one three-bedroom apartment. Mel and his parents (Erich and Kathinka) lived with his uncle, aunt, and cousin (Ernest, Lena, and Sidney). Mel and Sid forged an unusually strong bond akin to brothers rather than cousins. Mel was sworn into United States citizenship on July 7, 1943, and about seven years later was sworn into the US Army. In the 79 years we knew one another, he never spoke about his honorable and award-winning military service to the country he loved so deeply.

Mathias served in the Korean War until 1953. There were not many Jews so Mel stood out. He earned but never bragged about his

  • Korean Service medal,
  • National Defense Service medal,
  • United Nations Korean Service medal,
  • Republic of Korea War Service medal,
  • The Korean Presidential Unit Citation medal,
  • “Ambassador of Peace” medal from the South Korean government, and
  • In recognition of his service, the Chicago Honor Flight in 2016 to honor the veterans at the Korean War Memorial.

Later in life, Mel agreed to be a test subject for the first use of titanium in knee replacements at the University of Chicago Hospitals.

Obituary of Melvin Mathias

 

Mel spent more than two decades supporting veterans as commander, quartermaster, and communications chairman of the Jewish War Veterans Pvt. Sam Neivelt Post 407. He also served as corresponding secretary for the Wally Burns Post 8077 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

After I moved to Israel, we spoke on the phone a few times a year. Mel was up on the news from Israel, and it disturbed him deeply. He and other German Jews were shaken but not shaped by the twist of the world’s most civilized society into one of barbarians. He never understood the Korean Civil War in which he fought. It left one half the same people to flourish, share their culture with the world, and become a global leader in information and telecommunication technologies. The North rapidly turned inwards, choosing a path of isolation, consumed and spreading fear and loathing. He and I would share our disappointments with Israel’s Arab neighbors and Palestinians. They once blessed the world with knowledge and a cultured life during the Islamic Golden Age. Now, their notable claim is to be the world’s worst terrorists, jihadists, and destroyers of modern civilization.

Mel spoke with a happy note in his voice about any subject. Once, he ruminated that all three civilizations crashed in his lifetime. He and I were scared for America, where hate and antisemitism are on open display. He always closed our conversations with queries about my grandchildren in the IDF and wondered what might have been had there been a Jewish army in his childhood.

Survivors include his daughter, Linda Mathias Kaskel (Bruce Kaskel), and his son, Larry Mathias (Sue Haas Mathias); grandchildren Beth Kaskel (Michael O’Neill) and Julie Mathias (Nick Meyer); great-grandchildren Mason and Florence O’Neill; cousin Sidney (Rita) Mathias; and sister-in-law Ruth Berman (late Barry Berman).

 



 






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