During the Second Lebanon War the yeshivot debated whether or not to cancel the summer bein hazmanim and learn through the summer or to allow the boys their vacation. The primary concern was that it would look really bad that the country is at war, soldiers and reservists are being sent out to battle, and the yeshiva boys are out touring the country, and not learning. Another major concern was that the country would need the learning for protection and success, but would not have it because of the vacation.

The decision was for the most part to allow the vacation but to encourage the yeshiva boys to remain low key.

I read recently a story, told over by someone who was involved in the Plesner Committee and has a good relationship with the haredi community, that he remembered from the Second Lebanon War an incident. They had been fighting for a couple of weeks and had not even had time to go home to their families. One of the reservists in his group made sure to continue learning daf yomi every day despite the fighting and lack of time. They were finally released for a day to see their families, and this fellow had to go to his cousins funeral (had died in battle). As they were driving past Har Meron, they stopped to pick up 2 yeshiva boys who were hitchhiking. They spoke to them and asked about their being on vacation while the country is at war. It was an uncomfortable situation, and the boys were not really sensitive to the fact that they were out touring while the country was at war.

Today's situation is not quite the same. The country is not at war. It does not quite look so bad that boys are on summer vacation when everyone else is, as it did when the country was at war but the yeshiva boys were on hikes.

Yet, Rav Ovadiah Yosef still feels it is important enough, with the looming threats of Iran and Lebanon, and the current attempts to remove the yeshiva boys from learning in yeshiva and to send them to the army, that vacation should be canceled. this is a time for the boys to be learning and not touring. Rav Ovadiah suggests that if we do our part, Hashem will do His part in solving the crisis.

And sure enough, some yeshivot and kollelim affiliated with Rav Ovadiah have already announced that they are canceling their vacations and will be learning straight through.

On the one hand it is a show of faith, and a symbol of dedication. On the other hand, during the actual war the yeshivot decided to send the boys out on vacation, no gadol ended up supporting the idea of canceling the vacations, but now that their own system is being threatened, suddenly the threat is too great.

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Eli Yishai has taken today's role as God's spokesman and explaining why things happen, and in the process upsetting many.

Whenever someone claims to know why something happened, and attributes it to blame other people for not doing something you would have wanted them to do, it understandably upsets people.

Yes, we believe our prayers help, can move mountains, can overturn heavenly decrees, can persuade Hashem to help us. The issue is not whether or not Eli Yishai is right or wrong about the efficacy of prayer, though sometimes we pray and don't necessarily get the answer/response we hoped for. The issue is how dare Eli Yishai assume to know what spiritual reason caused a physical action, and blame that on other people. One can always look at a failure and take a spiritual lesson for himself (or herself) on how to improve, for example, one's own prayers or charity. The problem is when someone has the gall to look at the failure and explain how someone else is at fault, and ow someone else has to improve.

What did Eli Yishai say?

At some sort of conference, organized by Rav Reuven Elbaz, Yishai spoke and said

In the Six Day War all the Arab countries fought against Israel. For every Jewish soldier there were at least hundreds, if not thousands, of [Arab] soldiers. For every tank there were hundreds of tanks. For every plane there were hundreds of planes. And see what great miracles and wonders there were. Then we were the weakest army in the Middle East. We did not have a chance to win. Suddenly everybody ran away and Israel won.
In the Second Lebanon War we were the strongest army in the Middle East, not like during the Six Day War. The strongest. There was no Egypt, no Syria, no Lebanon, No Iraq, no Yemen, no Lybia. Just 2000 "Hezballonim". And look what happened in the Second Lebanon War.
Do you know what the difference is? In the Six Day War every Jew that went to war and went to the front lines, lifted his eyes to Heaven. But in the Second Lebanon War we said "Kochi V'Otzem Yadi" - we are powerful and strong. So Hashem said to us you are so strong? let's see how that works out for you.
Gentlemen, this is a tremendous lesson - when all the Arab nations oppose the Jewish nation, what saves the Jewish nation is those who learn Torah and serve the public and bring people back to Torah."

Eli Yishai might be right about what the reason the Second Lebanon War was not a resounding success, to put it mildly, or he might be wrong. I do not know. Either he is simply a demagogue, giving the crowd exactly what they are looking to hear, or he is a fool.

The first question to ask Minister Eli Yishai is with so many more yeshiva students learning and davening in the time of the Second Lebanon War than the number that existed and were doing the same in the time of the Six Day War, why were the results so vastly different, skewed in favor of the Six Day War?

The second question to ask Minister Eli Yishai is who's job is it to pray and learn for the success of the army? Sure, the soldiers (religious and non-religious alike) can/should offer their own prayers, but they are supposed to be fighting. the self-professed argument of the yeshivas is that the soldiers fight, and we are the division that protects via prayer and learning Torah. If there was not sufficient prayer in the time of the Second Lebanon War is that not something to criticize the yeshivas about more than the army?

Yishai could have used his analysis of the failure and exhorted them, those who came to hear him speak, to improve their prayer, or to strengthen their own faith, to learn more or better, to give more charity. Instead he simply spoke about how other people did not do enough.

I would recommend that in the future we look at failures, and successes, analyze them, and apply the [spiritual] lessons first and foremost to ourselves and to our communities, and not point the finger at other people.

-- UPDATE:

as a result of the ruckus that this issue made, Minister Eli Yishai said his words were misconstrued and misunderstood. he said:
Haughtiness is the worst crime. In the Six Day War we saw tremendous miracles. How could such a simple text be turned into a political axe? Unfortunately, they quoted portions of a Torah lecture in order to present me as a public enemy.

At a drasha in front of baalei teshuva from yeshivat Ohr HaChayim, all of whom have served in the army, some of whom served in elite units, I spoke about the calamity of haughtiness.... I added that when we, the people, lifted our eyes to heaven. to hashem, we merited great miracles and salvation. The Six Day War was proof of that. These are basic concepts that every Jew understands. The army itself established a prayer for the soldier for when he goes out to battle.

As someone who served in the IDF, and as someone who's family is one that is part of the bereaved families, it is shocking to me that words of faith that are so basic have been turned into an axe.

As I evaluate my words, I am shocked from the partial quotes, and especially from the added commentary and the misleading headline [that led the article]. Still, because the announcement hurt some bereaved families and those who serve, I wanted to express the pain I feel and explain my words.

----

I add, the words quoted above are what he said - Yishai's explanation is that the headline used by Channel 10 to present the article, and their commentary along the way about it, were what caused the misunderstanding of what he meant.

Israel News is reporting based on a book of memoirs just published by a minster of Lebanon that Eldad Regev and Udi Goldwasser were killed by Israeli explosions, and not by Hezbollah as has been thought until now. The minister says they tried to keep the soldiers alive, but the explosions were just too much to overcome and they died.



Though the report makes it sound like it was accidental, it would not be a shock to find out that it might be true (I am not saying it is true, just it would not be a shock if it were). There was a report a while back about new commands that were in place, or maybe they were being considered, that in the case of a possible kidnapping of a soldier, his unit would be commanded to shoot to kill if retrieval was not possible. the idea being that this way there would not be a long protracted ordeal with all the trauma involved and the need to trade murderers for his release, in addition to avoiding any issue of sensitive information being extracted form the captive soldier by the enemy.

I don't know if this decision ever passed, but I remember it was discussed at least as a consideration.

Regardless of that, Israel denies the claim and holds Lebanon and Hezbollah responsible for what happened to them

Hashem Yinkom Damam. May Hashem Avenge Their Blood.

A Guest Post by Dr. Harold Goldmeier

On the anniversary of the Second Lebanon War, I don't know why analysts insist on numbering Israel's wars with Lebanon, or why anybody even suggests Israel had a war with Lebanon? In fact, Israel has not fought a war with Lebanon.

The 1982 war was fought in southern Lebanon against Abu Nidal's forces after the attempted the assassination of Minister Shlomo Argov. Israel surrounded and was ready to annihilate PLO and Syrian fighters, but gave them safe passage out of Beirut at the behest of the Lebanese and international peace keepers. Before that, there was Operation Litani (1978) that inspired the creation of UNIFIL, which was supposed to keep the peace forever. As far back as 1860, Christian soldiers invaded Lebanon after Muslims slaughtered their co-religionists and burned Christian holy sights. Christian forces interceded again in 1958, this time with U.S. armed forces (Operation Blue Bat). Skip to 1993 when Israel attacked Hezbollah for seven days; then to the April War of 1996 for sixteen days when Israel retaliated for over 600 rocket attacks of Israel's northern cities by Hezbollah; and finally to the July War of 2006 commonly known as the Second Lebanon War between Israel and Hezbollah. The wars IN Lebanon have always been between Christians and Muslims over religious hatred, Muslims and Muslims vying for political and territorial power and control, and Israel and Hezbollah but not the Lebanese government. Only Hezbollah has fought the official Lebanese government and armed forces, and was behind the assassination of the government's Prime Minister.

Israel recognized it’s lack of preparedness for war with Hezbollah in 2006; how she underestimated Hezbollah’s will, training, might, and arsenal; and only much later did Israel realize the disconnect between her military and political objectives. Israeli government officials were sacked as were many military officers, because of the admittedly chaotic way it fought the war. Israel had a knee-jerk reaction to the cross border kidnappings and murders of her soldiers by terrorists wearing U.N. uniforms who furtively slinked in from Lebanon. Israel has an aversion to casualties and kidnappings of its people but paid dearly for her messy response.

I would like to point out three lessons from the war: first, U.N. Peace keepers (and Lebanese border patrol forces) merely stepped aside when the terrorists of Hezbollah went across the border; so much for international guarantees of Israel’s border security and safety.

Second, Israel limpidly and without hesitation made individuals responsible for the conduct and outcomes of the war suffer the consequences. Who in Hezbollah’s administration suffered for starting the war? Even her leaders were shocked at the extent of Israel’s wrath. Sheik Nasrallha admittedly did not anticipate Israel’s powerful response.

Finally, there were no winners or losers in this war. Israel wrought devastation to southern Lebanon, and the Paris of the Middle East suffered enormous economic loss and human suffering. Israel’s psychic losses, and in life and limb to her soldiers and to civilians was also devastating. It did stop Hezbollah rockets targeting civilian centers from firing into Israel.

One side note. When IDF men and women went north with little preparation and fewer supplies, because of the last minute decision to go to war (they had little more time for this war than the Yom Kippur War, both the result of lousy intelligence and political bickering), civilian men, women, and children, left their homes and lined the roads to the north handing the soldiers, food and water, warm clothing, took letters from them to send home to their mothers and families, and more. It was a sight to behold, and people of the north still talk about it today with pride and some amazement.

Rabbi Grossman with the Paratroopers, as they enter Lebanon in The Second Lebanon War

So the bodies of Elded Regev and Ehud Goldwasser have been returned in coffins. Will Olmert have the courage to order Samir Kuntar shot dead in order to make the trade even?

I doubt it.

Another option is to cancel the deal and tell Hizbollah to take back the 2 bodies now that we know they are dead to make the trade even..

The news media is saying that a deal is imminent for the return of the two captive soldiers from the northern border (that ignited the Second Lebanon War), Eldad Regev and Udi Goldwasser. They would be returned in exchange for the release of the monster terrorist from Lebanon named Samir Kuntar who killed a four year old girl with his bare hands smashing her head into the rocks.

I do not know what the halacha is in this case, if this is considered too high a price or not (he was being held supposedly as another card for information on Ron Arad's whereabouts).

If Regev and Goldwasser are alive, I would support this exchange. Even though Kuntar says he will go right back to terrorism. If they are alive, this is probably a reasonable deal to get them back.

They just better be alive.

I hope the Israeli negotiators have demanded some sort of gaurantee on the matter, even though they are telling us Hizbollah has not given any such assurance.

I just received (from Naomi Ragen's email list)the following article of a story that happened during the Lebanon War last year. It is a fascinating story and well worth your reading it.

A Light in the Darkness of War
Original article written by Shula Weissfer

A year has passed but First Lieutenant M. has not forgotten about the activities of Migdal Ohr which had been discreetly accomplished. With minor changes, we publish here for the first time in English, Lieutenant M's written recording of his experience.

"I remember the two weeks of near face-to-face combat, the confused orders and insufficient combat gear, the intense hunger, physical and emotional exhaustion and toughest of all, the self-imposed silence and disassociation with our surroundings."Now is not the right time to complain, but when it is over," we thought to ourselves, "when the air raid sirens stop and we are out of these fatigues, we can talk and the truth will be known."

When the news came that we were receiving a day off, our hearts soared. We suffered so much stress and hardship. Where would we go? How should we take full advantage of this gift? Rumors begin to circulate that we were going to some school in Migdal Ha'Emek. "This must be a joke! Who ordered ten buses tobring us to some yeshiva with some Rabbi who is just going to try and brainwash us?"

Then, a few of the guys remembered. "Rabbi Grossman, that's the Disco Rabbi right? The guys all give him great respect." But what do they know? He is still some rabbi. Tired and emotionally drained, we got off the buses and stood face to face with an old-world looking Jew, complete with a white beard, side locks and long jacket.

"So here it comes," I thought, "the push to put on tefillin or to say prayers together. Some day off." "Boys," the rabbi's words thundered, "I suggest that first thingyou do is take a dip in the pool and freshen up. In the meantime, we will make you something to eat."

In amazing simplicity, Rabbi Grossman heard in passing that the brigade was looking for a home for a day, and he immediately volunteered his campus. "What's the problem? 600 soldiers? They should all come, of course we have room!"

With the echoes of war from the battlefield still in our ears, it seemed like a mirage or hallucination. Soft music came from everywhere and flowing water and greenery surrounded us. Within minutes, the tables were set with cold refreshing watermelon, cakes, and beverages, followed by cheeses, fresh vegetables, and soft rolls.

Then we heard, "Out of the pool, get dressed and eat something."We saw piles of new undergarments. 600 new undershirts and underwear appeared as if out of nowhere, laid out on tables for our choosing.

Rabbi Grossman sat with us and laughed, "Have a good time boys! Have a great time! This evening, I will put on the most spectacular performance you have ever seen."

I am not a religious person by any means, but I can't help but envision the first Jew, Avraham, standing and personally serving his guests perfectly naturally and without the slightest hint of condescension. He respected each individual and cared for all their needs. Like Avraham, Rabbi Grossman saw in this an obvious act of kindness, a mission of a Mitzvah that had fallen into his hands.

As the evening continued, we learned quickly that this was the essence of who Rabbi Grossman is and what he is all about. He loves everyone and accepts everyone as they are with all his heart and soul. "Tell me friends," Rabbi Grossman said, "I heard you are lacking different pieces of equipment. Do me a favor. Here is a pencil and paper, just write down everything you are missing and leave the paper on the table."

That night, we enjoyed the entertainment and afterwards, slept in soft beds and air-conditioned rooms. Like in a fairytale, we awoke in the morning and could not believe our eyes. Mounds of gear which we so desperately needed had arrived at Migdal Ohr. Attached, was a small note from Rabbi Grossman, "To my dear solders, from all my heart!"

Rabbi Grossman personally and immediately raised over $60,000 worth of equipment from friends literally overnight! The essential equipment included ceramic bulletproof vests, helmets, canteens, knee pads, backpack water canteens, night vision goggles, toothbrushes, socks and more.

Interestingly, a few months before the war broke out, a special friend of Rabbi Grossman from France was interested in donating a new Torah scroll to the main Migdal Ohr Beit Midrash (studyhall).

For some reason, Rabbi Grossman requested to postpone the event until an unspecified later date."Now is the right time!" Rabbi Grossman realized. He immediately made arrangements and in an early evening ceremony, we participated in the completion of writing the Torah.

While the scroll was carefully laid on the table next to a special pen and ink, Rabbi Grossman addressed the soldiers. "My holy ones! I am going to bestow upon you the merit of a holy mitzvah, which can be considered a once in a life time opportunity. Each one of you will complete a letter in the Torah scroll. While you are executing this holy task, each one of you should pray the prayer of his heart and request from G-d that the merit of the letter he has completed will protect him in battle. Holy sparks will emanate from these sacred letters and disperse around you, creating a protective shield which will keep you safe and bring you home safely.

"Those moments were the most exciting and emotional ones in my life. Shaking from the intensity of the immeasurable experience,still not believing, we held the edges of the Torah scroll while our hearts beat rapidly. There was complete silence all around. One after the other, we dipped the quill in the ink and completed a letter in the Torah scroll.

A bystander would have seen a breathtaking scene of incredible elation and spiritual exuberance. The world seemed as if shrouded in silence. The strings of our heart felt strummed and the tears flowed freely down our cheeks.

"Mother!" cried one of the soldiers into his cell phone, "you wont believe what I have done! I have written a letter in a Torah scroll! Mother, are you there? Can you hear?! Me, a Shmutznik (a member of a non- religious Kibbutz), who can't differentiate between Shabbat and the rest of the week, who has not seen tzizit(ritual garment) in my life. Me, I wrote a letter in a Torah scroll! I can't believe it. I can't believe it. "

After the completion of the Torah, the ceremony continued. Leading the procession was a decorated car with multi-colored lights strung all over it and with a crown of lights spinning around on its roof. Following the car, bearers of a decorated canopy marched while people danced around it. Under the canopy, others held the Torah scroll, which was clothed in white and crimson with a silver crown at its top. 600 soldiers and thousands of the town residents marched and danced in the procession, a loud speaker accompanying them, playing traditional Jewish music.

As the ceremony came to a close, Rabbi Grossman approached every soldier and kissed him while placing a half-shekel coin in his hand and said "shliach mitzvah aino nezok," messengers of a mitzvah are not harmed. Rabbi Grossman concluded, "When you return, G-d willing, healthy and unharmed, you will fulfill this mission I am placing upon you, and you will donate this money to charity.

"The night came. Twelve buses made their way atop the Galilee Mountains. Heavy darkness engulfed us, yet behind, in the growing distance, a bright flame pierced the night sky. In the midst of war and violence, we found love and unending human compassion at Migdal Ohr, the educational center established in Migdal Ha'Emek by Rabbi Yitzchak Dovid Grossman. Rabbi Grossman speaks "This was an immense "Kiddush Hashem."

For a long period of time, I cried and was very emotional." Thus Rabbi Grossman recalled the moment when he first read the words above written by First Lieutenant M.Rabbi Grossman has what to add to the end of this exciting memoir. "A moment before they returned to Lebanon, I told the soldiers, 'in the merit that you said "shema" and put on tefillin, wrote a letter in the torah, and are messengers of a mitzvah, I promise you, that you will all return safe and sound. None of you will be wounded or killed.'"

"Wasn't the Rabbi scared to commit to 600 soldiers that they would return home safe and sound?" asked Shula Weissfer, a journalist. "That is what came out of my mouth word for word," he replied. "This was a moment of exuberance."

"I continued and told them," Rabbi Grossman relates, "if this does actually happen that you come back safely, the first place you must come back to - before you go home - is Migdal Ohr. We will thank G-d together and from there we will say goodbye." I told them, "think of this as an emergency call-up. Do you accept?" The commanding officer replied in the affirmative.

Two weeks later, around midnight, Rabbi Grossman received a phone call. "Rabbi, your blessing has come true!" exclaimed the commander over the phone. "Everyone is safe and we are on our way to you. We will be there by two 'O clock in the morning"

Rabbi Grossman immediately contacted the kitchen staff and asked them to prepare a meal while he worked to organize a band. People asked him 'You need a band at 2 a.m.? Is Moshiach here?'

"At 2:30 a.m. the soldiers disembarked from the buses, each one carrying 60 kilo of equipment on his back. The band started playing music and the soldiers approached Rabbi Grossman, each one lovingly received with a hug and a kiss. This continued for two hours.

"I felt as I had never felt before," recalls Rabbi Grossman. "Each one told me his personal miracle. "One soldier, a kibbutznik and a lawyer in civilian life, relayed an incredible miracle. A group of soldiers were gathered in an empty house in a Lebanese village when one of them forgetfully lit a cigarette. Hezbollah terrorists immediately noticed the light and fired an anti-tank missile at the house. Coincidentally, two horses from the village ran in front of the house and were hit and killed. The missile, deflected by the horses, veered away from the house, landing elsewhere. Incredibly, the horses miraculously saved the soldiers inside the house.

After the warm reception, the soldiers recited "birkat hagomel,"and together with Rabbi Grossman, sang and danced until daybreak.

"To this day," says Rabbi Grossman, "we maintain contact with each soldier and have thus become one family."

Rabbi Grossman is a recipient of the "Award of Recognition for his Actions on Behalf of Soldiers of the Israeli Defense Forcesand the Second Lebanon War"

Original article written by Shula Weissfer

When Ehud Olmert agreed to set up a commission to investigate the failures of the Lebanon War part II, he was under tremendous pressure to establish a State Commission of Inquiry. A full blown State Commission has teeth to implement decisions and recommendations.

Olmert was obviously against that because it threatened him and his job the most. He withstood the pressure and established an investigative commission called the Winograd Commission. He claimed he would allow it to have the power to implement recommendations, though by law it does not have that power, so I think he was only saying that in order to be able to deflect criticism.

Olmert justified his decision with the rationale that a full blown commission would take too long to investigate because of legal issues and bureaucracies. Olmert " was concerned" that delays in the investigation would mean delays in implementing improvements to the system and resolving the failures.

By establishing a lesser body of inquiry, they would be able to come to their conclusions within just a few months and the country could move on, with the government fixing the problems.

So now we have the Winograd Commission still not having given its final report, with no date for it yet to be announced. It is assumed to be expected sometime in December/January. That means the "few months" of efficiency to investigate quickly and implement recommendations will have taken, in the best case scenario, about 1.5 years.

There have already been numerous delays. Most of these have been due to politicians and army people being concerned they would be named at fault in the report for various levels of failure. they took the Commission to court a number of times to force them to change their methods, to not name anybody, to send warning letters, etc.

The Commission said in its interim report that it would not name anybody but would leave it up to the public to decide who to blame and what to do with them and the politicians should be able to figure out how to take responsibility. The main person to blame avoided any responsibility, so Winograd announced that in the final report it would name names and make recommendations, due to certain people obviously not having gotten the message.

Yet today the Winograd Commission announced that it would not name names. It would not make personal recommendations. It would be up to the Israeli public to decide whom to blame and what to do with them.

All that for this? All those trips to court to finally give in and not name names or make recommendations? So what were all the delays for if you were not going to name names anyway?

Everybody thought that when Olmert named his buddies as the people who would investigate him, that he was making a mockery of the system.
When the Winograd Commission came back with its harsh interim report, people were surprised and thought the Commission figured out how not to be beholden to Olmert and that they would actually work independently.

Now it turns out the whole thing was a bluff. Winograd had no intentions of making waves. They have been beholden to Olmert. They delayed as much as they could to get people to forget the importance of the issues. And Olmert comes out having manipulated the whole system.

For those of you who do not know, "Halitzah" is a mitzva in the Torah. In brief, when a married man dies, leaving a wife but no children, that man's brother (if he has at least one), is commanded by the Torah to perform a marital ceremony called "Yibum" with his brother's widow.


The idea of this is to establish the dead brother's name in Israel by producing children.


If, for whatever reason, the brother cannot or chooses not to do so, of if the widow refuses to marry him, the Torah changes the mitzva to one of Halitza. That is a separation ceremony in which certain verses are read from the Torah, the woman spits into a shoe, and they are offically separated and each can go on living their lives as they wish.


Nowadays, we do not perform the mitzva of Yibum. Whenever such a situation arises, we perform halitza instead of yibum. I understand the reason to be that the Rabbis decided (even in the time of the Talmud this decision was beginning - it is not a decree of today's Rabbis) that our thoughts are less than pure. It was suspected that when the brother was performing Yibum, he might have thoughts of desire for his sister-in-law, ratehr than thoughts of establishing his dead brothers name.


Because of this, they decided that we would no longer perform Yibum, but only halitza.


Enough of an introduction.


It seems that halitza is not a very common occurence. Whenever I have heard of one taking place it is always "after the fact" and having been done with a sense of urgency and even excitement. Usually one hears that "The Rabbi called me about a halitza going to take place and invited me to come watch."


An emotional halitza took place this week in Jerusalem.


One year ago a woman lost her husband in the Second Lebanon War. They had no children. She was obligated to have the halita ceremony performed in order for her to begin to move on and look for a new husband.

Her family members had tried to press her to partake in the halitza ceremony so she could move on. She refused, saying that her husband is still with her. To her he was still alive.


Eventually the family turned to the Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Amar, to help with the situation.


The Rabbi tried to convince her to do the halitza. He explained that as long as she continued to refuse, her husband's soul could not rest peacefully. Aside from doing it for herself, she was urged to do it for her dead husband's sake.


He promised her that he would personally deal with the halitza. At the ceremony would also be a memorial service for her dead husband, and eventually she agreed.


After all the preparations were made, the ceremony was performed in the offices of the Chief Rabbi of Israel, one year to the day of the death of her husband, who died in the Second Lebanon War. May his memory be blessed, and may she have the strength and conviction to move on and begin her life anew.


And if anybody knows how I could arrange to witness such a ceremony, please drop me a line.