the main problem of assimilation is among those who are completely unaffiliated with Judaism, and not among the Reform Jews...do you really think that it would be ebtter if in that small town in America there would not be a Conservative institution that they pray and study in daily in Hebrew and about the State of Israel?
Unlike the Haredi MKs, I do not consult with rabbonim about all my political and diplomatic activities, as per the party I am the head of, while regarding halachic issues I do consult. By you everything is considered halacha, and that is legitimate, but our way is different, and I do not intend, as Ministers of Education and of Diaspora Affairs  to change that, and in the future too I will continue to act in the way that not always will I consult with the Moetzet Gedolei Hatorah. I am open about this and not hiding anything.

  -- Minister Naftali Bennet, talking about the "conflict" between him and Chief Rabbi Lau regarding Bennet's visit to a Conservative school.

Bennet obviously has upset some people with his statement, but he is right. Whether his approach is right or wrong, or good or bad, can be debated, but his approach is his approach and he is under no obligation to follow the approach of the Haredi community.

interesting way to make a point

As by now you surely know, the new person, Yossi Cohen, appointed to head the Mossad is a somewhat religious Jew. he grew up religious, learned in yeshiva, his kids learn in yeshiva, he is shomer shabbat and keeps kosher, though he does not normally wear a kippa during the week, and is an accomplished person with a strong record as a Mossad agent.

After the appointment was made public last week, Cohen spoke on shabbos in his shul in Modiin. During his drasha he mentioned that the State was founded with God's help. Cohen also said that the State still needs God's help today.

This threw the media and many on the Left into a frenzy. How dare Cohen mention God! How dare Cohen, the head of Israel's intelligence agency, believe that God had some role in our country! Will he next turn the State into a halacha state? Will he cancel democracy? How dare he talk about God in a speech in shul!

this is a Jewish state, in addition to being democratic. With more religious people moving into more and more roles of leadership and authority, they better quickly get used to the new approach, to hearing God mentioned a little more frequently than before.

I see nothing wrong with what he said nor with what he believes. The strong rejection of what he said by some is more troubling. This is a Jewish State. God plays a role. Somehow, somewhat is something that can perhaps be debated, but it is time the Left, the media and the secular accept the fact that the religious, even those in leadership roles, include God in their lifestyle and beliefs.

And. the best thing about Cohen's speech in shul was probably that he got, perhaps for the first time, so many people to go to shul when they normally wouldn't - just because they wanted to hear what he would say, perhaps get some scoop (as they did). Perhaps one or two were even inspired by what he said or by something else in the services. It at least opens the door for them.

obviously without seeing the images it is impossible to actually judge and have a real opinion as to whether she is a crackpot or is correct in her complaint... but to start off, even without seeing the "offending" imagery, in a community like Lakewood she could very well have a real complaint...

mazel tov

cool. not the best I've ever heard, but cool...

Reports have it that the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, wants to bring Yesh Atid, led by Yair Lapid, into the coalition. To that end, Netanyahu has asked his coalition members for their approval. UTJ has refused to agree. According to Yaakov Litzman, Lapid is a red line for them because of the damage he tried to do intentionally and specifically to the Haredim.
source: INN, Behadrei and Jewish press

I wonder what positions Netanyahu would have been able to give Yesh Atid in return for their entry into the government. Bringing in another party would require a reshuffle of government positions, with 2-3 ministries going to Yesh Atid along with other positions. I cannot imagine the Haredi parties being willing to give anything up so that Yesh Atid could get them, and no party would agree to a reshuffle that was not proportionately divided among all the parties. I also imagine Yesh Atid would not agree to join the government for new ministries that would be created for them, as the number of ministries and deputy ministers was a big issue for them.

I don't know if Litzman's intransigence on Yesh Atid joining the government is right or wrong. I know Litzman considers Yesh Atid to be supremely evil, far more so and more vociferously than any of the other members of UTJ and Shas.

On the one hand, the hand that Litzman holds, they are evil, they tried to harm us, we cannot partner with them.

On the other hand, and I am surprised that Litzman does not even consider this, bringing Yesh Atid into the government would obviously mean that yesh Atid has to accept the government's basic positions and guidelines (like any member of the coalition does). This would be the opportunity tp have Yesh Atid, if YA would actually join, go against everything they have stood for in the past - they would be supporting a government that raised child allowances, gave money back to yeshivot wherever YA took it away, has a larger government, repealed the draft law, repealed the changes Yael Gherman had made when she was Minister of Health, and more. Taking Lapid in would really be sticking it in his face.

I don't know which is better. I do have a hard time believing that such an arrangement would have actually worked out. I don't see how Lapid could have justified and rationalized joining the government.

Translation:

I don't understand the people who think that if they would be drafted to the army the world would turn upside down.
I have not gone anywhere, I have stayed the same Jew keeping the Torah and mitzvos, trying to serve the Creator in the best possible and most correct way.
I am the same Shlomi....

everybody has to have the shul they won't daven in...

it's always interesting to see the different perspectives among different people..

childish...

this was organized through Israel..