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Aug 31, 2020

Corona testing in the airport.... coming soon to an airport near you!

Rambam Hospital in conjunction with Omega have won the tender to operate a fast-results Corona lab with testing in Ben Gurion Airport. The tender requires them to set up the testing facilities in the airport within 45 days.

The tests provided will cost 135nis for results within 4 hours, and will cost 45nis for results within 14 hours.

The testing lab will be available for people leaving Israel traveling to other countries, and for people coming in to Israel from other countries.

People traveling to destinations outside of Israel will need to go get tested 72 hours prior to the flight.

For inbound travelers, this testing will be acceptable for shortening the required time of quarantine. 
source: Calcalist

I am not sure why this needs to be done in the airport for outbound travelers. They have to go to the airport 72 hours prior to the flight and can't just do it on the way out, going a little earlier. I guess so they don't have to set up multiple labs around the country, though I see a benefit to that as well. It makes sense to have one in the airport for the inbound patients, so everyone leaving Israel will just have to go twice.

 

 

 

 



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Picture of the Day




History was made today, with the first Israeli commercial flight (El Al) landing in the United Arab Emirates today in Abu Dhabi Airport. the flight flew over Saudi Arabia and they did not try to shoot it down (they gave permission for the Israeli flight to use their airspace), so that was also historic.





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book review: Follow Me Eighteen Essential Lessons on Leadership

A Guest Post by Dr Harold Goldmeier


CAN LEADERSHIP BE TAUGHT?

 Dr. Goldmeier was teaching international students in Tel Aviv, a Research and Teaching Fellow at Harvard, and manages an investment firm. His book Healthcare Insights: Better Care, Better Business is available on Amazon.

 

 

Everyone I speak with is aghast or depressed with today’s shirty, self-absorbed, national political leaders across the globe. People yearn for sparkling and inspiring leaders who once lit the horizons seeding hope. Can leadership be taught? What are the differences between a great manager and a leader?

 

Carly Fiorina speaking at Stanford defined a manager as someone who sees things as they are and organizes to make operations effective and efficient. A leader has a vision and sees things as they ought to be. And then there are provocative leaders personified by Robert F. Kennedy who “See things as they are and ask why. I dream of things that never were, and ask why not.” I find inspiring leaders are able to instill ardor among the people with their “Follow Me” clarion call. It is the title of a new book by IDF Brigadier General Gal Hirsch (Gefen Publishing House, 2020).

 

Leaders may be great managers or they hire them. Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric. Welch built GE from a company making light bulbs into a multinational conglomerate. “Neutron Jack” didn’t hesitate to fire employees in cost-cutting times. Characterizations of him are not always flattering; he was hard-hearted and relentless in pushing for growth and maximizing shareholder returns. But Welch, Hirsch, and other leaders share the commitment underpinning their success that leadership is all about managing people first-and-foremost.

 


Leaders reflecting on their careers evangelize with lists. Welch repeatedly told young leaders to speak with candor and be insatiably curious. Warren Buffett, The Oracle of Omaha, lists six qualities of leaders; he also advises them to “read 500 pages a day” because a key ingredient of leadership is knowledge and knowledge must be built over time. It is knowledge that helps limiting mistakes.

 

Gen. Hirsch argues leaders succeed by first “not making mistakes, and…doing things right.” But that requires friction; without learning, initiative, and taking calculated risks, or “there is no progress, no change.” Leaders do not commit to maintaining harmony. Hirsch lists 18 qualities leaders must hone.

 

I’ve learned from my four decades in business and more than two decades in government that leaders instinctively know their first task is to articulate and sell their vision to shareholders, corporate employees, or military personnel. Keep it simple. For Bill Gates, it is a laptop on every desk. Hirsch makes the point that leaders must always have “one foot in the future (but it) is arduous…one of the various prices a leader must pay.”  

 

Hirsch offers nascent leaders 18 qualities that must be translated into skills to motivate  people. And then, “Never forget to be grateful and to express your gratitude.” Hirsch movingly pays homage to his former commanding officer. Hirsch uses verbs to introduce each of the 18, e.g., “Find Your Inner Voice;” Cultivate, Demonstrate, Adopt, Envision, Inspire, Prepare, and so on. 

 

Leaders recognize the power of words. Share-prices rise and plummet on the words of CEOs. Writes Hirsch, “The entire soul of a nation can be galvanized and set in motion by words uttered by a leader during a moving speech.”  “I have a dream,” jubilantly rejoiced Dr. King. The soldier in Hirsch gets him to remind the reader that Proverbs 18:21 warns leaders, “The tongue has the power of life and death.” 

 

The omnipresent angst, anguish, discomfort, and skepticism we feel today are exacerbated by the lack of positive leadership qualities among elected officials and those trying to unseat them. All are more akin to what lovers are to pornography than leaders to citizens. Except for fringe-element acolytes who is willing to “Follow Me?”        

 

There is no unity in the war on the novel coronavirus; no common faith in science and medicine. Perhaps the cause lies in the failure of national officials to internalize Hirsch’s 18th commandment to “Display Humility and Reverence.” I suggest putting Hirsch’s “Follow Me” atop the 500-page everyday readings.

  


buy Follow Me on Amazon.com



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Katz and Meridor at loggerheads in the Finance Ministry

There's a lot being made today of the resignation (possibly after being pressured to do so) of Shaul Meridor from his position int he Ministry of Finance after being in some sort of conflict with Yaakov Katz, the minister, regarding some policy matters.

Let me start off by saying, I do not really care of Meridor continues to hold his position or not. I do not know anything about his policies, nor do I know how he is in conflict with the Minister and whether he is hampering the ministers implementation of policy or not. In my opinion it is fair for a minister to bring his own professional people to run his ministry and implement his policies. If holdovers form the previous regime convince the minister to keep them int heir positions and that they will work according to the Minister's policies, that is also fine. Ergo, his resignation, even if forced, does not bother me. Nor did it bother me until now that he kept his job. Nor would it bother me if he would continue to keep his job. I don't really care. I have no skin in that game - it is not like he is competing for the job against me or my friend.

That being said, I would just point out that while Meridor is a holdover from the previous government and minister, that previous government was a Netanyahu-led right wing government. And so was the one before that. And the one before that. Meridor is not a holdover form last years leftist socialist government. he is a holdover form Netanyahu's right wing governments. I highly doubt the differences are overly significant. 


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Rabbeinu: Premier episode of series on Rebbe Nachman (video)








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Palestinians: What do Israelis have that you don't have? (video)








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Benjamin Netanyahu, Jared Kushner, Robert C. O'Brien Address Media in Jerusalem (video)








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Synagogues of Illinois Part 10 Rock Island (video)








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Daniel saadon: Likutei Selichot (video)









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Aug 30, 2020

are the Uman pilgrims as significant to Ukraine as we think?

The old joke goes that Yankel seems Shmulik reading an anti semitic neo-nazi newspaper. he asks Shmuli, why are you reading that anti-semitic rag? Shmulik says I used to read the jewish papers and it was always very depressing - Moishi died and left yesomim who don't have money to get married, this one went bankrupt, the other yid went to jail.. when I read the anti-semitic paper it says the Jews control the world, we are all rich, run the banks, control the weather - it is far more pleasant and encouraging to read!

We used to hear about how the Breslavers spend so much money in Uman, the Ukranians love the Jews coming. The Ukranians would never let anyone move Rebbe Nachman's grave to Israel (as has been discussed as a possibility many times) because it would mean giving up all that money from the Jews coming to Uman.  

The Ikranians have so much to lose by shutting its borders now - so much of that Breslav and tourist money from the Rosh Hashana pilgrims (many non-Breslavers go as well in regular years) and they are just so easily giving up all that money that only happens in this magnitude once a year?

Or maybe it isn't as much money as we thought and were led to believe? Maybe most of the money is spent between the Jews themselves, and only a little bit spent among the Ukranian providers and some taxes. Maybe it isn't a big deal for them to give up all that tourist revenue because maybe there isnt as much as we've been led to believe over the years. Maybe we are, once again, over-estimating our power and influence, similar to how we over-estimate our voting bloc power in many places around the world and other levels of our influence and power (which is really the opposite of the joke I opened with)...

I don't know the answer to the question I am posing, but it seems strange that once a year they bring in all this money from the tens of thousands of Jewish pilgrims and they are willing to give it all up so easily. 


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Quote of the Day

As someone who participated in the "kibbutz" in Uman for over a decade, nobody needs to explain to me the importance of the kibbutz in Uman. I am dealing night and day with trying to find a solution so that a kibbutz will be possible this year in Uman, but everyone needs to understand that we are in a time of a pandemic and all shuls around the world are operating with minimal groups of people davening. There are no large events happening, and the magnificent kibbutz in Uman cannot happen in its normal arrangements and will need to be drastically minimized.

  -- Minister Aryeh Deri






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Is El Al operating or not?

I don't get this whole ElAl thing. We know ElAl is suffering, just as almost all airlines around the world are. ElAl shut down because of it. That is all understandable. ElAl keeps extending their shutdown, even though by now plenty of airlines are flying, even if on abbreviated schedules and routes. Still understandable. ElAl is way behind, in bad debt, and the little money they could make now probably would not cover the costs, let alone the debt.

Ok. Fair enough. 

It has made sense. Until now.

Suddenly we have a peace deal with the United Arab Emirates, with the potential for a new route of flights for travel between Israel and the UAE. Israel is sending a delegation to the UAE this week, and ELAL somehow won the right to operate this flight

Let's not forget, despite appearances, ELAL is not the national carrier. ELAL is a privately owned airline. They have been there for Israel in tough situations, even recently, such as during Corona they flew some emergency rescue flights from countries around the world.

But either they are in business or they are not in business. If they are in business, they should be operating flights around the world for Israelis, and anyone else, to be able to travel. They should also be working to pay off their debts and re-employ their employees who are mostly still on furlough. If they are not in business, let a different airline fly to the Emirates.

I get that maybe there is something symbolic about ELAL flying over Saudi Arabia and into the UAE, but either run the airline or don't. 




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hanging Litzman out to dry

The other day, Minister Yaakov Litzman tossed out a major threat to the air. Litzman threatened that if a decision will be taken to order a full closure for the upcoming High Holidays, for the entire Tishrei set of holidays (Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, and Sukkos), UTJ will consider resigning from the government. Then in the Hamodia newspaper he extended the threat saying that he coordinated with the head of Shas, Aryeh Deri and they will resign if a closure is ordered.

Now Litzman is being hung out to dry. Anonymous senior officials in UTJ (they always stay anonymous for some reason) are saying Litzman said that on his own without consulting anyone else int he party or the gedolim who lead the party. Even within Litzman's own Agudat Yisrael faction of UTJ they rejected his threat saying there has been no such decision to leave the coalition or to make such a threat over a closure, and Litzman does not have enough votes to force his opinion on the party. A senior in the Degel Hatorah faction said Litzman can't just speak in all our names without asking and discussing it.

And now the Shas people are also rejecting Litzman's threat. MK Busso of Shas said on the radio this morning that nothing was coordinated with Minister Deri, the only one in the Shas party who can make such a decision. The way of Shas is not one of threats and crises. 

Litzman until now has thrown his threats around generally in regards to government Shabbos observance. This si new territory for him. It seemed out of place, to me, initially - especially because of the closure he and Netanyahu ordered over Pesach, and it makes sense that his own people are rejecting it. The question is if this will hurt his standing in the party. The threat itself is now emptier than it ever was to begin with.




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The Great Porch Shofar Blow of 2020

Remember on Pesach, because of the full closure forcing families to celebrate the Pesach seder apart, leaving many elderly and young  and single parents and just singles to host their often, often lonely, Pesach seders with no guests and not being able to be a guest, there was an initiative for everyone to go out to their porches and sing Ma Nishtana loudly together? And there have been initiatives to cheer on healthcare workers by going out on porches and clapping, and other similar initiatives to support and cheer on others suffering in some way during this pandemic.  

With another possible closure looming for the upcoming High Holidays, and even without a closure it is almost definite that shuls will not be fully functioning, with many forced to pray in courtyard or porch or street minyanim, and still with many davening at home due to being high risk and many being fearful of going out and potentially being exposed to the virus, the rabbinic organization "Benoam", is publishing a new initiative. 

Benoam says this began with concern for the traditional community that normally goes to shul to hear the shofar blown on Rosh Hashana, but are concerned they might not be able to this year with shuls and minyanim limited in size.

Additionally, older people, and other sin high risk categories, might be concerned about going out to hear the shofar and might have to choose to forgo the shofar this year due to that concern of exposure. 

So, at 11am on Rosh Hashana (I hope they mean on the 2nd day, which is Sunday, and not on the first day) everyone who blows shofar should go out on their porches or into the streets and blow the shofar. At the same time, 11am, all over the country in the streets and on the porches, so everyone can hear the blasts of the shofar. 
source: Israel Hayom

For that one minute at 11am, will everyone blow 10 blasts, Tekia, Shvarim Truah, Tekia, or will everyone blow 30? 40? 60? 100?

It is a nice idea. I don't know what type of gravitas this will get as I don't know what type of influence Benoam has - personally I dont think I ever heard of them until now. Also, 11 seems like a difficult time - many people might already be in the middle of Musaf services and unable/unwilling to go out. But I hope enough people do this, or other initiatives, and help people hear the shofar blown. I don't know if I will be able to go out at 11 - it will depend on the schedule of the services I participate in - but even if later in the day, I am happy to blow shofar on my porch for anyone who might benefit by hearing it, and I already often blow for neighbors who cannot make it to shul.





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Headlines Podcast: 8/29/20 - Show 287 - What happens if the Democrats win (audio)








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MK Bennett on Channel 12: Hundreds of Thousands of Israelis are suffering financially because Bibi is afraid of me (video)








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young boy asks government if you've gone crazy about a closure over the upcoming High Holidays (video)








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the Haredi pet (video)

funny






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Nissim Black - RERUN (Official Video)








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Aug 29, 2020

The Farbrengen - "An Everlasting Love" - Part 3 (video)








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Aug 28, 2020

Shalom Aleichem - Yosef Goldman (video)








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Eshet Chayil (video)







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Aug 27, 2020

Breslavers threatening to not vote Netanyahu

Reportedly "senior leadership" of Hassidei Breslav are saying that because of what is happening with the Uman situation they will not support Netanyahu in elections in the future, nor will they support any party that supports Netanyahu for PM.

Ukraine decided to close its borders. Netanyahu and/or Gimzu might, or might not, have been responsible or at least an impetus for that decision. Ukraine claimed Netanyahu requested it. netanyahu denied any such request. Guimzu sent a letter saying to close off Uman, and there seems to be no dispute about this but why would the Ukranians listen to a clerk with no official status to speak on behalf of Israel in any diplomatic setting?

So the Breslavers are upset at Netanyahu for stopping the Uman pilgrimage, and at UTJ and Shas for not doing much, if anything, to advocate on their behalf.

But really - who else are they going to vote for? Suddenly the Breslavers will support Yair Lapid or Avigdor Lieberman? Meretz? Maybe they will just withdraw and not vote at all, thus weakening UTJ/Shas, and by extension Netanyahu, by a few tens of thousands of votes. Even if they keep to this threat, which most likely most won't (the next elections will of course be called pikuach nefesh and the most crucial ever and torah is being threatened, etc), but even if they would - how many of them are there? Besides, Breslav is really divided into several groups with each one having different leadership and different goals - are these "senior leaders" speaking for all of Breslav, or for one small sector of Breslav?

Maybe this is why Netanyahu decided at the last moment a couple of days ago not to go to electiosn just yet. Maybe he figures in a few months from now they will all have forgotten and this issue will not be the priority at the front of their minds./...


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Pictures of the Day

After much debate, Ukraine decided to end the discussion and shut the borders of the country to everyone from now until the end of the month of September. Nobody will be able to fly in, so besides for people that live there, the pilgrimage to Uman will not be happening.

To many though that did not mean give up, but go now before they close the border. No matter that the trip will now become 4-5 weeks, plus quarantine upon return, instead of 1 to 1.5 weeks. 

 

Chassidim rush to Ben Gurion airport to get on flights to Ukraine before borders are shut

It didn't help as when they arrived, Ukraine did not let them in. A bunch were turned around and immediately sent back to Israel, while others are still being held in the airport.











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Quote of the Day

There is absolutely no chance we will allow the shuls to be closed down - not on Rosh Hashana, not on Yom Kippur and not on Sukkos. These days are holy days on which everyone, Haredim, Religious and Traditional and Secular go to shul and there is no chance we'll have a closure on them. If we need a closure - they should do it now.

  -- Minister Yaakov Litzman

Again, Litzman was in charge when the country was shut down for Pesach...now that he's not in charge of it, it is easy for him to talk...

In general, I would recommend that anyone with opinions of what should be done and should not be done should work with the Health Ministry and Roni Gimzu and figure out ways to bring the numbers down. They should not just keep fighting to open more and more things without working on finding ways to do so safely





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First Born Hasidic Jew to Sign With a Major Record Label, Shulem Lemmer, Accepts All Star Award (video)








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Liat Yitzchaki and Gila Bashari: Lecha Eilay Teshukati (video)


(for more details about this production...)







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Aug 25, 2020

the gemara kopp didn't get them in

According to INN (quoting Kikar, but I couldn't find the original on Kikar), two yeshiva boys came from London to Israel to learn in yeshiva here, but were not granted entry and instead were sent back to England.

According to the report, they had not attained the appropriate corona-related documentation and paperwork, so they were not allowed entry. Without waiting for their lawyers to arrive and plead for them, the Misrad Hapnim had them on a flight back to England within the hour.

According to the report, they had tried to use the "services" of a "well known businessman" to get in and were promised the paperwork would be in order in time for the flight, so they went ahead and booked everything and flew to Israel without first confirming that they got the entry permits. services and well known businessman likely mean protexia and an askan who works things out. The process is relatively straightforward - you just have to do it. There is nothing for a businessman to work out, unless you are trying to circumvent the rules.

I am sure there was no malicious intent. I remember the days of being in yeshiva. so many guys thought the rules don't apply to them and they can get around them, even if there was no reason to. It is like teenagers feeling immortal. They probably just figured they'll get to Israel and use their gemara-kopp to talk their way into the country and everything will work out.




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Gantz: 100 days of restraint are over (video)

Alternative PM Benny Gantz's speech last night was described by many, including right wing journalists and politicians as possibly his best and most authentic ever since joining the political fray...






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Netanyahu, Pompeo in Joint Presser on Israel-UAE Normalization Deal (video)

my only question is why Pompeo didn't need two weeks quarantine.. :-)






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Lenny Solomon Live (video)











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Yaakov Shwekey - LeDavid (video)







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Aug 24, 2020

more illogical Corona regulations under consideration

This makes no sense, and as I have said before, I think that is why so many people don't bother following the rules. They don't make sense. There seems to be no logic employed and no connection to reality. That is besides for all the zigzagging in rules and changing them so frequently they become difficult to keep track of.

For example, until now, the most recent rules for shuls and general congregating together allows for 20 people indoors and 30 people outdoors. People/shuls/yeshivas use "capsules" to allow more people indoors and outdoors in the same area, taking into account that the capsule sort of turns the area into multiple areas rather than one area.

And now they are talking about allowing 1000 people in [large] shuls for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. In outdoor gatherings/minyanim, up to 500 would be allowed.

We are going from 20/30 to 1000/500? This makes no sense. If we can have 1000 on Rosh Hashana, why can't we have more than 20 today? 

And at the same time, they are talking about a possible full lockdown for the holidays, and if not a full lockdown, possibly a partial lockdown. So at the same time they are considering a full lockdown and opening up shuls to 1000 people at a time.

Does this seem logical or make any sense? If the virus is under control and we can open things up, why consider a full lockdown, and if we are still at significant risk that could require a lockdown, why consider opening up shuls and other indoor gatherings to so many more people? What happened to going from 20 to 50, or 100 - straight to 1000?




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Shofar on Shabbos Rosh Hashana on Har Habayit

I have seen a few articles written about how to blow shofar this year on Rosh Hashana, while taking precautions to not potentially spread the CoronaVirus. The articles dealt with the possibility of covering the opening of the shofar with a mask to prevent droplets from the shofar blower spreading around the shul - would it be considered a chatzitza or not, would it be a distortion of the sound of the shofar or not? 

To that end, it must be pointed out that this year with Rosh Hashana on Shabbos and Sunday, the first day we don't blow shofar at all, and the second day blowing will only be "drabanan".

In an attempt to arrange a way to have a shofar blowing, a d'oraisa shofar blowing, on the first day, a group of people who ascend Har Habayit have requested permission to ascend on Shabbos Rosh Hashana, the first day of Rosh Hashana, and to be allowed to blow shofar there. Normally Har Habayit is closed to Jews on Shabbos, and normally blowing shofar is not allowed, as any signs of Jewish worship are not allowed, so this would require special permission being granted. 

In a letter sent to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, they made the request and pointed out that Thhe police leadership has always claimed that they are prepared to enforce and carry out any orders issued for Har Habayit by the political leadership with no problems. In other words, don't claim the police are opposed because it might cause riots - if you tell the police to allow it, they  claim they can keep control of the situation.

Being that ascending Har Habayit and blowing shofar on Shabbos Rosh Hashana is the only way and place to fulfill the mitzva d'oraisa this year, they requested permission to perform this mitzva.
source: Srugim

While the request is important for the process, I don't think PM Netanyahu cares about the differences between being able to blow d'rabanan or d'oraisa, and I don't think this is an overly persuasive argument. But let's see what happens. It has been a strange enough year that anything could happen..


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Quote of the Day

I expect him [Professor Roni Gimzu] to resign from the position. He causes shame and embarrassment to the Jewish nation. He was concerned about the health of the Ukranians.

  -- Rav Shalom Arush, regarding the letter Gimzu sent to the President of Ukraine urging him to not allow the Rosh Hashana visitors to Uman this year..







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Omri Casspi Podcast - #20 - / Amir Ohana. (video)

Minister Amir Ohana is an interesting person.. the story he tells with Chruchill and Dizengoff is amazing...as is the story with Feiglin and the entire discussion about religion... as well as gun control. fascinating 








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Behind the Bima (S1, E19) Special Guest: Aryeh Lightstone, Senior Advisor to US Ambassador to Israel (video)








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A Spacial Thank You To Dr Miriam And Sheldon Adelson (video)







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Ministry of Health ads for the Haredi community (video)

cute ads










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Hanan Ben Ari: Shvurei Lev (video)








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Aug 23, 2020

Quote of the Day

How could you call it a party? I slept for ten years with Nachman (Benshaya, Director of Mazkirut Chassidei Breslav, who is working on a plan to allow the chassidim to travel to Uman) in an aprtment with no shower..

  --Minister of the Interior Aryeh Deri, directing his question at Professor Roni Gimzu who warned the Ukranian President to now all travel to Uman for Rosh Hashana with thousands in a small crowded area and partying and spreading the disease even potentially to the locals..

first of all, ewwww

Second, while there is a lot of prayer and non-partying going on, there is also plenty of partying going on. There are plenty of Youtube clips to prove it. 








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The irony of Litzman vs Gimzu

So Minister Yaakov Litzman called on Professor Roni Gimzu to resign this evening. He made this call saying that Gimzu overstepped his authority and has not been successful in anything and has discriminated against the Haredi community. Litzman was upset that Gimzu wrote to the President of Ukraine instructing or requesting that they not allow flights to Uman for Rosh Hashana. How dare a clerk of the Israeli government write to a foreign president and give hi instructions on what to do!!??

As I said earlier, I happen to agree with Litzman that Gimzu should resign, but not for the same reasons. In my opinion Gimzu should resign because he is being undermined every step of the way, and he is not being given any chance to succeed. 

And now, the news is reporting that in a meeting this evening between Ministers Deri and Litzman with Prime Minister Netanyahu and Professor Gimzu about the Uman situation, Minister Litzman said that Netanyahu should fire Gimzu because he broke the law. (Netnayhu reportedly responded that Gimzu need not be fired but he should stop acting independently).  

That's rich. 

While I am not quite sure what law Gimzu broke, let us not forget that Litzman himself is under investigation for breaking the law, and here he is calling for Gimzu to be fired for breaking a law without any investigation.... 


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Mayor of Tel Aviv arranges extra allowances for High Holiday services

Who would have thought that Ron Huldai, the atheist mayor of Tel Aviv, would beat all the Haredi and religious mayors and ministers to a solution for the High Holiday services?

The City of Tel Aviv publicized their decision today that for the upcoming holiday season in Tishrei, Rosh Hashana through Sukkos, the City of Tel Aviv will allow shuls, in coordination with the City Religious Council, to expand its space and hold services in the public areas adjacent to the shuls. Additionally, the City will assist, when necessary, in dealing with logistical issues, such as electricity hookups, distribution of chairs, etc.

The City of Tel Aviv has 450 shuls and in the coming days the Religious Council will map out the needs of the different communities across the city. Considering the need to divide minyanim, the City will also run free courses in the coming weeks to train people to blow shofar, as most communities only have one person trained for shofar blowing. 

Services will be held as per the Ministry of Health guidelines with limitations of participants, but the shuls will be able to split into multiple minyanim, using the public space adjacent to the shuls.

Ron Huldai, the Mayor of Tel Aviv, said, the right to prayer and religious congregation is a basic right and we will do everything to enable tens of thousands of people who want to pray in the city and fulfill their obligations of the holidays, even under the restrictions of health. Fro the early days of the first Hebrew city, Jewish tradition was of greatest importance in our daily lives. As the first mayor of Tel Aviv, Meir Dizingoff, said "we strive to have the spirit of Judaism hovering over our work and this city - so there should reign a spirit of brotherhood, peace and love."

I know Aryeh Deri is talking about a plan to allow minyanim to use schools and other public buildings for minyanim for the upcoming holidays. Hopefully that will work out as well.




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Proposed Law: publicize gender pay gap annually

MK Chava Eta Atia (Likud) has proposed a law that would require any company that employs 518 employees or more to publicize an annual report detailing the differences between salaries of male and female employees. 

Every year the employer will have to tell each employee the relevant information of salary differences for his or her sector and department and field of employees. That is in addition to publicizing the information. 

The proposal has passed the initial vote and has now passed the vote in committee and will be prepared for further and final readings.
source: Srugim

518 is an awfully specific number. I wonder where they got that from. My assumption would be how the size of a company is categorized, with 518 employees being the measure for a large company. Even if that assumption is correct, I still wonder how 518 became that number.

This law, if it passes, will likely create pressure for companies to bring down the gender pay gap and even things out, so it is a good thing.







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Gimzu given no chances for success

I am not sure what the purpose in having Roni Gimzu (Gamzu) as "Corona Projector" is. Every opinion he expresses as to steps that need to be taken to slow down or stop the spread of CoronaVirus is attacked and undermined by the entire Corona cabinet. If I were Gimzu, I would resign the position. Gimzu is nothing but a figurehead fall guy for the Ministers to blame everything on and accuse him of hatred and incitement.

The funniest and most ironic is Minister Yaakov Litzman. Litzman is angry and screaming about Gimzu's talk about a possible (as of now undecided) closure, originally discussed for the end of August and now being discussed for the High Holiday season, about possible closures of "red"cities, and about keeping the numbers allowed in shuls low. Yet when Yaakov Litzman was in charge of the Health Ministry he ordered a general closure and lockdown, he shut the shuls, he shut down Haredi cities in attempts to stop the spread of the virus.

Either give Gimzu, or whoever might replace him, the power and authority to put into action plans to stop/slow the virus or stop the farce of having him in charge.

 


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Facebook Status of the Day

There is a lot of debate online as to whether this is a good thing or a bad thing, something to support or something to oppose, something that will be good for the Jews or bad for the Jews..... I see nothing wrong with supporting her dreams and efforts, no matter what I think the chances of success are...





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Headlines Podcast: 8/22/20 - Show 286 - The Israel-UAE Accord: What Happened and Why is it Important? (audio)








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Israelis: Would you move to a West Bank settlement? (video)








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Bardak: Yoni looks for a shidduch (video)

funny





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Synagogues of Israel Part 47 Maaleh Adumim (video)








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Give A Smile - Beri Weber -- (Official Music Video)








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Aug 22, 2020

The Farbrengen - The Evolution of Yehi Shalom - Part 2 (video)








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Aug 20, 2020

Interesting Psak: adding shrouds to a Corona grave

One of the unfortunate situations during CoronaVirus, among the many, was the burial of CoronaVirus victims. Due to safety concerns authorities often required burial of people who died of CoronaVirus to be "as is" - as they were when they died, meaning in the clothes they died in, among other restrictions.

This type of burial is unfavorable for Jews, as we bury in shrouds (aka tachrichin) and not in clothes, and we want everyone to be buried exactly the same way. Obviously health and safety come first, so what had to be done in this difficult situation was done.

The question recently arose if after the fact, now that much time has passed and the virus possibly on the dead body will have died as well, should the grave be opened and shrouds placed in the grave or on the body. Perhaps placing the shrouds in the grave, even without dressing the body in them, is good for the soul of the deceased, or perhaps opening the grave is itself such a serious disturbance that we should just let it be? 

Some families raised the question to the chevra kadisha, and the chevra kadisha representatives asked the question to Rav Shammai Hakohen Gross for instruction.

Rav Shammai Gross paskened that the grave should be opened but not completely. It should be dug up until nearly reaching the body of the deceased, and the shrouds should be placed there. According to Rav Gross, there is benefit to the deceased with the shrouds close even though they are not actually on the body. For burials abroad, the shrouds should be placed on top of the casket, while in Israel the shrouds should be placed on the stones above the body, beneath all the dirt.
source: Hamechadesh







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Jared Kushner calls agreement between Israel, U.A.E a "historic breakthrough" | FULL (video)



<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xC54s9O6CAs" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>



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Yum! Boutique Jaffa shop offers shawarma and falafel flavored pickles (video)

cool






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Ashley Blaker on parenting in lockdown (video)







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Rabbi Mark Zimmerman: "You'll Be Back!" - Hamilton Parody (video)







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Eli Herzlich - Rak Latet (Official Music Video)








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Aug 19, 2020

those were the days...

Somebody reminded me of this today...

Remember back in March when someone appealed to the Supreme Court to force the Rabbanut to declare a leap year in order to delay Pesach by a month thinking that doing so would allow us to celebrate with our families rather than in a lockdown, and to ease the Pesach preparations thinking that COVID might be behind us by then...

Remember that?

That was funny. 4-6 months later it is still going strong, with no end in sight, yet.




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Uman or Oman, let my people go

Kikar is reporting that the Agudat Yisrael faction of UTJ sent a letter today to Prime Minister Netanyahu complaining about the situation regarding travel to Uman for Rosh Hashana. 

The saga is ongoing with no solution in sight and no decision yet made as to whether or not to allow thousands of chassidim to travel to Uman. Recent comments by politicians and the Corona projector have indicated a more pessimistic approach as the number of Corona cases in the Ukraine have recently spiked upward.

So, they sent a letter, in the name of Breslaver hassidim and a large community of people who go every year to daven on the grave of Rebbe Nachman in Uman and stay for Rosh Hashana,  to Netanyahu demanding a solution.

They demand he get involved and delve into the matter and find a solution - a solution that will be in line with Health Ministry orders and in line with regulations by any other relevant factors, but will allow them to travel to and from Uman without risking their health.

Further, they note, every Israeli citizen is able to travel to and from Israel, while adhering to Ministry of Health guidelines in regards to quarantine, so prohibiting Israelis from traveling to Uman is discrimination and the State cannot discriminate against so many Israeli travelers.

So, I don't think it is discrimination. Israelis can travel to other countries that allow Israelis into, and that Israel allows travel to. If Ukraine enters the red list, or if Ukraine is deemed problematic because of a specific event that can be considered problematic form a health perspective, it is not discriminatory to ban that travel.

Also, I do not think it is Netanyahu's or anyone else's obligation to find them a way to travel that doe snot put them at risk - it is each person's own responsibility. The State is saying it is too dangerous. It is not the State's obligation to find a way for you to go to another country to a mass congregation event, and to ensure your well-being. You want to go, consider the risks and decide to go or not and how you will protect yourself. This whole thing of dumping it on the State and turning it into their responsibility is sad. The State is already saying (for now) that there is no safe way to go.

All that being said, I don't think the State should ban the travel. If Ukraine is willing to let them in, let this be Ukraine's problem. Make strict health guidelines for travel to Ukraine. 14 days quarantine required, perhaps a negative covid test before returning. Maybe some other restrictions. All that in addition to whatever restrictions Ukraine slaps on them, such as health insurance and quarantine and whatever else. Threats of massive fines for breaking quarantine, with strict inspections. But if after all that they still want to go, let them go. I see no reason Israel has to meddle into an event that is being held in the Ukraine. Just make it difficult, but not impossible, to come back into Israel.

And anybody who goes anyway and says they will stick to the rules - when they come back, follow up with them. Send inspectors every other day, give out massive fines. Keep them locked up for Yom Kippur and Sukkos, as part of their quarantine (obviously having told them of this in advance)... and let them go. Let them be and let them do what they want. I see no reason Israel should be involved in this at this stage.

And maybe if it does not work out for Uman this year, they can go to Oman instead under the peace deal that is expected to happen soon in the wake of the UAE deal.... and in the immortal words of Mordechai Ben David... Let My People Go







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Gafni's condition for the budget postponement

The lack of a budget has hurt much of Israeli society, including the yeshivas, kollels and avreichim. Without yet having passed the 2020 a budget. the State is operating on a budget based on numbers from 2017 - the last budget was passed in 2018, and 2019 was a year of elections that passed no new budget. Whatever is being given out now, as emergency funds, is being given out based on numbers form 2 to 3 years ago.

The law requires the budget to be passed this week, or else the Knesset is automatically dispersed and new elections called. Gantz and Netanyahu signed a coalition agreement that the government would pass a 2 year budget. Netanyahu has been insisting on passing a one year budget now, passing the budget for 2021 next year, and has refused to capitulate, and Gantz has refused to give in to Netanyahu's demands saying we have a signed agreement, honor it. Coming down to the last few days, MK Tzvi Hauser (telem - Kachol Lavan) came up with a solution to avoiding the crisis - passing a law that would postpone the requirement for the passage of a budget - this would give them all more time to fight about it without the immediate threat of Knesset dispersal.

While debating this law proposal in the Knesset Finance Committee, MK Moshe Gafni (UTJ) proposed, through his proxies as he himself just underwent a surgical procedure, that the law allowing the postponement of the budget passage only be passed if it includes a clause that they immediately pass a special budget for the yeshivas to the tune of 400 million shekels. Gafni's demand and threat (he is saying he will hold up the law unless this demand is met) will be discussed and considered. (Walla News, Haredim10)

The entire country is struggling, organizations are folding, people who need services can't get them from underfunded institutions, and Gafni is working on getting the yeshivas a special dispensation as if they are the only ones suffering.

With all the things that could be said, would be said, are being said, about Gafni and his demand - one has to admire how he works for his constituents.  Where are all the other MKs fighting for special budgets for interest groups close to them, for their electorate? Sure, Gafni is in a unique position as head of the committee that debates these things, but others could have made their voices heard all along, making demands to help this organization or that institution. Gafni seems to be the only one that instead of just making do with the lousy situation and waiting, he works hard on finding ways to push his electorate's agenda forward, despite the obstacles.




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Behind the Bima (Episode 18 - 8.12.20) Special Guest: Rav Judah Mischel (video)







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Palestinians: What if there were no checkpoints? (video)








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Bardak: Eisenbach Hafganot: Shalom Bayit (video)

lol





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Synagogues of Israel Part 46 Southern Section (video)







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Dvir Shenrab and Yitzchak Meir: Drosh Na Dorshecha (video)







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Aug 17, 2020

The Kotel on a Hot Summer Corona Day

I went to the Kotel today with [part of] the family.

This was the first time I have been to the Kotel since Corona shut everything down in March, and also since before that, though I dont remember exactly when - but definitely since the CoronaVirus balagan began I have not been there.

Here are some interesting observations.

We walked through the Arab shuk, as we usually do, to get down to the Kotel area. The regular entrance was closed off (I think I overheard something about fixing a sewage drain), so they directed us to the temporary entrance just lightly further down past the police station. It takes you down to the tunnel that the path from Shaar Shchem leads to that comes out just above the bathrooms. 

In this tunnel, near the entrance, is a vending machine. This vending does not sell cans of Coca Cola or bags of potato chips, nor does it sell ice cream bars or popsicles, all items that would be welcome to many Kotel visitors on a hot summer day. This vending machine sells books about the Kotel. I have not seen this ever before (though maybe it is already there for a long time..)





I have seen pictures of the partitions placed at the Kotel, so I knew what to expect, but I had not seen it myself. I am sure you have seen pictures too, but now you get to look at mine. It felt sort of like walking through the corn (maize) mazes..







At the entrance to the Kotel (on the men's side) there was a fellow doing chessed. On a hot summer day this fellow is standing there giving out drinks of water and seltzer (soda water). All free of charge. All he "charges" is the saying aloud of the bracha shehakol (and he reminds you to says bracha achrona, though not aloud). I saw him give drinks to lots of people. I don't know if he is there every day, all day, a few hours a day, or just every now and then or if this was just a one-time thing. I have definitely never seen it before. Whatever it was, he was doing a chessed for a lot of people offering cold drinks on a hot day.




When leaving the Kotel we saw some people moving these air conditioners through the area. We got excited that maybe because of the hot summer they had decided to air condition the entire Kotel area. It turns out that they didn't.





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Aug 16, 2020

Quote of the Day

We are very happy about the deal, we have waited a long time for it. We have kosher lmehadrin food here, and even in the supermarkets you can buy kosher items. I believe that because of the agreement people will be able to to walk around with a kipa on there heads freely... we have here whatever people need - 5 star hotels, best restaurants in the world, luna parks - people of the Jewish Nation - welcome!

  -- Solly Wolff, president of the Jewish community of the United Arab Emirates





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