(1) At Last I Met My Rabbi - Gilad Atzmon (2) Gilad Atzmon has found his rabbi - Maurice Pinay (3) Book by Lakewood rabbi describes Gentiles as an "evil" species (4) Speech by Rabbi Yaakov Shapiro, of the Torah True Jews (5) Two Wonders, by Rabbi Yaakov Shapiro (6) Not too late to sign up for Israel Lobby Conference - Washington, DC, April 10, 2015 (1) At Last I Met My Rabbi - Gilad Atzmon http://www.gilad.co.uk/writings/2015/3/30/at-last-i-met-my-rabbi At Last I Met My Rabbi March 30, 2015 By Gilad Atzmon Fear of wisdom is one of the notable characteristics of the Palestinian Solidarity Movement. I often find myself flabbergasted by the indignation solidarity enthusiasts direct against creative minds, scholars, thinkers and wisdom in general. But the solidarity movement is consistent, coherent and determined on at least one front- it is united in its battle against 'anti-Semitism.' Not surprising, given that the movement has long been dominated by Jewish progressive organisations and funded by liberal Zionists such as George Soros and his Open Society Institute. As many of us learn to accept that the solidarity movement has been largely reduced into a controlled opposition apparatus, it is reassuring to find out that Palestinians in general and Hamas in particular are more determined than ever to fight Israel and bring their on going plight to an end. In fact, the Palestinians are not alone. More and more solidarity supporters are awakening to the covert transformation in the movement. Increasingly, voices of dissent grasp that the solidarity discourse has taken an unfortunate turn. They detect the problematic Judeo-centrism embedded in Jewish progressive politics. In fact, especially since the Israeli elections, many of us have noticed that while Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies speak openly about the reality of the Jewish state, our imaginary friends at Mondoweiss, JVP and the PSC still prohibit any attempt to discuss the Jewish culture that drives the Jewish state. I hope that one day this clan of peace advocates will come to their senses, but I won't hold my breath. For a while I have been arguing that unlike the duplicitous Jewish progressive discourse, it is Jewish orthodoxy's opposition to Zionism that presents the only Jewish principled, ethical collective stand against Zionism and Israeli evil. A week ago I met the inspiring Rabbi Yaakov Shapiro in a kosher deli in Manhattan. The meeting was arranged by my dear friend and New York radio host Tom Kiely who joined us. (Please note that a kosher restaurant wasn't my choice. For almost 20 years I've been keeping a very strict diet –I basically, eat 'everything except kosher.' This time I had to compromise on Brooklyn pickled cucumbers, and Israeli style instant humus. For the sake of peace, I was willing to compromise my most precious culinary rules. I was thrilled to find out that Rabbi Shapiro was familiar with my thoughts. He has read 'The Wandering Who.' He was fully aware of my criticism of Jewishness. Our thoughts on the situation were pretty much in line. His scholarship was thorough and sincere, his arguments astute and his terminology transparent. This combination is rarely encountered within the institutional solidarity discourse. Rabbi Shapiro is not happy with Zionism and not just because of the crimes that are committed in his name by those who call themselves Jews. He rightly sees himself and his community as victims of 'identity theft.' At a certain stage in recent Jewish history, a group of people (secular assimilated Jews) rebranded themselves as 'the Jews' at the expense of those who have been Jews and recognised as such throughout their long history (Torah Jews). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4_1dfp3tAM Rabbi Shapiro is an opponent of Zionism. But unlike the banal Diaspora Jewish left that 'as Jews' condemn Netanyahu or Israeli policy while overlooking the fact that such disapproval actually affirms Israel's legitimacy as the Jewish State[1], Rabbi Shapiro protests against Israel's self-proclaimed mandate to represent the Jews. Instead of falling into the usual secular Jewish ethno-centric exceptionalist trap that is symptomatic to Zionists as well as their so-called 'anti,' Rabbi Shapiro defines himself as an American citizen who follows the Jewish faith. He doesn't claim any privilege when it comes to Israel or any other state. Quite the opposite, he claims no special privileges whatsoever. He opposes Israel not just because it has been plundering Palestine for decades but also because it has robbed the Jews of their true historic home, the Torah. I pointed out to Rabbi Shapiro that Zionism wasn't alone. At about the same time that Zionism was trying to uproot the Jew; the Bolsheviks were making final plans to transform the Russian people into a socialist collective and in Turkey, the Ottoman Empire was taken over by a new ideology determined to uproot its culture and heritage in the cause of secularist, nationalist westernisation. As Zionism became more popular amongst Jews in Europe and the West, The Frankfurt School was forging its post Marxist global uprooting doctrine and Wilhelm Reich decided that a sexual revolution could save the working class from their 'mass reactionary conservatism.' By the end of the millennium not much was left of the Western Athenian heritage. Suppressed and abused by the tyranny of political correctness policed by identity politics merchants, the Western citizen was reduced into a voiceless subservient consumer. Bolshevism, The Frankfurt School and Wilhelm Reich are considered by a growing number of scholars as ideologies associated with Jewish secular thoughts. Interestingly, a growing numbers of Turkish Scholars are now convinced that the Young Turks and even Kamal Ataturk, were in fact Jewish converts and followers of the false Jewish messiah Rabbi Sabbatai Zevi. Rabbi Shapiro wasn't surprised by my thoughts. He was fully aware of the history and philosophy I expressed. He wasn't annoyed by my suggestion that the Zionist assault on Torah followers was just one symptom of a far greater Jewish secular ideological transformation. A true scholar, Rabbi Shapiro referred me to some academic comparative studies of the Turkish revolution and the birth of Zionism. My take home message was clear-unlike the Jewish left that is determined to divert any attention from Jewishness, my new favourite fearless Rabbi is thrilled by the topic and is willing to engage in any attempt to review Jewish culture, ideology and history. Unlike the Zionist and 'anti' who seem devastated by me turning my back on the Jews and Judaism, Rabbi Shapiro didn't show any remorse from my drift away. For him, Judaism is a God oriented affair. The Torah and the bond it requires with God are demanding tasks. If you are not willing to believe in The Shem and take on all the commitments involved, don't be bothered - set yourself free. And in practice, the freest Jew, the one brave enough to look in the mirror, to reflect and criticise, is apparently the most pious one-an orthodox Rabbi. I am relieved, but somehow I knew it all along. [1] If X is entitled to criticize the Jewish state only because X is Jewish, then X's criticism itself affirms Israel as the Jewish State. (2) Gilad Atzmon has found his rabbi - Maurice Pinay http://mauricepinay.blogspot.com.au/2015/04/gilad-atzmon-has-found-his-rabbi.html Thursday, April 2, 2015 Gilad Atzmon has found his rabbi Gilad Atzmon is a seemingly good-willed self-described 'former Israeli,' 'former Jew,' musician and activist against certain symptoms of the religion of Orthodox Judaism who evidently has a soft spot in his heart for the rabbis of Orthodox Judaism. This respect for the rabbis was only hinted at in Atzmon's writings and videos until this recent endorsement of the 'true torah Judaism' of Rabbi Yaakov Shapiro. This endorsement reveals an astonishing degree of contradiction and confusion in Atzmon's professed ideas. Gilad Atzmon's rabbi, Rabbi Yaakov Shapiro is a Talmid Muvhak (chief disciple and student) of, and ordained by Rav Schneur Kotler. Rav Schneur Kotler was the Head of the Haredi Lakewood Yeshiva (Beth Medrash Govoha or BMG) in Lakewood, New Jersey for 20 years until his death in 1982. The Lakewood Yeshiva was founded by his father Rabbi Aharon Kotler. Lakewood Yeshiva is one of the largest, most respected (among Orthodox 'Jews') yeshivas in the world and the Judaic ghetto of Lakewood surrounding it manifests all the fruits of Orthodox Judaism one would expect; rampant corruption, Judeo-supremacism, anti-Goyism, deviousness, fraud, ignorance, superstition, squalor and depravity. It's far beyond the scope of a blog posting to accurately portray the monstrous evil, hatred and predation of non-Jews which exists in the Orthodox Judaic ghetto of Lakewood which is informed by the Orthodox Judaism of Gilad Atzmon's rabbi, Yaakov Shapiro, a disciple of the Lakewood Rav. One can scratch the surface of Lakewood depravity HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE. Also, please read An Orthodox Final Solution. (3) Book by Lakewood rabbi describes Gentiles as an "evil" species http://njjewishnews.com/njjn.com/122503/njracialist.html NEW JERSEY JEWISH NEWS Drew University scholar defends article exposing Lakewood rabbi's ‘racialist' text by Marilyn Silverstein NJJN Staff Writer As a scandal over a Lakewood rabbi's book describing gentiles as an "evil" species continues to simmer inside Jewish circles, the Drew University scholar who broke the explosive story says that he has no regrets about bringing the matter to light. "Regrets? No!" Allen Nadler exclaimed into the telephone from Boston, where he was attending a conference. "Not only don't I regret writing the piece, I wish it had been harder-hitting and more critical about what's going on in the Orthodox community." Nadler, director of the Jewish Studies Program at Drew in Madison, published his story in the Dec. 19 issue of the New York-based Forward, shining a spotlight on a recently published Hebrew-language book that claims that Jews constitute a genetically superior species and that gentiles are "completely evil." The book, Romemut Yisrael Ufarashat Hagalut — which can be translated as "Jewish Superiority and the Question of Exile" — was self-published by Rabbi Sadya Grama of Lakewood, an alumnus of Beth Medrash Govoha, a prominent Orthodox yeshiva in Lakewood. "The difference between the people of Israel and the nations of the world is an essential one," the book claims. "The Jew by his source and in his very essence is entirely good. The goy, by his source and in his very essence, is completely evil. This is not simply a matter of religious distinction, but rather of two completely different species." According to Nadler, Grama claims in his book that Jewish success in the world is completely contingent upon the failure of other peoples. He writes that Jews experience good fortune only when gentiles experience catastrophe. He asserts that the difference between Jews and gentiles is not historical or cultural, but rather genetic and unalterable. And he blames Jews for bringing about the Holocaust through their own arrogance and assimilation. "Grama's full-blown racialist theories appear to break new ground," Nadler wrote in the Forward, "building on a handful of hints of national and racial chauvinism occasionally found in the writings of a few earlier rabbinic figures, but combining them into a racialist doctrine with no precedent in rabbinic literature." Although several prominent Jewish figures attempted to get the Forward to squelch Nadler's story — apparently in fear that it would be picked up and used by the anti-Jewish or anti-Zionist press — Nadler is adamant in his belief that exposing Grama and his ideas was the right thing to do. "The question is, what's the purpose of a Jewish newspaper? Is it only to report the good stuff going on in the Jewish community, or also the ugly stuff?" he asked. "I don't think it's healthy for Jews to hide or cover up something that I consider to be a virus. "If anything, this piece shows that there's a healthy opposition to this in the Jewish community," he said. "I think it makes the Jews look good, actually. We're willing to talk about it openly." And while the chief executive officer of the yeshiva, in an interview with NJJN, described Grama's book as "repugnant and abhorrent," Nadler believes that the book's publication hints at a worrisome strain within the haredi, or fervently Orthodox, community. "The yeshiva world has become so extreme," Nadler said. "This is the Jewish equivalent of the Taliban. How sad it is that the yeshiva world has drifted over to a kind of fundamentalism. It's just very sad. If we don't fight what I would classify as a kind of spiritual pathology, we'll get sicker and sicker." Rabbi's approval Nadler underscored the fact that Grama's book carries the earnest endorsements of the most revered religious leaders at the Lakewood yeshiva, including the rosh yeshiva, or head of school, Rabbi Aryeh Malkiel Kotler. In his endorsement, Kotler remarks that Grama's book covers "the subjects of the Exile, the Election of Israel and her exaltation above and superiority to all other nations, all in accordance with the viewpoint of the Torah, based on the solid instruction he has received from his teachers." But when writers at the Forward contacted Kotler, the Orthodox rabbi quickly issued a statement repudiating Grama's positions and claiming that he had only glanced at the book before endorsing it. "We have seen the objectionable statements that allegedly appear in a sefer [book] written by Rabbi Grama, a former student at our yeshivah," Kotler wrote in his statement. "I did glance briefly at the book but did not read it carefully — which is the general practice in providing approbations to the many books by alumni that come across a desk like mine. "In looking at the specific points allegedly contained in the sefer, I can certainly tell you that they are not reflective of normative Jewish thought and are certainly not the philosophy of our yeshivah," he wrote. "Our philosophy asserts that every human being is created in the image of the Lord and [asserts] the primacy of integrity and honesty in all dealings without exception. I strongly repudiate any assertions in the name of Judaism that do not represent and reflect this philosophy." Nadler, however, scoffs at Kotler's about-face. "I don't give much credence to his denial that he endorses these views," Nadler said, noting that the first line in the book's table of contents announces that the difference between Jews and gentiles is one of essence, not of faith. "So, when Rabbi Kotler says he didn't read the book, that may be true," he said, "but he had to have looked at it. It took me about 30 seconds to conclude that this was a racist book." In fact, Nadler said, he wishes the Forward had put a different headline on his article, rather than, "Charedi Rabbis Rush to Disavow Anti-Gentile Book." "To me, that's not the story," he said. "The story is that haredi rabbis endorsed the book." ‘Repugnant and abhorrent' Kotler did not make himself available to NJJN, but his brother, Rabbi Aaron Kotler, chief executive officer of the yeshiva, castigated the ideas in Grama's books as "repugnant and abhorrent." "Nothing could be further from our ideology and philosophy," Aaron Kotler said in a telephone interview. "We couldn't disagree with it more." When asked about his brother's reference in his endorsement to Israel's "exaltation above and superiority to all other nations," Kotler responded, "We believe the Jewish people have a special mission, a divine mission, a special role to play in the world. That does not lead to claims of superiority and others being inferior in any way. There is a historic mission the Jewish people have carried throughout history. Any notion of others being inferior, of genetic superiority — all that is something we couldn't disagree with more." Kotler explained that at any given time, his brother has perhaps 30 books sitting on his desk awaiting his endorsement. "My brother is disturbed that he was given something to endorse without it being disclosed that it had such ideas in it," he said. "We think that the world recognizes that these ideas run counter to everything we stand for," Kotler added. "You could say we were shocked by what was in this book, and we will do everything to ensure that all know that such ideas have no credence or legitimacy. The most important thing is to make sure everyone knows that such ideas have no place in Jewish thought." At least one ultra-Orthodox spokesman has challenged Nadler's reading of the Grama book. In a memo to Kotler, Chaim Dovid Zwiebel, executive vice president for government and public affairs at Agudath Israel of America, writes that "Nadler's article is false and misleading in several critical respects." Although he does not address the charge that Grama describes gentiles as "completely evil," Zwiebel denies Nadler's contention that Grama considers Jews "genetically" different from and superior to gentiles. "The implication is that Grama holds that Jews are some sort of master race with their own identifiable DNA," writes Zweibel. However, "the inherent distinctions he draws between Jew and non-Jew are spiritual in nature, not genetic or otherwise physiological. What he seems to be saying is that Jews have a ‘ruchniyus' [spiritual] dimension that is part of their essential makeup and that renders them inherently distinct and superior." But even as he shared Zweibel's memo with NJJN, Kotler insisted, "Zwiebel's review has no impact on our utter and complete disavowal of and disassociation with the ideas and theories ascribed and alleged to Grama." The senators' gift The controversy swirling around Beth Medrash Govoha, Grama, and his book has been intensified by the fact that the yeshiva is on the eve of receiving $500,000 in federal funds to establish a Holocaust memorial library. The proposed grant was inserted into the 2004 Omnibus Appropriation Conference Agreement by New Jersey's two United States senators, Democrats Jon Corzine and Frank Lautenberg — reportedly at the urging of Aaron Kotler. In a telephone conversation, David Wald, Corzine's press secretary, said that the senator would have no comment on the rabbi's book, but when pressed, he added, "Obviously, the senator doesn't tolerate any prejudice and he's deeply opposed to discrimination of any kind — racial, ethnic, or religious." Wald said that Corzine sought the appropriation so that the yeshiva could build a Holocaust library and collect materials related to the Holocaust for the purposes of scholarship and education. He noted that Congress would begin its next session on Jan. 20. "The forecast," he said, "is that a vote on the Omnibus Appropriation Bill will take place soon thereafter." Alex Formuzis, Lautenberg's press secretary, conveyed to NJJN the same statement the senator made to the Forward: "If these translations accurately portray the sentiments of Rabbi Grama's book," Lautenberg wrote, "I find it deeply troubling that any representative of the school would endorse these views." For his part, Aaron Kotler expressed dismay that his quest for a Holocaust memorial library at his yeshiva would be associated in any way with the scandal over Grama's book. "The events of recent Jewish history, including the Holocaust, are the ultimate proof of the fact that we can give zero legitimacy to any views such as those ascribed to Grama," he said. "If there's any one lesson the world has taken from the Holocaust, it's the need for tolerance, understanding, freedom of religion, and respect." Asked to comment on the scandal, Shai Goldstein, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League, stressed the importance of underscoring the fact that the racist ruminations of Grama's book have nothing to do with traditional Jewish thought. "The book should never have been written or published," the NJ ADL director said in a telephone interview. "It is offensive to traditional Judaism. We condemn the book in the same way we would condemn any book that espouses that kind of philosophy. "It's personally upsetting," he added. "I've devoted my life to combating these kinds of thoughts and words, no matter who they emanate from." In the wake of the controversy, Grama reportedly contacted the bookstore where his book was on display in Brooklyn's heavily Orthodox Boro Park and requested that it be withdrawn. Attempts to reach Grama at his Lakewood home were unsuccessful, but, with the sounds of children at play in the background, his wife told NJJN, "He's not going to be interested in speaking to you." The complete text of Nadler's article is available at www.forward.com. Marilyn Silverstein can be reached at msilverstein@njjewishnews.com. (4) Speech by Rabbi Yaakov Shapiro, of the Torah True Jews http://www.truetorahjews.org/shapirospeech Speech by Rabbi Yaakov Shapiro, July 6, 2010 Chosheve rabbonim, teiereh chasidim, people of the press, friends, and enemies, We are assembled here this afternoon, in the capitol of this malchus shel chesed, to raise our voices in a chorus of condemnation against the religious persecution of our Jewish brethren by a governmental regime in the Middle East. The government I am referring to is not Afghanistan. The government I am referring to is not Iraq. The government I am referring to, the one persecuting our brothers, is the State of Israel. The scene is all too familiar: Religious Jews in Israel peacefully assembling to protest a violation of their Holy Torah. Just like we are doing here, today. And then they come. The Zionists. The police. They come on foot and on horseback. They come with clubs, with faces twisted into masks of hate; they come with clenched fists and with boots; they come with tear gas, and they attack Jews, they beat Jews. And they attack and beat and pummel and kick and gas Jews because Jews are peacefully demonstrating against the brazen violation of the Jewish religion by the Jewish State. There are very few things more sacred to religious Jews than the dignity due to the deceased. All civilized people, regardless of their religious affiliation, understand this. And yet, in utter disregard to the pleading, negotiating, and begging of the Orthodox Jewish population of Israel, with utter indifference to the anguish caused to the practitioners of Judaism in the Jewish State, in utter contempt of what the Zionist government knows to be a fundamental conviction of the Jewish people, they tread Jewish graves beneath metal wheels of bulldozers, and then unearth the pulverized remains of Jews who had been resting there, previously undisturbed for centuries. And they continue to do this and they will continue to do this unless we raise our voices, unless we show them that we have had enough! And that Mr, Natanyahu – you want to hear the unmitigated gall of such a person? He spoke not long ago at the site of the Auschwitz concentration camp. There, he concocted his own grotesque and perverted interpretation of a prophecy of the Navi Yeshizkel. (Now first, I want to make you a deal, Mr. Netanyahu – I won't tell you how to run your economy, and you don't tell the rabbis how to interpret the bible. Leave that to people who know what they are talking about.) But this is what he said: The Navi Yechezkel had a prophecy. He said, "So says Hashem: I am going to open your graves and lift you out of your graves, My people, my Klall Yisroel, and bring you to Eretz Yisroel." We know what that prophecy is referring to. But do you know what Netanyahu said? He said that this prophecy is fulfilled by the State of Israel! Yet the only bones I see being lifted up out of graves today in the State of Israel, are the ill fated remains of our ancestors, torn from their graves by Natnyahu and his Zionist lackeys, and instead of growing flesh and becoming live again, they are discarded, as fodder for the dogs and vermin. And there, while this was happening, in Asheklon, in Yafo, long suffering men peacefully protested the base violation of human dignity and decency. Many of them were brutally assaulted. One eighty year old man --a prominent religious leader--was tear-gassed and hospitalized. Children – minors - were left battered and bloodied. This is a Jewish State? This is a democracy? More and more, Jews are gaining the courage to speak out against religious persecution of the so-called Jewish State. A few weeks ago, the cries of pain have summoned into convocation over 100,000 Orthodox Jews who joined their voices in public protest against the attempt by the Zionist courts to dictate religious standards for the religious education of our children. Is it too much to ask of a so-called Jewish State – is it too unreasonable to demand of a democracy – that it provide its citizens with the basic liberties enjoyed by all free people all over the world? Have you no shame, Mr. Netanyahu? Are you not embarrassed? Because I'll tell you – I am embarrassed that I have to come here today and blow the whistle. But what recourse have you given us? In every stage of these oppressions, we have attempted resolution in the most humble of ways. But our repeated attempts have been answered only by repeated injury. What then are we to do? Are we to sweep the abuse under the rug? Shall we allow the oppression to continue unabated? Must we remain silent while our religion, for which every single one of us here would gladly give our lives, and for which, probably, a number of those whose remains have been unearthed did give their lives, is trampled and violated over and over and over again? The truth is, the Zionist government does persecute Orthodox Jews. And they persecute Orthodox Judaism. But the worst crime, the most insidious persecution that the State of Israel has ever perpetrated against the Jewish people, happened in 1948, when they dared to call themselves the State of Israel, when they dared to refer to themselves as a Jewish State. You know, one day, some other country, not Israel – somewhere in Eastern Europe maybe – they're going to try to build maybe a mall or a parking lot over Jewish graves, and our great askanim from the Asra Kadisha and others, are going to try to stop it, and do you know what those countries are going to say? "Well, if they did it in Israel, and Israel represents the Jews, then why can't we do it over here? Do we have to be more Jewish than the Jewish State?" Do you know that for more than a week after the flotilla incident, the Jews in Turkey were scared to leave their houses? They didn't even go to the synagogue. Because the local residents of Turkey blamed them, and held them accountable for the acts of the State of Israel. Whatever Israel did, why in the world should Jews in Turkey be blamed? What do they have to do with what Israel did? This is the most insidious crime that that State has committed against our people – the theft of our identity! They call themselves Israel. But: We are the Jewish people! We are Israel – right here! We are an ancient people who for thousands of years have been practicing our religion – scholars, laymen. They haven't even been in existence long enough to collect social security! They are impostors! Everybody knows the history of the Zionism. They weren't happy with the way Jews were. They thought, in their great "brilliance," that in order to eliminate anti-Semitism, and in order to protect the Jewish people, we have to change what the Jewish people are, from a religion, from a mamleches kohanim, from a goy kodosh, from a nation of vayiten lecha elokim mital hashamayim - to a nation of soldiers and warriors, to a nation of becharvecha sichyeh. What in the world is a "Jewish State"? Can you tell me? I know what a Jewish person is; I know what a Jewish philosophy is. But the adjective "Jewish" does not accommodate the noun "state." It's like saying a "Jewish tree", or a "Jewish car". What does it mean? The only way the Zionists were able to create a "Jewish State," for the adjective "Jewish" accommodate the noun "State" was to change the definition of "Jewish." The hate, the seething, psychopathic hate that the Zionist has for the Jew, is not born out of bigotry, and it is not born out of ignorance. It is born out of fear. Fear, because they thought that by now there would be none of us left. They thought that, by now, all the Jews in the world - or all that matter, anyway – would be remade in the image of the Zionist. They thought that by now, the world would be at peace with them, that anti-Semitism would be gone, that they'd be able to vanquished their enemies with their armies. And now they see that it was all a fake. They see their hopes shattered to pieces. They see that we still live. They see that we are here and we are rapidly increasing. They see us raising our voices. They see that they have not replaced us. They see they cannot replace the am yisrael. They see they are failures. And that's why they hate us. The more we exist and flourish, the greater a failure they are, because their main goal was to change our nation into theirs; to replace us with them. This is the greatest crime committed against the Jewish people by the Zionists - identity theft. We Jews are blamed, in the eyes of the world, we are held accountable, for the actions of the State of Israel. Because they have been telling the world, for over a half a century, that they are the regime of the Jewish people – the so-called "Jewish State." We Jews need to tell the world – because, even though this is the worst crime committed by the Zionists, it is also the easiest for us to fix – we need to tell the world, that Judaism is not Zionism. We need to tell the world that the State of Israel does not represent the Jewish people. That the Zionist government are not our elected officials. That the Zionists are not our spokespeople. That they do not speak in our name. We need to tell the world that the credit card they are using to do whatever it is they are doing, was stolen from us! We don't want credit for what they do and we don't want accountability for what they do. To those whose eternal resting places have been molested by the Zionists, we deliver to you this promise: We will never relent. We will never permit those who desecrated those graves to distort or wipe away their memory. We will always remember what Amalek's heirs have done to your resting place. We will be vigilant. We are prepared to speak out when a new Amalek appears on the stage of history and threatens again to destroy the religion of the Jews. And you, Mr. Netanyahu, do you recognize these words? You should – but this is Judaism untwisted and undistorted. To you, Mr. Netanyahu we promise: We will never relent. We will fight until we triumph. And triumph we will, because, Mr. Netanyahu, we do not fight alone. At our side stand generations of the Jewish people. At our side stand the six million kedoshim. At our side stand the souls of those whose resting places you have abused. And at our side, is our Ribbono shel Olam, Who has kept us alive for two thousand years of golus, (one of the reasons being that we were not Zionists). Mr. Netanyahu, you can bring your air force and your army to fight us, but we will triumph, because with what we have on our side, you are outnumbered. (5) Two Wonders, by Rabbi Yaakov Shapiro http://www.shemayisrael.co.il/orgs/rejew/wonders.htm Two Wonders by Rabbi Yaakov Shapiro There is no community in the word so advanced in Chesed and social services as the frum community. "Mi K'Amchah Yisroel Goy Echad Ba'Aretz": The Hatzolahs, the Bikur Cholims, the funds for the needy - all of this is unequaled anywhere in the world. And no wonder - "Rachmonim" and "Gomlei Chasodim" - compassion for others and doing kindness - are two of the three attributes that characterize the very essence of a Yid. Another way Klall Yisroel distinguishes itself from the other nations is education. Chazal tell us that in ancient times there was not a little boy or girl that was not a expert in the most intricate Halachos of Tumah and Taharah. As opposed to most of the Goyim in those days, who could not read. Yehoshua ben Gamla the Kohen Godol instituted compulsory education for every town where Jewish children are found, and we have fulfilled his directive ever since. Among the nations, compulsory education started in France in the 19th Century. Chesed and Chinuch have been the two mainstays of the Jewish community throughout history, and remain so today. And so it comes as a Pliah Atzumah - a wonder of wonders - that in a community so replete with Chesed and scholarship in every form and manner, that a sizable chunk of our children are left to fall by the wayside. "Left to fall" because we refuse to provide for them the manner of Chinuch and type of Chesed that they, in the way Hashem made them, so desperately need. There are many such groups of children among us. They can all be categorized together, however, as "Those For Whom Mainstream Yeshiva Education Is Not The Answer". They include the learning disabled and the Attention-Deficit, as well as children from problem homes and those who simply are not "cut out" to learn all day. Rav Shach shlita gave us the green light four years ago to b in America, where students would learn one half of the day and work the other half. There is a tremendous need for such an environment, yet it is not to be found. As far as vocational training goes, there is one Yeshiva, in Bradley Beach, New Jersey, that offers vocational instruction together with Limudei Kodesh. Resource Rooms in Brooklyn are almost nowhere to be found. Students are bussed in daily to places like Yeshiva Darchei Torah in Far Rockaway, where the Resource Room services dozens of students daily, who have no chance of success in a regular Yeshiva. I receive phone calls regularly from parents of ehrlicher, frum boys who can not "keep up" with a regular Yeshiva curriculum. There is nowhere for them to go. Yeshivas with more liberal admissions standards accommodate a students less advanced in Yiras Shomayim than these boys are, and putting them in such places would be detrimental to their spiritual health. One particular boy I know refuses to go to a Yeshiva with kids who wear leather jackets, sing rock and roll, and "hang out" at night - he feels they will ruin him - yet can not get in to a mainstream Yeshiva because of his inability to keep up academically. He has consulted many Rabbonim, Mechanchim, and lay leaders. There is no Yeshiva for him. As of this writing, he stays home the whole day. As far as the children with "problem backgrounds" are concerned, we have been getting new calls daily with such cases at Project ReJewvenation, to the point where we are simply overloaded. The parent, principal, or teacher on the phone then asks "Is there anywhere else I can call for such a case?" The answer, unfortunately, is "no." Although our Gedolim have encouraged such "alternative" systems of education and Kiruv and fully support those that exist, very few institutions have been created. The vast number of mainstream Yeshivos - Kain Yirbu - indicates the enormous quantity of approaches needed to fulfill "chanoch lenar al pi darko". The same need for multiple institutions applies for he non-mainsream population as well. Their numbers are swelling, those Yiddishe Neshomas that fall through the cracks due to a lack of available services to fill their needs. You can see some of them on 13th Avenue when your own children are sleeping. But most of them remain unseen, unheard, and unnoticed. And they remain out there, on the streets, long after we go to sleep ourselves, which is the second Pliah Atzumah here - that we can actually sleep while they roam the streets. (6) Not too late to sign up for Israel Lobby Conference - Washington, DC, April 10, 2015 From: "Delinda C. Hanley" <news_editor@wrmea.org> Subject: Not too late to sign up for Israel Lobby Conference To: Hal Womack <hal.womack@gmail.com> Washington, DC - April 10, 2015 at the National Press Club Register at http://www.IsraelLobbyUS.org An unprecedented, frank and overdue look at the power of the Israel Lobby in the United States. While many attribute Israel’s influence over the US to its value as an ally, others point to American -lobbying organizations, such as AIPAC. But just how powerful are they? How many are there, and what do they -really do? Are they good for the US? Are they good for Israel? Hundreds of organizations and thousands of individuals lobby the US government at every level to support Israel unconditionally. Many are active on Capitol Hill, drafting legislation to economically and militarily target Israel’s regional rivals and deliver the largest slice of the US foreign aid budget to Israel. Others are community-based, vetting candidates for office, channeling the Israeli prime minister’s policy views into local media and coordinating with national groups. Some target mass media in hopes of promoting Israeli policies and preventing unwanted coverage. However, Americans are increasingly beginning to question whether such lobbying is good for the United States, or even Israel. By a nearly 2 to 1 margin, Americans support a deal with Iran that restricts the nation’s nuclear program in exchange for loosening sanctions, according to a Washington Post/ABC poll published April 3. The same pro-Israel lobbying organizations and individuals now trying to kill what Netanyahu calls a “bad deal with Iran” were at the forefront of the push for a US attack on Iraq. Across campuses, battles are now raging as pro-peace and pro-Palestinian organizations work to boycott, divest and sanction Israel over its treatment of those displaced to create the state. Within the Jewish community, both Americans and Israelis are debating whether the Lobby is helping or actually hurting Jews in the United States and Israel. “The Israel Lobby: Is It Good for the US? Is It Good for Israel?” Panels Registration 8:00 to 8:55 AM (Bookstore open) 1. What Is the Israel Lobby and How Does It Work? 9:00 AM Moderator: Grant Smith Grant Smith: How big is the Lobby and what does it do? An overview of the 501(c) universe. Seth Morrison: From the Jewish National Fund to Jewish Voice for Peace and BDS. Jeffrey Blankfort: The ADL: Covert action, censure, and courting law-enforcement. 2. Are Critical Voices Silenced? 10:10 AM Moderator: Askia Muhammad Prof. Richard Falk: Weakening and discrediting the UN: The work of pro-Israel NGOs. Dr. Alice Rothchild: Silencing voices that question Israeli actions. Dr. Jack Shaheen: The use of cultural stereotypes to shape policy. 3. Is Freedom of Speech Encouraged on American Campuses? 11:35 AM Moderator: Helena Cobban Amani Al-Khatahtbeh: Daring to speak out on campus. Dima Khalidi: Pressures on universities to discipline and punish students and faculty for speech activities. Ahmad Saadaldin: Overcoming obstacles: SJP successes. 4. Is the Lobby Good for Israel? 1:15 PM Moderator: Delinda C. Hanley Miko Peled: How the Lobby enables Israeli policy: Views of an Israeli in America. Gideon Levy: Does unconditional support for Israel endanger Israeli voices? Huwaida Arraf: The situation of Arab citizens of Israel: Views of an Arab citizen of Israel. 5. How Does the Lobby Influence Congress? 2:25 PM Moderator: Janet McMahon Former AIPAC employee M.J. Rosenberg: Is it all about the money? Former Rep. Nick Rahall (D-WV): My experience with the Israel Lobby; The use of dark money. Former Rep. Paul Findley (R-IL): What I should have done, and what Congress can do today. 6. Is There an Iraq-Iran Continuum? 3:50 PM Moderator: Dale Sprusansky Gareth Porter: The push for war on Iran. Reza Marashi: The Iran nuclear deal. Dr. Paul Pillar: AIPAC/Netanyahu objectives and the American interest. Speakers include (in alphabetical order): Amani Al-Khatahtbeh is the founding editor-in-chief of <http://MuslimGirl.net>MuslimGirl.net, a blog aimed at eliminating stereotypes surrounding Islam and promoting the place of Muslim women in Western societies. She ran into trouble with Rutgers University trustees and its daily newspaper, The Daily Targum, which decided that criticism of Israel is anti-Semitic. In June 2014, the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee named Al-Khatahtbeh its media relations specialist. Huwaida Arraf is a Palestinian-American lawyer and human rights advocate. As the daughter of an -Israeli-born Palestinian, she is also a citizen of Israel. In 2001 Arraf co-founded the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), which has twice been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Arraf was one of the -initiators and organizers of a delegation of American lawyers to Gaza in February 2009, and co-authored the report on their findings. She is the former chairperson of the Free Gaza Movement, and led five successful sea voyages to the Gaza Strip to challenge Israel’s illegal blockade. Arraf was one of the primary organizers of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla and was traveling with it when Israeli forces lethally attacked it on May 31, 2010. Jeffrey Blankfort is a photojournalist and radio host. It was his first trip to Lebanon and Jordan in 1970 to take photos for a book on the Palestinian struggle that led to his involvement in their cause. He became a founding member of the November 29th Committee on Palestine and a co-founder of the Labor Committee on the Middle East. Blankfort currently hosts a twice-monthly program on international affairs for KZYX, the public radio station for Mendocino County in Northern California. Richard Anderson Falk is professor emeritus of international law at Princeton University. He is the author or co-author of 20 books and the editor or co-editor of another 20 volumes, including Achieving Human Rights, Israel-Palestine on Record: How the New York Times Misreports Conflict in the Middle East with Howard Friel, and The Costs of War: International Law, the UN, and World Order after Iraq. From 2008 to 2014 Falk served as UN Special Rapporteur on “the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967.” Paul Findley served the 20th District of Illinois as its Republican representative during 11 terms in -Congress, from 1961 to 1983. He wrote the very first book to analyze the pervasive influence of the -American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) on US politics, policy, and institutions from the -perspective of Congress. Carefully documented with specific case histories, They Dare To Speak Out: -People and Institutions Confront Israel’s Lobby reveals how the Israel Lobby works to shape important -aspects of US foreign policy and influences congressional, senatorial, and presidential elections. Findley is co-founder of the Council for the National Interest. Dima Khalidi is the founder and director of the Palestine Solidarity Legal Support (PSLS), and cooperating counsel with the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR). Her work includes providing legal advice to activists, engaging in advocacy to protect their rights to speak out for Palestinian rights, and educating activists and the public about their rights. Gideon Levy is a columnist for the Israeli daily Haaretz and a member of its editorial board. Levy joined Haaretz in 1982, and spent four years as the newspaper’s deputy editor. He is the author of the weekly “Twilight Zone” feature, which covers the Israeli occupation in the West Bank and Gaza over the last 25 years, as well as the writer of political editorials for the newspaper. Reza Marashi joined the National Iranian American Council (NIAC) in 2010 as the organization’s first research director. He came to NIAC after four years in the State Department’s Office of Iranian Affairs. Marashi is frequently consulted by Western governments on Iran-related matters. His articles have appeared in The New York Times, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, and The Atlantic, among other publications. Seth Morrison has held leadership posts in various local, regional and national Jewish organizations, starting in college as a youth leader in Young Judea. He is currently active in Jewish Voice for Peace, serving on the DC Metro Chapter Steering Committee and on the national Congressional Outreach Committee. In 2011, Morrison resigned from the Washington, DC board of the Jewish National Fund in protest over Israel’s repeated evictions of Palestinians from their homes in East Jerusalem. Miko Peled is an Israeli writer and activist living in the US. He was born and raised in Jerusalem. Driven by a personal family tragedy to explore Palestine, its people and their narrative, he has written a book about his journey called The General’s Son: Journey of an Israeli in Palestine. The book covers Peled’s family history since his grandparents immigrated to Palestine in the early 20th century. Peled’s maternal grandfather was a signer of the Israeli Declaration of Independence; his father was a general in the Israeli army. Dr. Paul Pillar is a Nonresident Senior Fellow of the Center for Security Studies in the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. He retired in 2005 from a 28-year career in the US intelligence community, in which his last position was National Intelligence Officer for the Near East and South Asia. Earlier he served in a variety of analytical and managerial positions, including chief of CIA analytic units, covering portions of the Near East, the Persian Gulf, and South Asia. Gareth Porter is an investigative journalist and historian who specializes in US foreign and military policy. He has written five books, including Perils of Dominance, Imbalance of Power and The Road to War in Vietnam. His most recent book is Manufactured Crisis: The Untold Story of the Iran Nuclear Scare. The book highlights the impact that the United States alliance with Israel had on Washington’s turning the International Atomic Energy Agency into a tool of its anti-Iran policy. In 2012 Porter was awarded the Martha Gellhorn Prize for Investigative Journalism by the UK-based Gellhorn Trust. Former Democratic Congressman Nick Rahall, a grandson of Lebanese immigrants, represented West Virginia in the US Congress from 1977 to 2015. When he was elected, the 27-year-old became the youngest member of Congress. Rahall has repeatedly expressed concern about America’s relationship with Israel, stating, “Israel can’t continue to occupy, humiliate and destroy the dreams and spirits of the Palestinian people and continue to call itself a democratic state.” Rahall was one of only 8 House members to vote against the Authorization for Use of Military Force against Iraq in 2002 that preceded the Iraq War. M.J. Rosenberg is a writer, primarily on matters relating to Israel. He is a regular contributor to The -Nation and the Huffington Post, and his writings are widely reprinted throughout the world. He has special expertise on the Israel Lobby, having been employed by several pro-Israel organizations between 1973 and 1975, and 1982 and 1986. His last post was as editor of AIPAC’s Near East Report and as senior adviser to then-Executive Director Thomas Dine. Dr. Alice Rothchild is a Boston-based physician, author and filmmaker who, since 1997, has focused on human rights and social justice in the Israel/Palestine conflict. Her early political interests involved opposing the Vietnam War, and working for women’s reproductive rights and health care reform. Dr. Rothchild is an active member of Jewish Voice for Peace, American Jews for a Just Peace, Workmen’s Circle Mideast Working Group, and the Gaza Mental Health Program. In 2003 Dr. Rothchild began co-organizing health and human rights delegations to Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza. She has just returned from one of those delegations. Ahmad Saadaldin is a filmmaker/producer, creative writer, actor, and grassroots organizer. He is dedicated to sharing untold stories in order to raise awareness and create positive change. Through grassroots organizing and filmmaking, he does his best to bring attention to deserving topics. As a public relations major at the University of South Florida, Saadaldin organized the largest grassroots campaign in the university’s history, collecting more than 10,000 signatures calling on the school to divest endowment funds from corporations complicit in human rights violations (#USF4HumanRights). Dr. Jack Shaheen is an acclaimed author and media critic. His lectures and writings illustrate that damaging racial and ethnic stereotypes of Arabs, blacks, and others injure innocent people. He defines crude caricatures, explains why they persist, and provides workable solutions to help shatter misconceptions. Dr. Shaheen, a distinguished visiting scholar at New York University (NYU), served as a CBS News Consultant on Middle East Affairs from 1993-98. As a professional film consultant, he has consulted with writers and producers. Grant F. Smith is the director of the Institute for Research: Middle Eastern Policy (IRmep) in Washington, DC. He is the author of two unofficial histories of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, as well as books about Israel’s spying and nuclear weapons programs. Smith has initiated lawsuits against the Department of Defense and Central Intelligence Agency under the Freedom of Information Act for public release of files officially acknowledging Israel’s clandestine nuclear weapons program and unprosecuted weapons-grade uranium diversions from the United States. Moderators: Helena Cobban has covered the Middle East as a reporter, author, researcher and blogger, including as a columnist for The Christian Science Monitor. In 2010, she founded Just World Books (www.just <http://worldbooks.com>worldbooks.com) with the goal of expanding the discourse in the United States and globally on issues of vital international concern. Its published authors include Richard Falk, Miko Peled, Gareth Porter and Alice Rothchild. Delinda C. Hanley is the executive director and news editor at the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs. Before joining the magazine in 1996, Hanley spent decades in the Middle East, studying in Lebanon, volunteering with the Peace Corps and later working in Oman and Saudi Arabia. She is the winner of the NAAJA 2011 Excellence in Journalism award for her dedication to accuracy and professionalism. Janet McMahon is the managing editor at the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs. She is an expert on the Israel Lobby and pro-Israel political action committees (PACs). McMahon co-edited Seeing the Light: Personal Encounters With the Middle East and Islam, and Donald Neff’s 50 Years of Israel, both compilations of feature articles from the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs. She also edited Stealth Pacs: Lobbying Congress for Control of US Middle East Policy by Richard H. Curtiss. Askia Muhammad is the news director of Pacifica Radio’s WPFW, the DC area’s station for “Jazz & Justice.” He has been a regular commentator for National Public Radio and Christian Science Monitor Radio. Muhammad has devoted four decades of his life to covering the stories and issues largely missed or misreported in the corporate-owned media. In the 1960s he worked to overcome racism in America and in 2003 began advocating against the war in Iraq. His articles have appeared in The Washington Post, USA Today, The Nation, The Baltimore Sun, and The Chicago Tribune. Dale Sprusansky is the assistant editor of the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs. He reports on the US-Israel relationship and its impact on the Palestinian people and the broader Middle East. Sprusansky received his B.A. in Political Science from Stetson University in DeLand, FL. He has lived in Egypt and traveled extensively throughout the region. -- Peter Myers website: http://mailstar.net/index.html |
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