Last week I posted a guest post from Magen entitled "Why that man takes a certain interest in my child". The post included, and was mostly based on (I think), the following piece, "There have been several cases in Bet Shemesh/RBS in recent weeks of charismatic men who have a Pied Piper influence over kids, some of whom they allegedly have molested. The kids' parents were aware of the 'specialness' of the relationship, even the peculiarity, but were not aware of the risks."

That piece touched some nerves, and a number of people thought, and suggested, that the article was not based on reality and was just fear-mongering. How do we know there really is such a person lurking around? How do we know this or that? How can you say something like that publicly without giving more details? Etc.

This post, is a follow-up post based on the original. A local man, the person, or one of the people, who was the subject of the previous post, was arrested a few days ago. The post, and any information put out by Magen, is not fear-mongering, but is based on very serious issues and details, and when they make a public statement it is because there is a certain need for the public to be aware of a situation.

From Magen:

My addition:
I don't know too many details of the case at hand but I do know some, a few, details. I don't know if he is innocent or guilty, though the accusation is pretty serious. Either way, parents stepped forward and filed a complaint based on what they saw happening to their child/children. It is very important, whether he is innocent or guilty, that other parents, if there are, who suspect their kids might have been targeted and preyed upon should step forward and contact the police directly or via Magen. If you have information proving his innocence that would also be very important to bring to light and tell the authorities.

In this week's Yated Neeman free edition there was an interesting "Letter to the Editor" or post to the comment board page (I'm not sure what that page is called, and the letters are not really letters to the editor in the normal sense of what most papers print).

The comment was suggesting a new solution to the housing crisis (specifically in the haredi sector). The solution offered was that the government should be more forthcoming and flexible to homeowners. He wrote that the government should approve and encourage homeowners to "split" their apartments and be able to sell off parts of their homes and retain ownership on part of the house. This would require changing the land registration of homes, and the government is not flexible enough in allowing such changes.

The writer goes on to explain, using his personal situation as an example. He says that he and his wife are a bit older and their children are all married and have moved out of their home. Their 4 room apartment (3 bedrooms) is really too large for their needs, as they only use 1 of the bedrooms.

If, he writes, they could find a way to split their apartment and keep half for themselves and sell off half to a young couple, that would solve the housing crisis, as it would [almost] immediately create thousands of additional small apartments available on the market. Relisting the apartments would be necessary, as would some construction to actually make the physical split, but with the government's cooperation and encouragement it could be done quickly and efficiently - far quicker than building new cities and neighborhoods.

He also writes that some will say if your apartment is too large just sell it and buy something smaller. Why create such an issue? He answers that by saying that they don't want to move. Moving is expensive and difficult. They are older and like their friends and neighbors, while moving would make them have to settle into a new area and make new friends and that is not something older people, themselves for example, are inclined to do.

Interesting idea. Is relisting your apartment, along with weeks and maybe months of construction not too difficult to deal with? Only selling is difficult? Will they not need to hire architects and engineers to design the split of the apartment and redesign the new apartment, to move water, gas and electrical lines? That will not be expensive? Only moving is expensive?

Do they not want to have bedrooms available for when the kids and grandkids come to visit? Obviously this is their choice, and if they don't have the luxury of holding on to the extra bedrooms for that purpose, they would see selling as a solution - but why do they assume their experience and situation is what all other people would choose to do? Maybe other people like to have an extra bedroom to host guests or to have the kids come over?

Why not rent the extra bedrooms to a young couple as borders and they would share the kitchen? I am sure it would not be easy, but plenty of people have borders living over and it works.

The idea of splitting apartments instead of, or maybe in addition to, seems silly to look to as a solution to the housing crisis. Perhaps the government can be more flexible in such things to help people who want or need to split their apartments in order to raise some money or to get rid of the burden of the upkeep of the parts of the house they don't really use, but I don't see it as a large scale solution for the housing crisis.

Now that the dust has settled on the hyped-up press coverage of the Chelsea Clinton and Marc Mezvinsky wedding, the religious fathfull need to take a look at alternative efforts besides outright rejection to deal with the catastrophe of interfaith marriages. This was the most public and publicized of all interfaith marriages, since Edwin Schlossberg married Caroline Kennedy in a 1986 Camelot ceremony held inside and outside the Church of Our Lady of Victory as all the world watched on television. Both weddings were no victory for the Jews, but an enormous bite out of the Jewish community’s sense of continuity.

There is a shoah, darkness, spreading across the Jewish communities of America and Europe with ever-faster speed. Jews and Gentiles alike watched the wedding procession whom none other than Jackie Kennedy had planned. Now the bad news is coming not in threes, but in multitudes of intermarriages. Clinton-Mezvinsky, Bar Refaeli and Leonardo DiCaprio, Ari Fleischer and Rebecca Davis (Catholic), Rep. Anthony Weiner married a Muslim, Huma Abedin, are among the more recent high profile couples to date or marry persons of other religions. Most distressing, we learned upon the death of Congressman Tom Lantos, a Hungarian born Jew who championed the causes of Israel and the Jewish people that his wife and daughters are converts to the Mormon faith.

Freedom is a challenge to the religious faithful. Rabbi Ben Zion Kaganoff of Chicago once pondered if Jews need to be bound in a straight jacket of persecution and oppression to survive as a people? Our population numbers are frozen. Fewer Jews each identify themselves as religious and are active members in local Jewish institutions and causes. If celebrity out marriage is not a cause, it certainly gives impetus and legitimacy to Jews who are in the marrying mode. It would be easy and wrong to dismiss the Jew who marries out just like it is for those advocates for love conquers all.

Most Jewish religious leaders reject interfaith couples, while some accept them in their congregations and communities. In The Missing ‘Mazel Tov,’ the Forward Forum, August 20, 2010, Edmund Case believes the answer to Jewish continuity lies with our leaders embracing interfaith families and welcoming them into Jewish life. He decries the lack of outreach to them, and the general feelings of disgust when newlyweds Clinton-Mezvinsky were talked about. Case argues we need to reach out and persuade them to accept Judaism into their lives as the enriching and fulfilling lifestyle.

An earlier published piece in The Huffington Post, July 23, 2010, had Case dreaming about the Jewish and Christian rituals at the Chelsea-Marc wedding. He was near on the mark. His glowing account later in The Forward, his appreciation of their choices like a tallis Marc wore, marrying under a chupa, etc., give hope to Case this couple will make similar lifestyle choices in their new home together—perhaps she will light candles Friday night, invite the mishpacha for dinner and serve gefilte fish and chicken soup, have a bris of their future son, and so on.

Case is not a fool, but perhaps a bit of a dreamer. He is precisely what’s missing in our leaders right now. The Lubavitcher Rebbe was a dreamer. So were Rabbis Feinstein and Auerbach who brought Torah law and religious spirit to the people in ways they could understand and accept. We simply have to extend our horizons, ignore our feelings of shame and rejection (when those marry out reject us and our traditions). The vibrant and successful baal tshuva movement is an example of what can be accomplished and those tactics of love and hard work need to be extended to interfaith couples.

Feelings about Chelsea and Marc among my religiously observant friends run the gamut from a sense of loss for another Jewish soul to anger and outrage about the hypocrisy of Marc marrying out. Most were infuriated by their high jacking Jewish traditions to put a seal of approval on the wedding and marriage like the chupa, the breaking of the glass, the tallis, and more. Who cares about them was the best thing some could say. We should all care.

True blue Jews can be mean and say mean things to and about interfaith couples. Yes, we can shun them. We can and should do everything we can to persuade a Jew and a gentile from not marrying, including giving great moral and financial support to outreach programs that fight this kind of thing. But we cannot prevent interfaith marriages without the straight jacket of anti-Semitic racial laws. The devastation of Jewish family life from intermarriage in urban areas is much more devastating in less populated cities and towns. No educated arguments, statistics about the divorce rate, explanations about the impact of mixed marriage on the children, can compete with love and lust.

Jews active in kiruv, outreach, know how hard it is to keep an open mind and an open heart when dealing with people not on the same plane of religious belief. I personally know a family where the wife is Jewish and the husband is not; yet, someone reached out to them over the years, and now the wife is an Orthodox practicing Jew whose husband often brings their son and daughter to shul, and waits patiently and respectfully in the hall for the services to finish. Will the children marry Jewish when their time comes? Who knows, but it is more likely now than anyone would have bet years before the mother became religious. Before we take out our anger on these young people and walk away from them like they had a disease, remember, there is virtually no Jewish family or neighbor in the world without an interfaith marriage. We have to influence them to go in the way of our Jewish people, because our G-d is one G-d. Take a lesson from Abraham who went down to Sodom to reach out and bring his brother before the One G-d.

1. The Jewish State

"Green burials" are becoming popular in the US.

The explanation of what a green burial is actually sounds just like Jewish burial.

From Green Chip Stocks:

While there are varying degrees of green burials, the general rule is that there is no use of concrete, metal, or chemicals in the burial process.

This means bodies are not embalmed, and are either wrapped in a linen or cotton shroud, or are laid to rest in a box made of pine, wicker, cardboard, or bamboo.

The GBC requires that, for the container to be considered green, it must be nontoxic and biodegradable — as well as made from materials sourced in a way that does not destroy habitats.

Embalming fluid, made with the chemical formaldehyde, has been proven to pose health risks, particularly among funeral directors.

Many countries throughout the world have banned it, and Jewish law prohibits it.

One thing to consider, though, that is if a body is not embalmed, it must be buried within a short period of time — usually within 48 hours. This can pose problems for loved ones needing to travel in order to attend a funeral.

If this is a concern, there are several formaldehyde-free embalming fluids available now, including one approved by the GBC made entirely of nontoxic and biodegradable essential oils.

Even if you're not an environmentalist or a lover of the outdoors, you might consider cost as a factor.

The average funeral in the United States costs $6,500, according to the National Funeral Directors Association.

The casket alone can cost anywhere from $2,000 to $10,000 — and no casket, regardless of its qualities, will preserve a body forever...

While cremation is a less expensive way of interment (usually around $1,500) and is lower impact environmentally, it is not considered green.

Cremation burns a lot of fossil fuels and can pump mercury or other chemicals into the air if a person has dental amalgam fillings or other surgical items inside them.

Rest assured, even if you aren't very green in life, it turns out that in death you are.

(HatTip to Commenter Abbi)

I have been thinking about this Israeli reality show, Laredet B'Gadol - The Biggest Loser, with the haredi contestants, Fishel and Malki Berkowitz.

I have taken an interest, and while I have no interest in reality tv shows, I do have an interest in how this unusual dynamic will play out. Throwing some fairly segregated and isolated haredim into a group of regular secular Israelis and seeing how they integrate and relate, and are related to, intrigues me.

I scanned a couple clips from the show, only watching the parts focusing on Malky and Fishel, and I noticed something interesting. It is not really a new concept, but seeing it happen is interesting.

They started out pretty secluded and isolated, only focusing on themselves and their tasks and challenges. The others in the group noticed that they were remaining remote and not "connecting". Slowly but surely, the Berkowitz's have become a part of the group. They are cheering on others, others are cheering them on, Fishel led a group and they worked together to complete tasks, with him being cheered as the leader and receiving tremendous support from others in the group.

There is a lot of "tension" between secular and haredi in Israel. A lot of it has to do with each of those 2 groups not being familiar with the other, not meeting, not talking to each other. The haredi communities and people keep themselves very isolated and try to mix with the general public as little as possible. The secular don't make efforts from their side, as they see themselves as being open and out there, and approachable. And never the twain shall meet.

Or shall they?

The lab experiment of Fishel and Malky is very  interesting, to me, for this very point. You can argue whether they are right or wrong, as religious Jews, to participate in such a show. Is it morally right or wrong to live your life on tv? Are they setting themselves up for tzniyus problems, kashrus problems, shabbos problems, and whatever else might arise?

In my mind, they are already there. Maybe they shouldn't have joined the show, maybe it's ok, but it doesn't matter because they are already there. That was their decision, and now it is interesting to watch to see how they will overcome their own personal challenges with staying true to themselves and what they believe in, and also how their socializing and working with other people affects them and others. And so far the experiment shows that simply talking with other people does wonders. They see the others in a different way, and the others see them differently. They are respecting each other and treating each other like regular people. And this is just by the third episode.

Malky and Fishel could have, if anyone will take example from their situation, solved the secular-religious/haredi divide.

an oldie, but a goodie:

A great Rosh Yeshiva was sitting at a wedding with his wife (yes, with his wife).
When dessert came, his eyes opened wide and he took a huge slice of cake, then another.


His wife said "You shouldn't be having that."


And he said "that's it -- separate seating at simchas".

Mishpacha newspaper reported on a guy who had attempted to break into a shul during the night to steal the money from the tzedaka box. He was smashing the lock with a metal bar, when the neighbors heard the ruckus and called the police.

The burglar was caught. When his case came to trial, he was sentenced to one year in prison, not for the attempted robbery, but for attempting to break into a place of worship, for having utensil for breaking and entry in his possession and for damage he intentionally caused to property..

In the judge's decision, she compared the breaking into a shul to an attempt to break into a private house. She said that breaking into a shul is not as serious a crime, as a shul is considered a public building. And, the judge decided, because his attempt to break in was during the night, when nobody would be in the shul, is also in his favor, along with the fact that he was only planning to steal money from the tzedaka box and not actual shul property.

What do you think - is breaking into a shul worse or better than breaking into a private house? I can justify both sides of the argument...

I am not sure what the significance of this is. This guy has this diamond that has a cloud inside that displays the Star of David because of it's shape.



Arutz 7 has the background on the 8.53 carat diamond:

The owner of the diamond wants his name kept away from the public eye, a relative told Israel National News. He said that experts told the owner, "If this is natural, go buy a Mercedes.”

However, realizing the significance of the discovery, the owner wanted it used for Jewish purposes and gave Rabbi Cohen, founder of Hidabroot, exclusive use for revealing it, hoping it will help promote his book “HaTzofen” – the secrets behind the Hebrew language. The diamond "is not for sale" and will remain in a safe.

Rabbi Cohen's book includes a chapter on the Star of David and its significance in Judaism, noting that the six-pointed star represents the six days of Creation before the Sabbath.

The relative of the owner, who moved to Israel in 1948, explained that diamond experts initially insisted that the jewel had to be man-made and that it was virtually impossible that it was a natural creation. However, the relative of the diamond’s owner said that leading gemological groups, including those in Zurich and the United States, verified its authenticity.

He told Israel National News that the story behind the discovery began during the financial crisis two years ago, when the diamond business was faltering. The raw material had been bought from a merchant in a country in South America approximately 10 years ago. During the crisis, when there was little work, the relative found work at a firm and was told to make diamonds from the bag of raw material that had been untouched.

The finished products brought in little money, but there were two stones still unpolished. Rejecting advice to simply sell the remaining raw material, the employer of the polisher was told to work on the last two diamonds.

“I did it carefully, and I saw that in one of them there was a design of the Star of David,” the relative said. “It was not clear in the beginning, but after polishing it again and again, it was clearer than ever."

Again, I have no idea what the significance of finding a diamond with a Star of David inside is...To me this seems like the famous Grilled Jesus Sandwich and the Virgin Mary Oil Spill... Any suggestions?

I went into Bank Leumi today to talk about the possibility of opening an account there.

The one thing you notice right when you walk in, you can't miss it, is the four large LCD screens displaying images of the directors of Bank Leumi receiving a bracha from Rav Elyashiv. Everywhere you look in this little branch of Bank Leumi there is a screen facing you with the images displaying.

I was almost embarrassed with the commercial way they are using Rav Elyashiv's images. Just like Shaquille O'Neal making a commercial for vitamin water, Rav Elyashiv is now making commercials for Bank Leumi. Except Shaq is getting paid millions of dollars for use of his image, and Rav Elyashiv isn't even being paid anything at all, but Bank Leumi is probably raking it in because of the use of his image..

Rav Elyashiv and Shaquille O'Neal are both making commercials, but at least Shaq is getting paid. How embarrassing to use a gadol like that.

This isn't very seasonal, but it just went up on Youtube, by the band called "Gan Eden", and I like the music:

It is boring here. There is nothing to do. Everything is calm - we aren't even fighting [with each other]. It is boring in the Opposition..

--- MK Avi Dichter (Kadima)

All the local Bet Shemesh newspapers (the ones I read at least) reported on the latest attempts of the Irya to save money on the backs of the residents.

The city is trying to save money on garbage pickup. They decided to cut the pickup in RBS from 4 times a week to 3 times a week. As well, other neighborhoods will be cut as well, some from 4 to 3 and some from 3 times weekly to 2 times weekly.

These cuts will bring big savings to city pockets. Especially because in some neighborhoods, like RBS, garbage removal is contracted out to an external company that is paid per pickup. Cutting the frequency of their pickup will directly affect the cost of garbage removal in the city.

Reuven Cohen, the councilman in charge of health services, is trying to fight it. Obviously having less frequent garbage removal will have an effect on health in the city. More garbage sitting around raises the potential for health problems. Cohen says that when the city held the meeting debating whether they should make these cuts, not a single representative of RBS, including any of the councilmen who live in RBS, was invited to participate in the meeting and share his opinion as a resident of the affected neighborhood.

It is not like the city is perfectly clean and city services are working so efficiently, that this is a necessary cut that can be handled because of the great efficiency in all other areas. the city streets are already fairly dirty. Walk through the parks and you will see garbage strewn and blowing around. There are not enough street cleaners or park cleaners, let alone all the other issues the city has to deal with. Cutting garbage pickup will be a disaster.

In addition, RBS and other newer neighborhoods already pay higher arnona rates than old Bet Shemesh. It is debatable whether we are getting our money's worth, as city services are not being provided to the same level as in other neighborhoods. Now to cut garbage removal is taking away the one city service that works right in RBS.

Because of Cohen, the city has agreed to delay implementation and instead will be conducting a 30 day test period to see how such a cut will affect the service provided and the effect on the neighborhood's cleanliness.

I don't know what can be done, but if you can contact a city councilman or the mayor and express your dissatisfaction, that might be helpful.