1,973 people needed medical treatment during the holiday [of Yom Kippur]

  -- Israel Hayom

that's a freaky headline, considering this Yom Kippur commemorated 40 years from the Yom Kippur War, which happened on Yom Kippur of 1973...

this is crazy that they just started school and the kids are already on vacation. I see no reason why the kids need vacation on the days between Yom Kippur and Sukkot, when they only just started school...

This speech by MK Rabbi Dov Lipman is a good speech. I don't find it to be an inspiring speech, in the form of the famous commencement speeches by Steve Jobs and others, but it is an interesting speech in the way Lipman describes how Yesh Atid came together, how they tackled some issues.. particularly interesting is how he says that he cannot use government to force his way on others..

40 years have passed. Most of Israel's citizens did not personally experience the shock of the fearful siren, wailing up and down, that at 2 PM ripped through the silence of the holiness of Yom Kippur. The nation was wrapped then in its fast, gathered in the synagogues, or in the privacy of their homes. The gates of heaven were not open that day, the prayers were not answered, the war broke out. The fire was on two fronts, the north and the south, by the time the siren sounded, the first soldiers had already fallen. Israel had made a mistake and was surprised, and her children gave their lives with amazing heroism and saved it from the valley of tears.

  -- President Shimon Peres, at memorial ceremony on Har Hartzl for the fallen soldiers of the Yom Kippur War

thoughts:

1. Shimon Peres, a representative of Israel's leadership, speaks about God's involvement in a public ceremony and not just in one for religious people.
2. He remembered to blame God for the bad, the attack on Israel - our prayers were not answered. the gates of heaven were not open. How often, if at all, in a public ceremony, does he, or any representative of the Israeli government/leadership, give God some credit for the good?
3. Even specifically here: he blamed God for the failure - our prayers were not answered. And then when things turned around, he gives credit only to the heroic soldiers (and they were heroic - I am not saying otherwise) but makes no mention of God..

it's good that he thought of including God in the process, but it is a shame he only thinks of God for the bad things and not the good things...

in appreciation of... another peaceful Yom Kippur, despite the news the past few weeks, months and even years, that seems to always make it feel as if war is imminent. With all the news leading up to Yom Kippur having memorials and memories of the Yom Kippur War, a peaceful Yom Kippur is something to be appreciative about.. The only "war" this Yom Kippur was between man and God, with man fighting for forgiveness.

Last year a young man discovered the body of long-time missing soldier Majdy Halabi. He had gone missing in 2005 when on duty near Haifa. Israel had offered a 10 million dollar reward for good information as to his whereabouts.

When Ibrahim Kuzali and his brother discovered the body of Halabi in the forest near their village, and reported it, they expected to be granted the reward money. When Israel told the Kuzalis that they would not be getting the prize money for finding Majdy Halabi's body, the Kuzali brothers sued for it.

Majdy Halabi

The courts have no dismissed the lawsuit. While the suit was dismissed for technical reasons - the Kuzali brothers did not deposit the 1 million shekel filing fee (half of it to be paid upon filing, which was never paid). As well, they never filed an amended suit with a smaller claim, in order to reduce the deposit and payment for filing - that they had requested.

Despite that, what is interesting, at least for lawyers, is that the court also said that the reward money had been offered to people who supply Israel with information as to Halabi's whereabouts. That does not include stumbling over the body in the forest and reporting it. Reporting such a find is the obligation of every citizen in Israel, and is also in Israeli law. There is no monetary reward for doing that.  
(source: NRG)

Ibrahim Kuzali

I find the distinction interesting that actually finding the body is worth less than just having information about it. I still think they should have been given some reward, even if not the full thing. Paying out something would have been a nice story. Now, people who might have information about other MIAs and are considering offering it in exchange for prize money might not come forward simply because they think they will be scammed out of their reward. I see why people should not be rewarded for doing something they have to do anyway, but this was a big find, and it has implications for other missing soldiers. I think they should have been given some sort of reward.

Beitar Illit, Israel - Haredi Rabbis Issue Ban On All-Female Zumba Classes In Beitar Illit

  -- VIN

rabbis are insisting that zumba classes only be mixed. no all-female classes allowed! just a bit of humor after the original post on the subject...

and sports is not the only realm in which people are making kiddush hashem (kiddushei hashem?).

Kikar reports on a beautiful story that happened in the Gush Dan area that is a tremendous kiddush hashem.

A couple weeks prior to Yom Kippur, a group of yeshiva students were sitting in a restaurant near their yeshiva eating cholent (can a story start off with a better stereotype than this?). While eating, a secular fellow approached them and asked if they could help him build a sukka. He said t was going to be the first time in his life ever having a sukka.

When pressed he explained that in his building, some haredim have recently moved in. They were building their sukkot outside of the building, and he asked them why they are doing this, without permission from the other residents, and ruining the beauty of the building. He continued saying that they explained how important it is, and it amazed him and he decided to build his own sukka.

The yeshiva boys offered their help.

A few days later, a few of those yeshiva boys showed up at this fellow's house with tools and equipment, ready to build his sukka. This happened in the Pardes Katz neighborhood of Bnei Braq.

(illustration photo)

The yeshiva boys later said that they had come to help with the sukka, and arrived only to discover that the sukka  to be built was very small, really only large enough for one person. They built the sukka, the family was amazed, the father and son put on kippot (brought by the yeshiva boys) and helped put on the schach. (the report says they made a bracha together, but I have no idea what bracha it is referring to). The yeshiva boys described how emotional it was.

They ended up turning the concept into a project. This fellow had a couple of friends who also decided to build sukkot for the holiday, and the yeshiva boys decided they would start a project building sukkot for secular people who want a sukka but dont know what or how to go about it. They received the blessing and the ok from a rosh yeshiva to go ahead with the project, despite it meaning they would be taking away time from yeshiva - they considered waiting until after yom kippur, but the rosh yeshiva told them to not wait - people might change their minds and decide not to put up a sukka at all, better to strike while the iron is hot.

This project is completely voluntary. They do not take money for the building of these sukkot.

I wonder how many people are just taking advantage of a free service to get their sukka built, but would have built one anyway. There are plenty of secular people who celebrate sukkot in some way, including some with a sukka. But that is besides the point. From the side of the builders, this is a tremendous kiddush hashem. and from the side of the secular sukka-wanters, it is wonderful to see the growing interest in the mitzva of sukka.

It is a tremendous kiddush hashem. Kol Hakavod to them.

Tennis Duo Israeli stars playing in the Davis Cup, Andy Ram and Yoni Ehrlich, also known as AndYoni, had a nice kiddush hashem this past week, when they refused to play tennis on Yom Kippur.

It might sound easy, as one can think of the scorn and anger that would have been heaped on them had they played on Yom Kippur - it seems like it would be an easy decision to not play. But when competing in the Davis Cup, the demand to change the schedule takes on another level. The organizers can say no, they can be disqualified from a major tournament, they can lose rankings and lots of money.. it is not really such an easy decision.

They were set to play a match on Friday, late enough in the day that there was a concern it could possibly extend into the beginning of Yom Kippur. They made a demand that the match must be stopped an hour before sunset at the latest, and if necessary they would be willing to continue it on Sunday. They came to an agreement with the ITF, the International Tennis Federation, but had already said that whether it is officially halted or not, they would not play on Yom Kippur - even if it means forfeiting the match.

In the end, everything worked out. They began the match with the decision that at a certain point they would just walk out for Yom Kippur. They did not need to because they won the match with enough time to leave for Yom Kippur. Their victory, by scores of 3-6 7-5 6-1 5-7 3-6 gives the Israeli team the lead over the Belgians by 2-1, for now.

I am happy they won early, but it would have been nice to see them walk out of the match because of Yom Kippur. it would also would have made a lot more press and gotten more exposure than just a simple win with a byline about the Yom Kippur issue.

There was a lot of anger about the extension of Daylight Savings Time until the end of October, some of it focused on how it would affect the Yom Kippur experience. I am curious how it actually affected your Yom Kippur - was your fast harder,  was davening longer, was it easier,  in what way did it actually affect your Yom Kippur experience?

Davening by us did not start later than usual, even though the shuls got that extra hour of daytime tacked on at the end of the day. Instead, we had a two and a half hour break after Mussaf. That was great. I was able to go home and lay down, and even sleep a little and rest up for the end of the davening.. I did not notice any difference in the fasting - it was not more difficult for me due to the day being "longer". It was not hotter in shul due to more daylight hours - the air conditioning worked fine.

How did DST affect your Yom Kippur experience?

this portrayal of new immigrants is pretty funny... the only thing missing is the Nefesh bNefesh baseball caps!

I am a big fan of the classic tune of Kol Niidre, as probably most Jews are, the more haunting the tune the better.. I even have a playlist on You Tube with just different renditions of Kol Nidre...

I am not sure why the word "live" is in quotation marks. It really was live. Maybe it wasn't an actual Kol Nidre service?

Here is a new one..

nice song, very nice clip, from his new album...