Dec 5, 2006
joke of the day
10. Botched Ark Opening - (aka. The undetectable curtain string) Any ark opening delay whatsoever triggers the entire congregation to respond with the "It's on the other side!" scream coupled with some gabbai flailing hand gestures for further instruction and further humiliation.
9. The Asher Bachar Banu, Asher Nasan Lanu Mix-up - The real reason men close their eyes during aliyos : they are praying they remember which line is first.
8. Walking in During Kedusha - Once you see the tippy-toeing Kadosh-Kadosh-Kadosh it's stop-drop-redlight-greenlight-1--2-3-Freeze mode. You take one step in and you've pretty much forfeited getting an aliyah for the next year.
7. The Mashiv HaRuach Skip - If you are chazan and you skip this, people will react as if you just ate bacon. .
6. Beating Chest during SHABBOS Shemona Esrai - You think you are so cool davening without a siddur on shabbos, that is until you realize you are in the middle of Slach Lanu.
5. Scarfing: When the Only Tallis Left is The Scarf - In an Orthodox shul, the Scarf tallis has the instant ability of making you look like mix between the pope, Amelia Earhart, and someone who has completely no clue of what they are doing.
4. The Delayed Galila: When the torah is taking longer to dress than your wife, you know your in trouble.
3. Mourners' Confusion: You've just began to belt out one of the most emotionally stirring kaddish recitations of your entire mourning period when suddenly half the congregation screams: "EHHHHHHHH AAAAH NNNNNUUU SHHHHH!!!" - which is actually the compassionate way of saying in Hebrew,"Kaddish isn't said now, stupid".
2. Sitting in Someone's Seat - How was I supposed to know it was the Rabbi's seat ?
1. The 1.5 column Hagbah - You know what they say about guys who do small hagbahs...
9. The Asher Bachar Banu, Asher Nasan Lanu Mix-up - The real reason men close their eyes during aliyos : they are praying they remember which line is first.
8. Walking in During Kedusha - Once you see the tippy-toeing Kadosh-Kadosh-Kadosh it's stop-drop-redlight-greenlight-1--2-3-Freeze mode. You take one step in and you've pretty much forfeited getting an aliyah for the next year.
7. The Mashiv HaRuach Skip - If you are chazan and you skip this, people will react as if you just ate bacon. .
6. Beating Chest during SHABBOS Shemona Esrai - You think you are so cool davening without a siddur on shabbos, that is until you realize you are in the middle of Slach Lanu.
5. Scarfing: When the Only Tallis Left is The Scarf - In an Orthodox shul, the Scarf tallis has the instant ability of making you look like mix between the pope, Amelia Earhart, and someone who has completely no clue of what they are doing.
4. The Delayed Galila: When the torah is taking longer to dress than your wife, you know your in trouble.
3. Mourners' Confusion: You've just began to belt out one of the most emotionally stirring kaddish recitations of your entire mourning period when suddenly half the congregation screams: "EHHHHHHHH AAAAH NNNNNUUU SHHHHH!!!" - which is actually the compassionate way of saying in Hebrew,"Kaddish isn't said now, stupid".
2. Sitting in Someone's Seat - How was I supposed to know it was the Rabbi's seat ?
1. The 1.5 column Hagbah - You know what they say about guys who do small hagbahs...
Dec 4, 2006
soqotd (Stupid Olmert Quote Of The Day)
Today PM Ehud Olmert said something very stupid. He was meeting with kids in a school in the northern town of Nahariya. He was in the school in which Ehud (Udi) Goldwasser had attended. He was asked about the war and why he stopped it without having achieved his stated goal and purpose of returning the abducted soldiers to israel.
His response was, "it is preferable that they spend a little more time in captivity than having more soldiers die".
In other words, it was not worth it. The price to get the boys back was too high.
Let's not forget that the motto of the army, of every army, is never to leave a soldier in the field. An army goes after and protects its soldiers at all costs, yet PM Olmert is saying they should sit in captivity.
Let's not forget that these same people are the ones responsible for the disappearance of Ron Arad, Zachary Baumel, Zvi Feldman, and Yehuda Katz (Guy Hever simply disappeared and as far as I know we do not know that Hezbollah, Lebanon, Syria or Iran were involved, though they might have been, so he is not in the list), well over 20 years ago. Is that the attitude we used in reference to those soldiers? Better they should sit in captivity a little longer? Is Ehud Olmert signing them off to the same fate?
Let us not forget that these boys have families. These families must not be too happy to hear that the Prime Minister did not feel their childrens return was important enough. Let them sit in captivity a little longer.
Let us not forget that the stated goal of the war, the whole impetus for war, was the abduction of the two soldiers, Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev.
Let us not forget that many soldiers died in war attempting to retrieve Udi and Eldad safely and by Olmert saying that "it is preferable that they spend a little more time in captivity than having more soldiers die" he is saying that the all soldiers that did die and all the soldiers that were injured and all the soldiers that put themselves at risk was all for naught. There was no need for them to go to war. The ones that died already - oh well.
Let us not forget that the basic responsibility of an army is to protect its soldiers at all costs.
Let us not forget that the basic responsibility of a country and its government is to protect its borders and provide security to its citizens. The purpose of an army is just for that purpose, even if at times it entails soldiers deaths, sad as that may be. By saying it was not worth soldiers dying for that cause, PM Olmert is absconding his responsibility. The enemy sees that we are not willing to protect our borders nor to provide security for our citizens.
There is something rotten at the top.
His response was, "it is preferable that they spend a little more time in captivity than having more soldiers die".
In other words, it was not worth it. The price to get the boys back was too high.
Let's not forget that the motto of the army, of every army, is never to leave a soldier in the field. An army goes after and protects its soldiers at all costs, yet PM Olmert is saying they should sit in captivity.
Let's not forget that these same people are the ones responsible for the disappearance of Ron Arad, Zachary Baumel, Zvi Feldman, and Yehuda Katz (Guy Hever simply disappeared and as far as I know we do not know that Hezbollah, Lebanon, Syria or Iran were involved, though they might have been, so he is not in the list), well over 20 years ago. Is that the attitude we used in reference to those soldiers? Better they should sit in captivity a little longer? Is Ehud Olmert signing them off to the same fate?
Let us not forget that these boys have families. These families must not be too happy to hear that the Prime Minister did not feel their childrens return was important enough. Let them sit in captivity a little longer.
Let us not forget that the stated goal of the war, the whole impetus for war, was the abduction of the two soldiers, Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev.
Let us not forget that many soldiers died in war attempting to retrieve Udi and Eldad safely and by Olmert saying that "it is preferable that they spend a little more time in captivity than having more soldiers die" he is saying that the all soldiers that did die and all the soldiers that were injured and all the soldiers that put themselves at risk was all for naught. There was no need for them to go to war. The ones that died already - oh well.
Let us not forget that the basic responsibility of an army is to protect its soldiers at all costs.
Let us not forget that the basic responsibility of a country and its government is to protect its borders and provide security to its citizens. The purpose of an army is just for that purpose, even if at times it entails soldiers deaths, sad as that may be. By saying it was not worth soldiers dying for that cause, PM Olmert is absconding his responsibility. The enemy sees that we are not willing to protect our borders nor to provide security for our citizens.
There is something rotten at the top.
Dec 3, 2006
vandalism for halachic reasons
My daughters kindergarten has been the subject of some debate between (some of) the parents and the administration. The parents want certain issues addressed, such as covering the sandbox at night so the cats do not sleep and poop where the kids will be playing and extra cover for more shade in the play area, along with some other issues. One more of those issues was the security of the grounds of the kindergarten. The gates are kept unlocked and open at nights.
The parents put together some sort of petition to be presented to the administration with a list of requests and concerns.
On Friday the school sent home with the kids a letter addressing the issues raised by the parents.
Much of the administrators resonse was reasonable and showed he is dealing with the concerns of the parents.
There was one response of his I take issue with. Regarding the issue of locking the gates at night and over the weekends. Now personally, I do not care if it is open or not. The gate is not one that would keep anybody out who is trying to get in and we live in a fairly sleepy neighborhood. I am not paranoid and while basic security measures must be adhered to, I am not someone who insists on extra in this realm.
However, his response to the concerns of the parents (many of whom do care about this issue I guess) irked me a bit.
He wrote (I do not have the paper in front of me so I am quoting (and translating to English) from memory): The front and back gate to the school grounds have been locked in the past. A number of times the lock was broken and replaced. One time the gate was broken in a way that could not be fixed (my comment: without having to replace the whole gate). It was then explained to me that this gate must be kept open in order for the eruv to be kosher for shabbos.
In other words the guys who check, fix and construct the eruv in the neighborhood (and it is referring to the "eruv mehudar", not the city mandated eruv) vandalised the gate and destroyed private property.
I do not know why this gate needs to be open for the eruv to work. I might even ask one of those guys. I would not care if they left it open. As a matter of fact, I personally gain from it being open, because I use those grounds as a shortcut to shul on Motzei Shabbat. But that is not the point.
These guys are vandals. They could just as easily have approached the administrator of the school and requested he keep the fence open. They could have worked with him to find a solution that would allow the gates to be closed and secure and still find a way to work in the eruv, maybe altering the route slightly. A solution could have been found. Or they could have not found a solution but asked/requested that the gate stay open. I am sure the administrator would have been more than willing to work with them to find a solution (I know he would, because he is not someone who would take a stand against the rabbi who heads that eruv).
Instead they preferred to take the initiative and do irreparable damage to private property so they would not be inconvenienced. And this is what they call the "Eruv Mehudar" that meets the strictest and highest standards of halacha.
I guess destroying private property is not one of the criteria to meet when deciding the standards of mehudar.
The parents put together some sort of petition to be presented to the administration with a list of requests and concerns.
On Friday the school sent home with the kids a letter addressing the issues raised by the parents.
Much of the administrators resonse was reasonable and showed he is dealing with the concerns of the parents.
There was one response of his I take issue with. Regarding the issue of locking the gates at night and over the weekends. Now personally, I do not care if it is open or not. The gate is not one that would keep anybody out who is trying to get in and we live in a fairly sleepy neighborhood. I am not paranoid and while basic security measures must be adhered to, I am not someone who insists on extra in this realm.
However, his response to the concerns of the parents (many of whom do care about this issue I guess) irked me a bit.
He wrote (I do not have the paper in front of me so I am quoting (and translating to English) from memory): The front and back gate to the school grounds have been locked in the past. A number of times the lock was broken and replaced. One time the gate was broken in a way that could not be fixed (my comment: without having to replace the whole gate). It was then explained to me that this gate must be kept open in order for the eruv to be kosher for shabbos.
In other words the guys who check, fix and construct the eruv in the neighborhood (and it is referring to the "eruv mehudar", not the city mandated eruv) vandalised the gate and destroyed private property.
I do not know why this gate needs to be open for the eruv to work. I might even ask one of those guys. I would not care if they left it open. As a matter of fact, I personally gain from it being open, because I use those grounds as a shortcut to shul on Motzei Shabbat. But that is not the point.
These guys are vandals. They could just as easily have approached the administrator of the school and requested he keep the fence open. They could have worked with him to find a solution that would allow the gates to be closed and secure and still find a way to work in the eruv, maybe altering the route slightly. A solution could have been found. Or they could have not found a solution but asked/requested that the gate stay open. I am sure the administrator would have been more than willing to work with them to find a solution (I know he would, because he is not someone who would take a stand against the rabbi who heads that eruv).
Instead they preferred to take the initiative and do irreparable damage to private property so they would not be inconvenienced. And this is what they call the "Eruv Mehudar" that meets the strictest and highest standards of halacha.
I guess destroying private property is not one of the criteria to meet when deciding the standards of mehudar.
Dec 1, 2006
video in tribute of mikdash
(HatTip: Yeranen Yaakov and LazerBeam)
Nov 30, 2006
DIY candles
In Israel it is very common for people to light their menoras (in Israel we call them hanukia) with oil, usually of the olive variety, rather than with candles.
Lighting with olive oil is considered a more mehudar way of fulfilling the mitzva of Hanuka. The light is considered nicer, along with the more similar commemoration of the miracle which happened with olive oil and the menora in the Mikdash was lit daily with olive oil.
The problem with using olive oil is that it is very messy. You have to pur the oil into these little cups. You have to prepare the wicks. You have to soak the wicks a bit in oil so the flame will be a nice one. Basically it is a messy job. Oil is sure to spill and it is sure to get all over your hands, table and likely on your shirt as well.
A number of years ago a product came on the market. This product was meant to deal with the messiness of preparing the oil for the menora. This product is a set of 44 prefilled cups of olive oil with wicks already inserted in the cups. All you do is take out the appropriate number of cups per day, put them in the menora and you are ready to go. No mess. And the flame is beautiful because the wick has been soaking (for a long time) in the oil.
I always rejected using this product. It felt special to actually prepare the wicks myself rather (or have my kids do it). Like I was busying myself with doing the mitzva. I always figured there must be something better about doing it yourself rather than buying it pre-made.
But is it better? I do not know. The past couple of years I have not been so sure. It gets pretty messy. the flame is never as nice. It takes a few times attempting to light it before the flame catches decently. When lighting the menora I always say this is the last time we do this - next year we buy the prepared cups and forget this mess.
Thinking about it, I do not know what is better. Is there something to the thought that busying myself with the mitzva is better, even if it does not come out as nice? Maybe it is still considered nicer because I toiled towards the fulfillment of the mitzva?
Or maybe not. Maybe preparing the candles is not a mitzva at all and it does not matter whether you prepare it by hand or just go buy it already prepared. Maybe spending a bit more money so it comes out cleaner and nicer is better than being "cheap", saving the money, doing it myself and it not coming out as nice.
I am still not sure which way to go, but I am more open to buying it this year than I have been in the past, though still undecided.
Lighting with olive oil is considered a more mehudar way of fulfilling the mitzva of Hanuka. The light is considered nicer, along with the more similar commemoration of the miracle which happened with olive oil and the menora in the Mikdash was lit daily with olive oil.
The problem with using olive oil is that it is very messy. You have to pur the oil into these little cups. You have to prepare the wicks. You have to soak the wicks a bit in oil so the flame will be a nice one. Basically it is a messy job. Oil is sure to spill and it is sure to get all over your hands, table and likely on your shirt as well.
A number of years ago a product came on the market. This product was meant to deal with the messiness of preparing the oil for the menora. This product is a set of 44 prefilled cups of olive oil with wicks already inserted in the cups. All you do is take out the appropriate number of cups per day, put them in the menora and you are ready to go. No mess. And the flame is beautiful because the wick has been soaking (for a long time) in the oil.
I always rejected using this product. It felt special to actually prepare the wicks myself rather (or have my kids do it). Like I was busying myself with doing the mitzva. I always figured there must be something better about doing it yourself rather than buying it pre-made.
But is it better? I do not know. The past couple of years I have not been so sure. It gets pretty messy. the flame is never as nice. It takes a few times attempting to light it before the flame catches decently. When lighting the menora I always say this is the last time we do this - next year we buy the prepared cups and forget this mess.
Thinking about it, I do not know what is better. Is there something to the thought that busying myself with the mitzva is better, even if it does not come out as nice? Maybe it is still considered nicer because I toiled towards the fulfillment of the mitzva?
Or maybe not. Maybe preparing the candles is not a mitzva at all and it does not matter whether you prepare it by hand or just go buy it already prepared. Maybe spending a bit more money so it comes out cleaner and nicer is better than being "cheap", saving the money, doing it myself and it not coming out as nice.
I am still not sure which way to go, but I am more open to buying it this year than I have been in the past, though still undecided.
question for other Israeli bloggers
I am thinking about putting advertising on this blog. That way I would be able to earn a little money for the time spent writing here. Much of that money (if any money is actually made from advertising on my site) would go towards improving the usability of this blog and improving features.
The question I pose to you is what blog advertising service have you found to be the most beneficial and efficient? I ask this of Israeli bloggers because most of the issues I blog about are Israeli in nature and therefore Israeli bloggers would know how the relevant advertising works and earns more so than general and even jewish bloggers (the ad services usually pair ads with topics of posts).
However, I would appreciate feedback from all of you, my readers. Would advertisements hurt your reading experience? Think of other blogs you read and think about whether the ads on those sites bother you, help you (find products and sites you did not know about and need or find useful) or none of the above (e.g. indifferent, don't notice, etc.)
Also, one more thing - if anybody has recommendations for a specific blog advertising service that you feel is better than the others (better ads, gives the blogger more control, earns more money, etc) let me know your thoughts. As well, if you kno of one I should stay away from, let me know.
Thanks in advance for your time and assistance.
You can either leave your suggestions in the comments, or email me directly at israeli.jew at gmail dot com
The question I pose to you is what blog advertising service have you found to be the most beneficial and efficient? I ask this of Israeli bloggers because most of the issues I blog about are Israeli in nature and therefore Israeli bloggers would know how the relevant advertising works and earns more so than general and even jewish bloggers (the ad services usually pair ads with topics of posts).
However, I would appreciate feedback from all of you, my readers. Would advertisements hurt your reading experience? Think of other blogs you read and think about whether the ads on those sites bother you, help you (find products and sites you did not know about and need or find useful) or none of the above (e.g. indifferent, don't notice, etc.)
Also, one more thing - if anybody has recommendations for a specific blog advertising service that you feel is better than the others (better ads, gives the blogger more control, earns more money, etc) let me know your thoughts. As well, if you kno of one I should stay away from, let me know.
Thanks in advance for your time and assistance.
You can either leave your suggestions in the comments, or email me directly at israeli.jew at gmail dot com
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thoughts on the strike
The strike is over. The Labor Courts last night declared the strike must be ended immediately and that the workers must return to work.
I do not know which side is right in this case. I feel horrible about the poor employees who have not had their salaries paid in months, but it is not so clear the government is at fault for that.
Regardless of who is at fault, I think the strike was wrong. Maybe they should have held a more limited strike and it would have been more appropriate. Maybe shut down a few of the government offices that were involved in the problem.
It was wrong to shut down the airport and cause aggravation to travellers. People have lost lots of money because of the strike, along with lots of time and anxiety. They have had business trips delayed causing losses, vacations must be rescheduled effecting cancellation and rescheduling fees, etc. The one port of entry to Israel should be excluded from any strike. It should be made illegal for airport employees to strike.
The trains should not have been on strike. People just want to get to work and home. It took me 2 hours to get home from work last night. I had to take a bus to the bus station to get another bus that takes a circuitous route to my home. I had to pay extra (I already have a monthly ticket on the train) because of the strike. I had to find rides at times. I had to sit cramped in overcrowded buses because regular methods of transportation were not available. The trains have nothing to do with the issues of the strike.
The ports should not have been closed. Israel lost millions of shekels because of ports closed. No imports were let in and no exports were let out. The ports have nothing to do with the problems of the strike.
The kindergartens should not have been affected. The assistants had no reason to strike. By law with no assistant in the kindergarten, the teacher cannot open the clss, unless there is a voluntary replacement (who meets certain requirements). That means people had to stay home from work to take care of their kids who had no school, or alternatively take their kid to work with them if possible.
All the strikers did was lose support among the general public. People feel bad for them. people were saying that this strike was sort of justified. After a day of spending hours trying to figure out how to get to and from work in very uncomfortable and expensive methods, people changed their tunes. By the end of the day yesterday there was very little supprot for the unpaid workers. People were grumbling why they had to suffer like this and there was no reason for such a large strike.
I came to a revelation. If you want to lose your cause (marketing-wise) go on strike. it is the quickest way to lose support. You might get a short term victory because you hold someone over the barrel with few choices but in the long run you have lost. You hurt people who had nothing to do with the problem and lost all their support.
I do not know which side is right in this case. I feel horrible about the poor employees who have not had their salaries paid in months, but it is not so clear the government is at fault for that.
Regardless of who is at fault, I think the strike was wrong. Maybe they should have held a more limited strike and it would have been more appropriate. Maybe shut down a few of the government offices that were involved in the problem.
It was wrong to shut down the airport and cause aggravation to travellers. People have lost lots of money because of the strike, along with lots of time and anxiety. They have had business trips delayed causing losses, vacations must be rescheduled effecting cancellation and rescheduling fees, etc. The one port of entry to Israel should be excluded from any strike. It should be made illegal for airport employees to strike.
The trains should not have been on strike. People just want to get to work and home. It took me 2 hours to get home from work last night. I had to take a bus to the bus station to get another bus that takes a circuitous route to my home. I had to pay extra (I already have a monthly ticket on the train) because of the strike. I had to find rides at times. I had to sit cramped in overcrowded buses because regular methods of transportation were not available. The trains have nothing to do with the issues of the strike.
The ports should not have been closed. Israel lost millions of shekels because of ports closed. No imports were let in and no exports were let out. The ports have nothing to do with the problems of the strike.
The kindergartens should not have been affected. The assistants had no reason to strike. By law with no assistant in the kindergarten, the teacher cannot open the clss, unless there is a voluntary replacement (who meets certain requirements). That means people had to stay home from work to take care of their kids who had no school, or alternatively take their kid to work with them if possible.
All the strikers did was lose support among the general public. People feel bad for them. people were saying that this strike was sort of justified. After a day of spending hours trying to figure out how to get to and from work in very uncomfortable and expensive methods, people changed their tunes. By the end of the day yesterday there was very little supprot for the unpaid workers. People were grumbling why they had to suffer like this and there was no reason for such a large strike.
I came to a revelation. If you want to lose your cause (marketing-wise) go on strike. it is the quickest way to lose support. You might get a short term victory because you hold someone over the barrel with few choices but in the long run you have lost. You hurt people who had nothing to do with the problem and lost all their support.
Nov 29, 2006
Lebanon, Arabs and Israel part 7 (final video)
Brigitte Gabriel part 7 (FINAL)
Lebanon, Arabs and Israel part6 (video)
Brigitte Gabriel part 6
Lebanon, Arabs and Israel part3 (video)
Brigitte Gabriel part 3
Lebanon, Arabs and Israel part 2 (video)
Brigitte Gabriel part 2
Lebanon, Arabs and Israel, part 1 (video)
Brigitte Gabriel Part 1
striking out
We all thought when Amir Peretz was appointed Defence Minister and not Finance Minister that the days of the general strikes were over and behind us. No more could Amir Peretz wreak havoc in order to flex his muscle as head of the Labor Union.
We were wrong.
Today and for the foreseeable future there will be a general strike of the Labor Union in Israel. The impetus for the strike was the fact that many (I think 80) municipalities have not paid employees for many months, some as long as 12 months! There are some other issues as well, such as changes to some pension plans, but the main issue is the unpaid employees.
So all government offices are on strike and nobody can get services. The airport is shut down so nobody can come and go. The trains are on the blink so it is pure hell getting to and from work. Ports are closed so no imports and exports will be happening. Among many other basic needs and necessities that will be put on hold until the negotiations bear success.
At first I thought this strike was one of the most, if not the most, justified strikes in the history of the Labor Union. These poor employees have not been paid salaries in up to 12 months!! That is ridiculous and should nto happen. This is the only weapon available to them. Stop working. Make it uncomfortable for the people, and by extension the government.
I heard some guy on the radio today. He was being interviewed because he has not been paid his salary in 12 months. He has no money. He has used up all his savings that have been socked away for kids education and his retirement because he has no had a salary for the past 12 months. he needed that money for basic living expenses. He paid fees and fines for breaking savings plans. Every shekel counts, literally, for him and he never knows if he will be able to feed his kids the next meal.
It is a shonda that it has come to this.
Then I heard an interview with a government minister, Meir Sheetrit. I never liked him, even when he was part of the Likud Party, let alone now that he is in Kadima. However what said in the interview sounded sensible. He was being interviewed because last year he was Assistant Minister of Finance and is partially being blamed as the cause for the current strike.
They asked Sheetrit how it came to this and why the government is not paying the salaries. I did not understand everything he said because I am not completely clear and the interaction between municipal government and federal government, but here it is to the best of my understanding. He explained that the employees are not employees of the government. If the government comes in and bails them out now, it will set a bad precedent. He explained the deficit of the affected municipalities is above 14 billion shekels(!). The government does not have that kind of money to bail them out with. He asked why they woke up when it hit 14 billion and did not take care of it when it hit 1 billion . Where were the accountants who were being paid to deal with this all along. He therefore claims it is not the governments responsibility, nor should it be.
He added that the government had been in negotiations with the municipalities and offered to bail them out at times over the past few years with certain conditions, such as putting into place plans for recovery. These plans would include layoffs of employees not needed, cancellation of projects deemed extra, cancellation of departments that are considered wasteful and "fat", etc. among others. The municipalities, and the Labor Union, refused and therefore it has come to this.
Now I do not know who is right and who is wrong. I feel bad that the poor guy has not had a salary in 12 months and can barely put food on his table. I cannot even imagine what that would be like and what I would do if I was in his situation! I feel bad for the people trying to travel, be it for business, vacations, health issues, family simchas that they might now miss. All these people will likely lose lots of money due to rescheduling and cancellations. I feel bad for the people (like me) who just need to get to work in the morning and home in the evening who now have to go through delays of hours looking for alternate transportation and extra expenses incurred.
I do not know who is right, but I hope they negotiate an end to this strike quickly.
We did think of some creative solutions to the strike, or at least those aspects of it affecting us. One such solution included contacting Arkady Gaydamak and requesting he evacuate the residents of Bet Shemesh to Tel Aviv due to our extreme "traumatic" situation. He would hire buses for us and take us to Tel Aviv so we could go to work.
Another such solution was asking Gaydamak to purchase Israel Railways and get the trains running. At least that way he would gain the profits of the railway in addition to helping all the travellers.
Another solution suggested was have Gaydamak pay off all those salaries that have not been paid. This way he would be helping people in financial ruin and emotional distress and there would be no reason for the strike.
There were some others, some suggested on radio and some just in personal conversation, and they all involved Gaydamak coming to the rescue.
And that is really the pickle we are in. Nobody expects the government to actually do its job and take care of the people and provide us with safety and security, so Gaydamak comes in and fills the void, and then the government criticizes him for it.
We were wrong.
Today and for the foreseeable future there will be a general strike of the Labor Union in Israel. The impetus for the strike was the fact that many (I think 80) municipalities have not paid employees for many months, some as long as 12 months! There are some other issues as well, such as changes to some pension plans, but the main issue is the unpaid employees.
So all government offices are on strike and nobody can get services. The airport is shut down so nobody can come and go. The trains are on the blink so it is pure hell getting to and from work. Ports are closed so no imports and exports will be happening. Among many other basic needs and necessities that will be put on hold until the negotiations bear success.
At first I thought this strike was one of the most, if not the most, justified strikes in the history of the Labor Union. These poor employees have not been paid salaries in up to 12 months!! That is ridiculous and should nto happen. This is the only weapon available to them. Stop working. Make it uncomfortable for the people, and by extension the government.
I heard some guy on the radio today. He was being interviewed because he has not been paid his salary in 12 months. He has no money. He has used up all his savings that have been socked away for kids education and his retirement because he has no had a salary for the past 12 months. he needed that money for basic living expenses. He paid fees and fines for breaking savings plans. Every shekel counts, literally, for him and he never knows if he will be able to feed his kids the next meal.
It is a shonda that it has come to this.
Then I heard an interview with a government minister, Meir Sheetrit. I never liked him, even when he was part of the Likud Party, let alone now that he is in Kadima. However what said in the interview sounded sensible. He was being interviewed because last year he was Assistant Minister of Finance and is partially being blamed as the cause for the current strike.
They asked Sheetrit how it came to this and why the government is not paying the salaries. I did not understand everything he said because I am not completely clear and the interaction between municipal government and federal government, but here it is to the best of my understanding. He explained that the employees are not employees of the government. If the government comes in and bails them out now, it will set a bad precedent. He explained the deficit of the affected municipalities is above 14 billion shekels(!). The government does not have that kind of money to bail them out with. He asked why they woke up when it hit 14 billion and did not take care of it when it hit 1 billion . Where were the accountants who were being paid to deal with this all along. He therefore claims it is not the governments responsibility, nor should it be.
He added that the government had been in negotiations with the municipalities and offered to bail them out at times over the past few years with certain conditions, such as putting into place plans for recovery. These plans would include layoffs of employees not needed, cancellation of projects deemed extra, cancellation of departments that are considered wasteful and "fat", etc. among others. The municipalities, and the Labor Union, refused and therefore it has come to this.
Now I do not know who is right and who is wrong. I feel bad that the poor guy has not had a salary in 12 months and can barely put food on his table. I cannot even imagine what that would be like and what I would do if I was in his situation! I feel bad for the people trying to travel, be it for business, vacations, health issues, family simchas that they might now miss. All these people will likely lose lots of money due to rescheduling and cancellations. I feel bad for the people (like me) who just need to get to work in the morning and home in the evening who now have to go through delays of hours looking for alternate transportation and extra expenses incurred.
I do not know who is right, but I hope they negotiate an end to this strike quickly.
We did think of some creative solutions to the strike, or at least those aspects of it affecting us. One such solution included contacting Arkady Gaydamak and requesting he evacuate the residents of Bet Shemesh to Tel Aviv due to our extreme "traumatic" situation. He would hire buses for us and take us to Tel Aviv so we could go to work.
Another such solution was asking Gaydamak to purchase Israel Railways and get the trains running. At least that way he would gain the profits of the railway in addition to helping all the travellers.
Another solution suggested was have Gaydamak pay off all those salaries that have not been paid. This way he would be helping people in financial ruin and emotional distress and there would be no reason for the strike.
There were some others, some suggested on radio and some just in personal conversation, and they all involved Gaydamak coming to the rescue.
And that is really the pickle we are in. Nobody expects the government to actually do its job and take care of the people and provide us with safety and security, so Gaydamak comes in and fills the void, and then the government criticizes him for it.
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