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The Week In News

SEPTEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home

#22

IN A SERIES

“THE ARIZAL SAYS IF SOMEONE REALLY BELIEVES HE IS ENTERING THE HOUSE OF HASHEM, HE WOULD NEVER DREAM OF TALKING IN SHUL. IF HE DOES TALK, “WOE IS TO HIM”.

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SEPTEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home

The Week In News

CONTENTS

JEWISH THOUGHT Missing the Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Do it With a Smile. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 The Baal Shem Tov’s Teaching of Divine Providence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

FEATURE Israel's United Hatzalah: An Army of Volunteers, Saving Thousands of Lives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

LIFESTYLES Book Review: The Skeptic and the Rabbi: Falling in Love with Faith. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Sorry for Offending You. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Quotes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

NEWS

Global. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Israel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

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Dear readers, Is teshuvah only for bad habits? How about good habits we do by rote? Or – even worse – good deeds we do while wishing we weren’t doing them? Come to think of it, being religious for any length of time brings with it the tendencies to do things out of culture or because we’re simply following the herd. I once heard in the name of the famous Lubavitcher chassid, Reb Nissan Nemenov: “We really should start davening when we’re 15; then we would appreciate the words we say and indeed the very privilege of connecting to our Creator.” Instead, we’re left staring at a bunch of pages wondering what the anshei kenesses hagedolah had in mind! So what are we to do? Should we try to dig deeper within ourselves, searching for our spiritual side to which yiddishkeit is its first language? Do we recite tehillim with kavanah and hope that does the trick? Perhaps studying some Torah for a bit extra time? No matter the answer – the main thing is to ask ourselves these questions. Wishing you a meaningful and relaxing Shabbos,

Shalom

T H E P R E M I E R J E W I S H N E W S PA P E R H I G H L I G H T I N G L A’ S O R T H O D OX C O M M U N I T Y The Jewish Home is an independent bi-weekly newspaper. Opinions expressed by writers are not necessarily the opinions of the publisher or editor. The Jewish Home is not responsible for typographical errors, or for the kashrus of any product or business advertised within. The Jewish Home contains words of Torah. Please treat accordingly. FOR HOME DELIVERY, OR TO HAVE THE LATEST ISSUE EMAILED TO YOU FREE OF CHARGE, SEND A MESSAGE TO EDITOR@JEWISHHOMELA.COM

Torah Musings The Week In News

SEPTEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Missing the Point Sarah Pachter

When I was a featured speaker at a Pesach program in a beautiful hotel, there were hundreds of families enjoying the food and activities, and my family was certainly no exception. As our family sat down to a pleasant yom tov meal, my son asked me a question with a look of confusion on his face. “Mom, I just saw a lady screaming at the waiter. All he did was take the spoon that was in the meatball dish and place it into the serving platter that had fish. Why would that lady be so upset about that?” Clearly my son was not aware of the halachah of not serving fish and meat together (or using the same utensil for both fish and meat without washing it first). However, more importantly, he was very aware of an even more central Jewish tenet: treating other people with respect. He was noticing something very important: Attempting to adhere to the letter of the law is vital, but it cannot be done while basic middos and kindness fall by the wayside. If we do this we are missing the entire point of Judaism. My husband was in shul one Shabbos morning. After the davening, he saw a young boy race to the cholent bowl at the kiddush and serve himself a hefty portion. An elderly man gently said to him, “Perhaps you should allow the adults to take first before partaking?” The young boy replied, “Actually, technically speaking, I am an adult since I just became bar mitzvah!” He then continued to add heaping spoonfuls to his plate. I was surprised (read: horrified) when I heard this story. I would want someone to let me know if they ever saw my children doing something like this. First and foremost, our children must be taught derech eretz because “Derech eretz kadma leTorah.” (Midrash Vayikra Rabbah 9:3) Teaching respect comes even before teaching Torah. Situations can arise when people have different minhagim, such as not eating kitniyos or gebrokhts during Pesach. What should they do if they are guests in someone’s home, where they do eat kitniyos (as in Sephardic tradition) or gebrokhts? In order not to offend their host, they can ask a shailah regarding the halachah in these situations. The answer may be eye-opening. There is usually a polite, respectful

way to decline eating something without offending one’s host. One does not have to sacrifice his or her own minhagim. And certainly we don’t mean not keeping halachah and mitzvos in the proper manner. However, it is vital to remember a fundamental truth: keeping a balance between being focused on the minutiae and stringencies of halachah and not forgetting the importance of relationships bein adam l’chaveiro – between human beings. We need to avoid offending people and not creating a situation where someone would think less of religious people and the Torah we observe. Awareness of other people’s sensitivities and feelings is crucial! A sad story that illustrates the danger of people overlooking people’s feelings is told about a family that hosted a Friday night Shabbos seudah. The woman of the home had worked hard to create not only a lovely ambiance, but also delicious and perfectly presented food. The table was set beautifully and everyone was waiting for her husband to say kiddush. He picked up the kiddush cup to say the brachah, but before he began, he noticed that the challos were not covered with the challah cover, as is traditionally done while the brachah over the wine is said. Losing his temper, he shouted at his wife, “Where’s the challah cover? How could you forget?” She responded calmly, “I’m so sorry, I guess it just slipped my mind. I must be more tired than I realized.” He didn’t seem to notice what she said about being tired and continued in an angry rage, “Well what are you standing here for? Go get it!” Not only did he publicly berate and embarrass his wife, the guests were mortified! He obviously didn’t understand the reason we cover the challos. In the order that we say blessings on food, grains are given priority over fruits. Usually we would say the blessing on a piece of bread before the blessing on wine. However, on Shabbos we say the blessing on the wine first. In order not to “embarrass” the challos, we cover them with a beautiful cloth. Of course, challos are not human and do not have feelings! Yet this custom serves as a reminder to teach

us about the importance of being sensitive to others. If the challos, which are inanimate objects, should not “see” the wine being blessed before them so that they will not “feel bad,” how much more should we respect a human being made in the image of G-d?! We should always strive to treat other people with dignity and respect and in all circumstances make every effort to prevent embarrassment. How ironic that this man chose to yell at his wife and embarrass her in the presence of guests, over that specific mitzvah! The point of Torah, halachah, and Judaism at large, is to develop relationships: our relationship with G-d, with others, and with ourselves. However, sometimes we get so caught up in the nitty-gritty details that we miss the essence of what we are supposed to be achieving. For example, when visiting the Western Wall and holy sites such as Kever Rachel one will find hundreds of people gathered around to pray to G-d. This is a beautiful scene until one notices the people pushing

and fighting to “get closer” to the front. It seems so easy to forget that we can achieve closeness to G-d no matter where we are standing. Allowing another person to have the right of way enhances the very relationship with G-d that we are all searching for. When we are mevater and we give others deference, G-d especially hears our prayers since we are doing our part to bring shalom into the world. When I was once visiting Kever Rachel, I heard a woman sobbing next to me. Hearing her sobs moved me to tears as well. I paused in my own prayers and cried out, “Hashem, Hashem! Please answer this woman’s prayer. Please Hashem, answer each person here today and the prayers of everyone around the world.” I still pray this prayer and hope that we as the Jewish people will realize that through unity and togetherness we can achieve anything. Fighting among ourselves, embarrassing others, and hurting our fellow Jews will get us nowhere and causes Hashem terrible anguish. If we ignore the importance of kindness and respect, we are missing the point of it all. If we can remember that every person around us has their own story, their own needs, and deserves respect as much as we do, we can strive to keep this awareness with us at all times. May we all recognize this great truth and make an effort to join together. And may we, in our daily lives, enhance our important relationships: with G-d, with our Jewish brethren, with our families, and with ourselves.

Living with In theNews Times The Week

By Rabbi Pinchos Lipschutz Publisher of the Yated Ne’eman

This week’s parsha contains many brachos, and also numerous klalos. If we follow the path of Hashem, we will be blessed, and if we don’t, we will come to regret having strayed. The enormity of the Tochacha will befall us. Regrettably, as we read the pesukim, we recognize much of our history in golus. The posuk (Devorim 28:47) states that the cause of the punishment is “tachas asher lo ovadeta es Hashem Elokecha besimcha uvetuv leivov meirov kol - because you didn’t serve Hashem with happiness, for you had too much.” It would appear that the Tochacha is brought about because people don’t do the mitzvos joyfully. In fact, however, our avodas Hashem includes more than the observance of mitzvos. Serving Hashem must be on our minds as we go about our daily actions. Lacking joy is indicative of a latent sadness brought on by an absence of satisfaction with what we are doing. Someone who is unhappy while performing mitzvos and everyday avodas Hashem doesn’t appreciate what he is doing and is unaware of what he accomplishes when he performs a mitzvah. For that, he is punished. At the beginning of the parsha, after discussing the concept of bikkurim, and the offering of first fruits, the posuk (Devorim 26:11) says, “And you should be happy with all the good Hashem has given you and your family…” When a person appreciates the goodness that has been bestowed upon him, it is natural that he will be happy. Those who are blessed “bechol hatov,” and don’t appreciate the source of the blessing, are unhappy souls, as the posuk of “tachas asher lo avodeta” indicates. They have everything they need and more, yet they are morose, for they don’t appreciate that the source of their blessing is Hashem. People who go through life thinking that they have earned everything they possess due to their own brilliance or actions can never be happy. They always want more. They are never satisfied. If their

SEPTEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Do it With a Smile money, their house, and everything else they own came to them because of their own intelligence and hard work, then they are disappointed when they can’t get more than they already have. These people are upset when they look at others who have more money, a larger house, and fancier car. They are overcome by jealousy that they were not able to achieve what the other person did, because they think it is in their control. But if you realize that everything that you have is from Hashem, and the amount of money you will earn this year was decided on Rosh Hashanah, then you are

of bnei Torah. Even when locked in the Kovno Ghetto, surrounded by death, destruction and deprivation, he never lost his calmness brought about by emunah and bitachon. He remained devoted to Torah and was a source of chizuk to those around him. With the Jews walled into a small, constantly patrolled area, he would tell those who would gather around him that he didn’t see the ever-present German beasts. “I don’t see Germans all around us. I see pesukim of the Torah [from the Tochacha] surrounding the ghetto.” This Torah giant saw what was transpiring as the realization of the pesukim in

We have to bring back the everyday pride everyone felt about being a frum Jew and the merriment with which people were infused. satisfied with whatever Hashem gives you. A believing person does not look at what others have, nor does he become jealous if they have more than him. A person who recognizes that he should be thankful for what he has is content and is oveid Hashem b’simcha. Happiness is a central part of a productive life and a sign of a person who has perfected his middos of emunah and bitachon. Those who know that nothing that happens in their lives is happenstance are not destroyed when confronted by tragedy and sad occurrences. The Litvisher gaon, Rav Mordechai Pogromansky, represented the greatness

this week’s parsha that we read quickly and quietly. He saw those words coming to life. He was able to remain calm, because he knew that all that was happening was, in essence, the realization of the verses. He didn’t see Germans. He didn’t fear Germans. He saw and feared Hashem. He knew that whatever was going to happen was preordained by the Ribono Shel Olam. Bombs were falling, and devastation and hunger were his daily companions, yet, with depth, sensitivity and brilliance, he sensed the stark clarity of the pesukim of the Tochacha and the reality as expressed by the Torah. Everything around him was merely a reflection of that reality,

a cause-and-effect built into creation by the Creator. A Jew is meant to be joyful. The Arizal told his close talmid that all the revelations that he merited through ruach hakodesh were a reward for performing mitzvos with tremendous joy. Simcha is attained when there is shleimus, when something is complete. When doing a mitzvah excites a person and brings him to a state of ecstasy, that indicates that he has performed the mitzvah perfectly. Hence the joy. A sense of calm and satisfaction permeated the Kelmer Yeshiva all year round. Rav Moshe Rosenstein of the Lomza Yeshiva would describe his first visit to Kelm, when he was still a bochur. “As soon as I entered, a bochur came over to me. He greeted me with a smile and a handshake. He asked me how I was and when I had arrived. He asked me if I had a place to eat and sleep and about my general welfare. “He was so friendly to me and I was trying to place him. He had to be an old friend I didn’t recognize. A minute after our conversation concluded, another young man came over to me. He was another long lost friend I didn’t recognize. He smiled at me and was so happy to see me. He asked how I was doing, when I came, and if I had what I need. I assured him that all was well and moved along, embarrassed that I didn’t remember him. “Then another boy came over, and then another one. By the time I was done, it seemed to me as if the whole yeshiva had welcomed me graciously, with smiles on their faces, as if they knew me. It took a while, but then I came to understand.” Kelm meant treating every person with kindness, whether they knew him or not. Everyone created b’tzelem Elokim is worthy of respect and a smile. In fact, there was a consensus in Kelm to greet people the same way even during the month of Elul and the period of the Yomim Noraim. The talmidim of the renowned mussar yeshiva were overwhelmed with preparing themselves for the Yom Hadin and did not engage in idle chatter during this somber time. Yet, even then, everyone was greeted joyously and with love, with a beaming face and a smile. The chinuch we provide our children should involve the joy of doing mitzvos. Too often, mitzvos come across to children as burdens and things they resent because of the harshness with which they are presented. If children are made to feel that the Torah and its commandments are grueling

Living withIn theNews Times The Week

SEPTEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home

and stress-inducing, they will view them as a burden and not accept them. When they mature, they may be tempted, chalilah, to rid themselves of the shackles placed upon them in their youth. Yiddishkeit is invigorating and joyous. Learning is exhilarating. And there is nothing as euphoric as Shabbos. School should be cheerful and inviting. People don’t generally thrive or do well under punishing circumstances, with constant pressure and fatigue or in places where the restrictions are overwhelming. Students who are unable to succeed in a strict environment should be encouraged to switch schools to a more inviting place, where they can flourish and grow into fine bnei and bnos Torah. Perhaps there was a time when negativity and crushing harshness were effective with children and adults, but those days have passed, as is evident by the many dropouts and at-risk youth. We have to bring back the everyday pride everyone felt about being a frum Jew and the merriment with which people were infused. We all face challenges. The tendency to become saddened by life’s burdens is understandable. But why lead a life of sorrow when, no matter how bad a person’s condition is, there is reason to smile and hope? There is always something to be happy about. Hashem created you and watches over you. It is He who has given you challenges, and it is He who will help you overcome them and succeed. The courage to understand that is the theme of Elul. In this week’s parsha, we read (28:1) that if we adhere to all the mitzvos we were commanded by Hashem and follow His word, we will merit to be ascendant over all the other nations. It is interesting to note that this posuk is preceded by the one which states, “Arur asher lo yokim es divrei haTorah hazos Cursed shall be the one who does not uphold [raise] the Torah.” The Ramban cites the Yerushalmi in Sotah (7:4), which states that this curse is referring to people who are in a position to influence others to come closer to and support Torah, but fail to do so. People who shirk that responsibility are included in this arur. Even if a person is a complete tzaddik, nevertheless, if he could draw others closer to the holiness and truth of Torah but doesn’t, he is included in the arur. The Chofetz Chaim would repeat this Ramban and strengthen its message by quoting the Gemara in Shabbos (54), which says that one who has the ability to protest against wrongful actions of the people of his town and fails do so is punished as well. One who reproaches his fellows and causes them to return to proper behavior, thereby enhancing kevod Shomayim, is showered with the brachos in this week’s parsha that were delivered on Har Gerizim. The Chofetz Chaim would conclude that to receive those brachos, each person should use his abilities for the causes of

Torah. If Hashem blessed someone with money, he should use it to build yeshivos for the study of Torah. If he is blessed with oratory skills, he should use them to raise money for yeshivos and other Torah causes. He should speak out against practices that cause a weakening of our religion. As the Yom Hadin approaches, we all seek zechuyos so that we will merit being inscribed in the book of tzaddikim. As the world spins out of control and rogue nations gird themselves with weapons capable of causing colossal damage, we realize that there is no one we can depend on to protect us other than Hashem. We seek to be included with those the po-

suk refers to as “boruch, the blessed ones.” We must all use our strengths and abilities for worthwhile purposes. Hashem made each of us differently because it takes the varied capabilities of a group of individuals to build a community and strengthen a nation. Let us all follow the admonition of the Chofetz Chaim and help increase the study and support of Torah. Let us find more time to learn and worthy causes to support. Let us inspire others to do the same. Look at the kindness extended to victims of Hurricane Harvey and the overflowing boxes of donated goods at every Seasons store, waiting to be trucked to

Houston. We are a great people, but it shouldn’t take a hurricane to bring out our goodness, and there are plenty of people around us who can use support. Let us always be kind and thoughtful, always thinking about other people, and treating everyone as a tzelem Elokim. Let us be ever vigilant in our behavior, remaining loyal to the Shulchan Aruch, our mesorah, and what we know is true and proper. Let us maintain the strength of character and purpose necessary to remain upstanding in a tipsy world. May we earn the brachos for a year of success, good health, parnossah, happiness and shleimus. ‫בס“ד‬

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Chassidic The Week Thought In News

SEPTEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home

The Baal Shem Tov’s Teaching of Divine Providence Rabbi Sholom Kesselman

In the summer of 1896, Rabbi Sholom Dovber of Lubavitch (the Fifth Chabad Rebbe) and his son Yosef Yitzchak, were strolling in the fields of Balivka. The grain was close to ripening, and the wheat and grass swayed gently in the breeze. Rabbi Sholom Dovber said to his son, “See G‑dliness! Every movement of every stalk and grass was included in G‑d’s primordial thought of creation and is guided by divine providence toward a G‑dly purpose.” Walking, they entered the forest. Engrossed in what he had heard, Yosef Yitzchak absentmindedly tore a leaf off a passing tree. He continued his thoughtful pacing, while occasionally tearing small pieces off the leaf and casting them into the wind. “The Holy Rabbis,” said Rabbi Sholom Dovber to his son, “say that not only is every leaf a creation of G-d and imbued with divine life, not only is every leaf created for a specific purpose within G‑d’s overall plan for creation, but also within each and every leaf there is a spark of a soul that has descended to earth to find its purpose and fulfillment.

“Only this moment we have spoken of divine providence, and unthinkingly you tore off a leaf, played with it in your hands, twisting and squashing and tearing it to pieces, throwing it in all directions. “How can one be so callous towards a creation of G‑d? This leaf was created by the Almighty towards a specific purpose, and is imbued with a divine life-force.” This Shabbos, the 18th Elul, marks the birthday of the legendary founder of Chassidus, Rabbi Yisroel Baal Shem Tov. The Baal Shem Tov was renowned not only for his being a saintly and righteous man, famous for his ability to perform miracles and so forth, but even more so for the revolution he brought about in traditional Jewish thinking and philosophy. One of his most remarkable teachings is his approach to divine providence. His ideas on this have since become mainstream Jewish thinking. Divine providence means G-d’s intervention or control over that which transpires in the universe. How much does G-d control and deliberately orchestrate, and how much is left to chance or other forces? Until the Baal Shem Tov, the view of

most Jewish scholars including the Rambam, Ramban and Chinuch was that G-d does not intervene and control every detail within the universe. He ensures the continued existence of every species, but not the individual creatures that make it up. As an example, G-d will intervene and exert influence to ensure that a particular type of grass or insect exist, but what happens to a particular leaf or ant is left purely to chance. Only when it comes to humans, and only those that are deserving of it, does G-d intervene and influence and control what happens to the individual. The Baal Shem Tov, however, argued for and successfully proved that G-d in fact controls every single detail of the universe. The movements of every blade of grass, ant, speck of dust are all 100% directed and guided by G-d and for a specific purpose. He called this idea hashgachah pratis (individual divine providence). With this teaching, the Baal Shem Tov completely redefined the nature of the relationship between G-d and the universe. The universe is not some independent functioning reality where G-d has some

influence; rather it is entirely a G-dly reality. G-d is within every detail and nothing escapes His immediate and direct involvement. If this is the case then nothing in the universe can truly oppose G-d or get in the way of our serving Him. Everything has a divine purpose and everything then can only serve to improve and enhance G-dliness and spirituality in the world. It may sometimes seem like there are worldly forces that are working against Torah and Yiddishkeit but that is obviously just an allusion. All is G-d, and G-d is all and when we train ourselves to think this way we begin to see an entirely different universe. This also leads to a much happier and worry free life. As long as things are left to chance and G-d involvement is limited, there is reason to worry and be concerned. Once though we internalize hashgachah pratis and realize G-d controls everything, there is nothing to fear. We can be happy and content in the knowledge that G-d does everything, and all that He does is for the good.

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The Week In News

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TheBook WeekReview In News

SEPTEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home

The Skeptic and the Rabbi: Falling in Love with Faith by Judy Gruen (She Writes Press, 212 pages) Reviewed by Devorah Talia Gordon

Judy Gruen’s memoir, The Skeptic and the Rabbi: Falling in Love with Faith, manages to be many extremes: light and heavy, profound and amusing, uplifting and serious. These contradictions are not surprising; they mirror an upbringing of contradictions as well as the main conflict of the author’s life – to become Orthodox or not. Although Gruen’s struggle seems specific to our time, our religion, and our country, under her scrutiny, it becomes universal. Her spiritual journey speaks to Jews of any affiliation, and to non-Jews, because the profound questions she raises about G-d, family, religious practice, feminism, and secular culture are relevant to any thoughtful reader. The book starts with Judy’s childhood, including detailed descriptions of both sets of grandparents. On the one side are her mother’s parents, European immigrants holding on desperately to their yiddishkeit while making some modern-day accommodations. On the other hand, her father’s parents are educated Americans; her grandmother, a holistic doctor (unheard of then), and her grandfather, a worldly businessman. Both of her paternal grandparents are antagonistic toward Judaism. Even at this tender age, Gruen feels the struggle; she is attracted to both ways of life, yet they seem incompatible. No doubt Gruen’s background will resonate with many Jewish American readers. Things get even more exciting when Judy meets Jeff. Although we know (from Chapter One) that they will eventually

marry, the author’s ability to build the conflict and create tension keep the reader in suspense. The reader is able to suspend their prior knowledge and remain engaged with the text, a testament to Gruen’s writing skills. Judy and Jeff’s long courtship, including Judy’s temporary relocation for graduate school, contains many ups and downs. These are compounded by Judy’s questioning of an observant life. While Jeff is already committed to an Orthodox lifestyle, Judy is determined to figure it out for herself. Although I found myself rooting for them, I also enjoyed reading about the struggles Judy experienced, which she conveys with unabashed honesty. About her first time attending Jeff’s Orthodox synagogue, she writes, “I tried to decide if coming to a separate-seating synagogue demonstrated an admirable, if hard-won open-mindedness, or simply made me a sell-out. I had vowed never to visit a synagogue with separate seating. Now I felt I had somehow crossed the Rubicon.” Similarly, Gruen writes about modesty (in the chapter on hair covering), “It is a de-emphasis of the physical self in favor of a greater emphasis on the person inside. Practically speaking, it involves dressing, speaking, and behaving in a distinguished, discreet manner.” But we also see Gruen’s struggles to live this ideal, first with covering her hair at all, and then with taking the plunge to wearing wigs which would,

“transform [her] unmistakably into an Orthodox woman, someone who is frum, a Yiddish word that means ‘pious’ but has become synonymous with straight-arrow, rightwing Orthodoxy.” She describes the difficulty she had accepting halachah with such fine detail and nuance that the reader learns a great deal about her personal exploration, as well as yiddishkeit itself. This is side benefit of reading this book; learning about the Torah outlook, not in a didactic way, but in the context of an honest search. As a local, it’s fun to read about the Gruen’s life and recognize people from

our community, including Rabbi Daniel Lapin and members of Pacific Jewish Center (PJC), Michael and Diane Medved, and many others. Gruen’s characterizations are solid, but I found those of her two grandmothers exceptional. While it would have been easy to stereotype both her balabusta grandmother and her feminist one, her use of specific details and dialogue create multi-dimensional people. “Growing up, I constantly wondered: Could I possibly carve out a life that would blend the best of my grandparents’ distinct and singular worlds?” Yes, as an accomplished wife, mother, writer, Jewish woman, and community member, Judy Gruen was able to merge the best of both worlds. I am grateful she chose to share her picture of wholeness with us. Barnes & Noble has selected The Skeptic and the Rabbi for a special in-store promotion. The books will be prominently displayed in “end cap” displays from Sept 19 – Oct. 2. Mazel Tov! Join Judy Gruen as she speaks and reads from her book at her launch event this Sunday evening, September 10, 8 p.m., at The Community Shul, followed by a Q &A and refreshments. The Community Shul is located at 9100 West Pico Blvd.

Ohr Naava Holds 12th Annual Avinu Malkeinu Event 12 years! 13 cities! 9 speakers! Avinu Malkeinu, A Night of Awakening, is Ohr Naava’s crowning achievement. What an amazing kiddush Hashem it is to see thousands of people in one room preparing for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, taking time out of

their hectic pre-yom tov schedules to grow in their avodas Hashem! All over the world, Jews of all backgrounds will join together to listen to words of inspiration and chizzuk to prepare themselves and their families for the yamim noraim. In addition to our

incredible Brooklyn event, Ohr Naava has spread its wings in 13 locations, with many speeches available online. This year, Avinu Malkeinu is awakening Queens, Manchester, London, Boro Park, Los Angeles, Baltimore, Miami, Lakewood, Chicago, Monsey, Flatbush,

Toronto and Jerusalem. Our blockbuster lineup includes: R’ David Ashear, R’ Duvi Bensoussan, Mrs. Jackie Bitton, Mr. Charlie Harary, R’ Paysach Krohn, R’ Moshe Tuvia Lieff, R’ Eli Mansour, Rabbanit Yemima Mizrahi and R’ Zechariah Wallerstein.

Humor The Week In News

SEPTEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Sorry for Offending You Rebecca Klempner When I told my kids that my editor asked me to write a humor column, my eldest said, “Honestly, Abba could do a better job.” The next one down told me his own joke. (It will not appear in this article.) Kid Number Three just giggled – apparently the idea someone would hire me to write a humor column is amusing in and of itself. Kid Number Four simply rolled her eyes. Given my family members’ doubts, you might wonder why I was offered this job. Here’s my best guess: I have a lot of experience handling hate mail. When I wrote about being a Jewish feminist who never wears tefillin, I got hate mail. Some complained that I was too Orthodox to be a feminist, and others complained I was too feminist to be Orthodox. (I figured they cancelled each other out.) When I wrote a story about humans colonizing space, someone accused me of copying a recent Hollywood blockbuster. (Obviously, they didn’t know that I’d submitted my manuscript long before Interstellar came out or that I don’t go to the

movies.) After years of receiving these kinds of complaints, appeasing my readers has become almost second nature to me. (I’m still a bit vague on how to appease those

complain. If I joke about aardvarks, someone will complain. If I write about my kids, they will slip hate mail under the door of my bedroom. Probably the only person I can make

I’ve offended but who have never bothered to let me know.) I’m sure this will be useful in my new role as a humor columnist, as it’s almost impossible to be funny without outraging someone. If I joke about politics, someone will complain. If I make light of various aspects of Jewish practice, someone will

fun of without receiving hate mail is myself – although my mother might phone if I do that. (“Now, Sweetie, don’t talk about yourself that way. It’s still loshon hara to say negative things about yourself.”) Generally speaking, I try to apologize to people as close to the moment in which I wronged them as possible. As my

husband likes to say, “Do teshuvah early – avoid the holiday rush.” (He’s a pretty funny guy. Hey, maybe he should be the one writing this column!) That leaves me more time during the tail end of Elul and the Aseres Yamei Teshuvah to cook. After all, it’s hard to bake and cook for all the holidays in Tishrei while dialing up one friend/relative/sender of hate mail after another to apologize. “Sorry, you’re still mad about my comments on using disposable dishes on a yom tov table…but I’ve gotta go before my glazed carrots burn.” “Yeah, I know I shouldn’t have said that about the president. Shall I call you back later so you can yell at me some more? I think the dough for my raisin challos is about to overflow the bowl.” Now that I’m writing a humor column, it’s likely I’ll be apologizing right up to the last minute. Just do me a favor: If you want a personal apology before Yom Kippur, send me your hate mail right away.

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n the fall of 2015, Israel’s Ministry of Health recognized United Hatzalah as one of the two national EMS providers of Israel. The organization boasts some 3,500 volunteers country-wide who are on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Through utilizing community-based responders who drop whatever they are doing and rush to the scene of a medical emergency, as well as the organization’s iconic ambucycles, United Hatzalah of Israel decreased the average EMS response time in Israel to less than three minutes – the lowest response time of any EMS service in the world. As opposed to ambulances that are dispatched from stations, United Hatzalah volunteers come from the community and could be one’s co-worker or next door neighbor. The responders carry a fully equipped medical kit, an emergency vest identifying them as a first responder, and both a radio and smartphone, which connect them to the national dispatch center in Jerusalem at all times. By means of the advanced technology developed by the organization, the national dispatch center can locate and notify the closest responders to any medical emergency via an application on their smartphone. This application notifies the dispatch center as to the whereabouts of the responders, what level of training they have and what equipment they

SEPTEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home

have available to them so that the dispatch center can send the necessary personnel to each incident in a matter of seconds. The concept of having community-based volunteer responders responding to each and every medical emergency in their proximity alleviates dependence and pressure on the often overburdened government supported ambulance providers and EMS systems, while simultaneously galvanizing and increasing community resiliency. In Israel, volunteer

there to treat and stabilize the patients before the regular ambulance arrives on the scene. The model isn’t new. It was started in Brooklyn back in the 1960s. The difference lies in the application of the community-based Hatzalah response model to a much wider area, such as an entire city or country and for the nationalizing of the institution to include volunteers from all walks of life in Israel. The organization includes ultra-Orthodox, National Religious, and secular

“We will not stop until we have an emergency medical responder on every block, in every city, throughout the country, so that we can provide this feeling of safety and self-assurance to every resident in Israel.”

EMTs, paramedics and doctors leave their home, work, or school and respond to an emergency that takes place right next to their current location instead of waiting for an ambulance to arrive from a dispatch center. This model is revolutionizing the field of EMS by placing the community volunteers on the front lines as the immediate responders who are

Jewish volunteers, as well as volunteers who are Arab, Bedouin, Druze, and Christian. Both men and women volunteer with the organization, making it a true symbol of Israeli cooperation and existence by unifying people from all backgrounds and cultures in Israel for a single purpose – saving lives. In the past ten years since its inception, United Hatzalah has re-

sponded to more than 2 million calls and saved the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. Each year, the organization responds to some 260,000 calls and treats each individual with the highest level of care available. Moreover, not a single person has ever been charged for services by the organization, as all medical services provided are completely free of charge. The organization, which began as a group of individual haredi organizations, was officially formed after those organizations unified in 2006 following the outcome of the Second Lebanon War and the need for a national first-response organization that provided medical services ahead of the arrival of ambulances was clear. The work that United Hatzalah does is not aimed at being the transport vehicle to take an injured or sick individual to the hospital but in being the immediate response to save critical seconds and respond before an ambulance can arrive. Ambulances, through no fault of their own, often get bogged down in traffic or held up by weather conditions such as snow or rain. Occasionally, some even have difficulty finding a location in a crowded section of a city that can be hard to reach. These community-based models use a responder who is already near the location and notifies them about the emergency via advanced cellular technology that pinpoints the lo-

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

Feature The Week In News

SEPTEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home

cation of the patient and sends the responders who are closest in proximity to the person in need of care. In the case of mass casualty incidents or trauma, triage can begin and immediate medical treatment can already be taking place before the ambulances arrive, enabling the ambulance teams to simply load the patients onboard and transport them to the hospital for continued care. Today, United Hatzalah’s pre-ambulatory organization has expanded beyond just providing emergency medical services (EMS) to people in need. The organization is always innovating and creating new projects to help the Israeli populace receive the best health care in the fastest and cheapest way possible. These projects include Ten Kavod, which provides free inhome medical services to the elderly; the Hospital Emergency Room Partnership Project; and United Hatzalah’s Psychotrauma and Crisis Response Unit that provides psychological and emotional stabilization for those who suffered trauma at the scene of an incident. The organization also conducts instructional classes for schools, families, organizations and businesses, as well as providing medical equipment to kindergartens, schools and non-profit organizations. The organization adheres to the strictest standards of Jewish law and even the more than 300 non-Jewish volunteers become versed in the intricacies of the issues surrounding pikuach nefesh and Shabbat. This is so that they will be able to respond properly to their Jewish patients. Similar-

ly, all volunteers undergo sensitivity training to know how to provide optimal care for people from different religions or backgrounds. United Hatzalah shares all call information with all necessary organizations such as the Fire and Rescue Department, the police military and the Israeli ambulance services. The community-based response is an investment in human resources. The medical volunteers give their time, which is their most precious resource, while United Hatzalah gives them everything else. This includes training and equipping them with fully stocked emergency response kits. Additionally, United Hatzalah builds a sense of community among the first responders. In Israel, the organization has divided the country into 43 chapters, each with its own group of volunteers and its own identity. Each chapter trains together, gets together for communal celebrations and has a local media spokesperson. While each chapter has their own identity and responds to emergencies in their territory, each responder is also connected to the national response system and can receive calls anywhere in the country. If a responder is visiting a friend in a different city or is vacationing with their family in a remote location and a medical emergency occurs in their vicinity, they will be notified and able to respond even if they are outside of their local chapter. Imagine an EMT, paramedic or doctor, from the tristate area vacationing in Florida when a hurricane hits. That trained medical professional under the

current 911 system cannot help someone in need who is down the block and may be in dire need of medical attention. What is worse is that in certain conditions, such as snowstorms, ambulance services may take an inordinate amount of time before they are able to reach the person in need and that person will go untreated despite of having a fully trained EMS responder nearby. In Israel, such a scenario can no longer happen.

he United Hatzalah model has stood up under real-life situations including mass casualty incidents (MCIs) such as terror attacks, natural disasters, and everyday medical emergencies such as car and bicycle accidents, falls from high places, illnesses and traumas. The United Hatzalah network of volunteers respond to an average of more than 800 daily calls nationwide. The system works, and the volunteers are highly trained and effective due to their constant activity. The daily activity and constant response to emergency calls are important because if a responder is not utilizing their skills on a day-to-day basis, the effectiveness of the responder, and hence the entire response team, dwindles during largescale emergencies. The preparedness and readiness of any response team depends upon how much they practice and use their skills every day. An incident that illustrates this point was a building fire in Jerusalem that occurred in early September 2016. Over 40 people were transported to the hospital, many thankfully only suffering minor inju-

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29, | The Jewish Home Feature TheOCTOBER Week In2015 News

ries. Due to the well-oiled response of the community-based responders, who arrived within 90 seconds of being notified, ambulance teams didn’t need to stop and wait to do triage at the site. The result was that over 40 people were transported to the hospital in less than 30 minutes. Medical teams from surrounding hospitals and the ambulance service as well as the fire and rescue department, police department and social services, worked hand-in-hand with United Hatzalah response teams to allow for fast assessment, treatment and transport of all the patients. Even the patients who were suffering from shock we treated on site by United Hatzalah’s psychotrauma and crisis response unit. Success of this nature does not happen when responders only see one or two calls a year. A team of

community-based responders that can respond quickly, provide accurate assessment and treatment, and alleviate the burden of EMS teams in the community in which they work can provide these successful results. This type of model not only allows for fast treatment and evacuation of patients, but it also builds unparalleled resilience within the community. Your average citizen will feel more confident knowing that their neighbor is there with the knowledge and expertise needed that enables them to provide emergency medical care if needed. United Hatzalah’s

SEPTEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home

community-based EMS response is a force multiplier for emergency and disaster preparedness at the highest level and fulfills the Judeo-Christian value of “love thy neighbor.”

ov Rubin of Elad is a United Hatzalah volunteer EMT who inspired his community after he rescued an infant from choking at the end of January. Rubin is a dedicated husband and father of 6. He works as a food importer and has been volunteering for United Hatzalah for nearly four years. Rubin has always been involved in community work but was driven to become an EMT after witnessing a traumatic incident that his community did not know how to properly cope with. Rubin was alerted to a ten-dayold baby boy who was choking. Rubin raced to the nearby address and arrived to the scene in less than 60 seconds! Sprinting into the apartment, he found frantic parents beside a baby who was already turning blue. The experienced medic swiftly picked up the baby, tilted him downwards and gave him sharp measured back blows. Immediately, the baby spit out the blockage in his airway, allowing Rubin to administer oxygen which stabilized the infant’s condition. With the help of another United Hatzalah volunteer responder, Rubin carried the tiny infant downstairs to meet the ambulance, with the oxygen flow continuing unabated. Moments later, when the ambulance pulled up, Rubin handed over a breathing and stable baby to the crew for immediate transport to the hospital. “The ability that the organization gives us as volunteers to save lives in terms of equipment, knowledge, and ability is simply amazing,” said Rubin after the incident. “United Hatzalah makes me feel as if I am part of a larger family or part of a community

dedicated to saving lives, which is in direct contrast to how I felt during that meeting all those years ago. The community felt that if an emergency took place in our community that there would be no one to answer the call. We had numerous incidents where a medical emergency occurred and no one knew what to do. “When my friend and I finished our training to become the first EMTs in our community, the entire community breathed a sigh of relief. People saw how effective it was to have someone from the community be able to provide medical support and treatment which led others to become certified EMTs as well. We now have almost ten volunteers helping others whenever there is a need, and we are supported and embraced by United Hatzalah, which is our larger community and family. It really makes a difference for us. People feel safer and more self-assured that if something happens we will be there to make sure that everyone is alright.”

li Beer, president and founder of United Hatzalah, said, “This is the very reason why United Hatzalah was founded. We have 3,500 volunteers currently active in the field. We have another several hundred in training. We provide emergency medical response on average in under three minutes and we are continuing to grow. We will not stop until we have an emergency medical responder on every block, in every city, throughout the country, so that we can provide this feeling of safety and self-assurance to every resident in Israel. “If a medical emergency occurs, I want everyone in Israel to rest assured that someone nearby will be able to respond and treat the injured or sick person in a professional manner with the best equipment possible. “No life should be lost due to a lack of proper and timely medical response.”

The Week In News

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N Korea: A Hydrogen Bomb? On Sunday North Korea proudly proclaimed that they successfully detonated a hydrogen bomb that can be transported on an intercontinental ballistic missile. While experts are viewing this announcement as a scare tactic, this makes the reality of nuclear warfare against the U.S. a bit more real. Kim Jong-un’s administration claimed that the bomb they created had a force of 100 kilotons, more than six times the magnitude of the U.S. bomb detonated on Hiroshima. The explosion was big enough to “pretty much end an American city,” according to Vipin Narang, an associate professor of political science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who studies nuclear issues.

SEPTEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home

“I had thought that maybe Kim hadn’t tested number six for the past several months because that was a red line for China,” Narang said. “But clearly he decided to blow past it.” Due to the tension between the U.S. and China to find an agreement regarding the nuclear policy, Kim has had free reign to accelerate his nuclear weapons program, something he says is vital to defend a potential American attack. Kim seems to be growing more confident, and perhaps more powerful, since he is aware that the U.S. won’t resort to military action in the near future since that would probably be the start of World War III. Kim is also sure that China won’t halt the sale of oil and food to his regime. This week, the regime promised more “gift packages” for the United States if it continues “reckless provocations.” Experts believe that the timing of the test bomb was strategic. Both countries are distracted: Trump is touring the devastated areas affected by Hurricane Harvey while President Xi Jinping is hosting leaders from Russia, India, Brazil and South Africa. The most recent focus of Trump’s comments and remarks by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin were on tighter sanctions, not military action. “The United States is considering, in addition to other options,

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stopping all trade with any country doing business with North Korea,” Trump said on Twitter. “South Korea is finding, as I have told them, that their talk of appeasement with North Korea will not work; they only understand one thing!”

Rohingya Flee Myanmar

In just ten days, almost 125,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled from Myanmar into Bangladesh to escape violence in the country. Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi came under more pressure on Tuesday from countries with Muslim populations to halt violence against them. The latest violence in Myanmar’s northwestern Rakhine state began on August 25, when Rohingya insurgents attacked dozens of police posts and an army base. The ensuing clashes and a military counter-offensive have killed at least 400 people and triggered the exodus of villagers to Bangladesh. The treatment of Buddhist-majority Myanmar’s roughly 1.1 million Muslim Rohingya is the biggest challenge facing Suu Kyi, who has been accused by Western critics of not speaking out for the minority that has long complained of persecution. Myanmar says its security forces are fighting a legitimate campaign against “terrorists” responsible for a string of attacks on police posts and the army since last October. Officials blamed Rohingya militants for the burning of homes and civilian deaths but rights monitors and Rohingya fleeing to neighboring Bangladesh say the Myanmar army is trying to force

them out with a campaign of arson and killings. Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan, who has said the violence against Rohingya Muslims constituted genocide, told Suu Kyi the violence was of deep concern to the Muslim world and that he was sending his foreign minister to Bangladesh. The latest estimate of the numbers who have crossed into Bangladesh since August 25, based on calculations by U.N. workers, is 123,600. Taking into account those fleeing since October, though, the numbers balloon – about 210,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh since then. The new arrivals – many sick or wounded – have strained the resources of aid agencies and communities already helping hundreds of thousands of refugees from previous spasms of violence in Myanmar. Bangladesh is concerned about Myanmar army activity on the border and would lodge a complaint if Bangladeshi territory was violated, an interior ministry official said.

Russia Uses N Korea to Increase World Power

Russia has been making a lot of waves in the international community lately. Last week, the Kremlin sent bombers flying over the Korean peninsula, which many took as a signal that the Russian government has its eyes on Asia. President Vladimir Putin may not be the most steadfast ally of North Korea, but making an appearance in the region is being seen by many experts as a way of inserting himself into a very complex North

The Week In News

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Korean-American-Chinese political chess game that is capturing much of the world’s attention. China chose not to comment on Russia’s show of force. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said that it would not “quantify how close China and Russia are cooperating on the North Korean nuclear issue. Just like China, Russia plays a pivotal role in maintaining global peace and stability as well as promoting peaceful solutions to hotspot issues in the region. China is willing to strengthen its cooperation and coordination with Russia to jointly preserve peace and stability in the region and around the world.” Russia has recently been wedging its way into North Korea’s good graces. The Kremlin recently forgave $10 billion in Soviet-era debt that Pyongyang owes. Russia also has become one of the biggest donors of food aid to North Korea and has been hit with U.S. Treasury sanctions for selling oil to Pyongyang. Samuel Ramini, a Russian foreign policy specialist, says all of Russia’s moves have been intentional and calculated. ”As Russia takes an increasingly assertive approach to world affairs, it reminds its citizens of the Soviet Union’s status as a superpower that could influence conflicts worldwide,” Ramini wrote in July. “In this respect, Russia’s increased attention to North Korea is much like its military intervention in Syria and its expanded diplomatic presence in Libya and Afghanistan. Moscow is trying once again to project itself as a global power. “Russia wants to be, and be seen as, a great power. It wants to lead the nations that resist Western power and influence. In defying the United Nations and supporting North Korea, Russia bolsters that status at home and abroad,” Ramani points out. “And so Moscow’s alignment with North Korea will likely get stronger in the near future.”

Japanese Princess to Marry Commoner Japan’s royal family made a big announcement on Sunday: Princess Mako is engaged. The royal princess’s fiancé is a commoner. By marrying someone outside the royal family, the princess forfeits her royal status. Mako, 25, is Emperor Akihito’s eldest granddaughter; she is the eldest daughter of Prince Akishino, Akihito’s second son. Japan’s monarchy is male-dominated, and this rule only applies to royal female members who marry commoners. A male royal can marry a commoner without being stripped of his status. Akihito and both his sons married commoners, who are now part of the monarchy. Mako’s recent engagement has sparked a debate regarding whether the law should be amended.

Despite the repercussions, Mako said she felt “really happy” during a televised press conference. “I was aware since my childhood that I’ll leave a royal status once I marry,” she said. “While I worked to help the emperor and fulfill duties as a royal family member as much as I can, I’ve been cherishing my own life.” Mako’s fiancé, Kei Komuro, 25, pro-

posed more than three years ago. They had initially planned to announce their engagement in July, but due to those suffering from heavy rains and flooding in the southern region, they postponed the announcement. Kei described Mako as someone who quietly watches over him “like the moon.” The princess described his smile “like the sun.” They plan to marry after the summer

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Akihito, 83, recently retired, and Naruhito, his eldest son, succeeded him. Next in line is Akishino, followed by his son, Hisahito. Unless Hisahito has a son in the future, though, there will be no more eligible males to ascend the throne, and the centuries-old succession would be broken.

Bibi Called Paper Hundreds of Times Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been forced by Israel’s Supreme Court to reveal the dates of his phone calls with the owner and editor of Israel Hayom, and the results don’t look great for Bibi. Between 2012 and 2015, the prime minister spoke with editor Amos Regev almost twice a week. He also spoke with American casino mogul Sheldon Adelson almost once a week in that time period. According to the call logs, during the three years in question Netanyahu held a total of 120 phone conversations with Adelson and 223 with Regev. Right before the 2015 elections, Netanyahu spoke with Regev multiple times on 15 out of the 19 days before elections. Most of the calls took place late at night before the paper went to press. The court was responding to an appeal by journalist Raviv Drucker, who threatened to file a contempt of court motion against Bibi if he did not comply. The prime minister wrote online that “all the politicians in Israel speak to publishers, editors-in-chief and journalists. Between politicians and the media there is a constant and ongoing dialogue — this is what is accepted in democracies.” He added that Adelson has been a “very close friend for 30 years and I am happy to speak with him from time to time.” This week, Adelson’s attorney told the court that, although it was

SEPTEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home

believed for many years that Adelson owns the paper, it is, in fact, owned by a relative but not by Sheldon Adelson himself. Israel Hayom has been regarded as being strongly pro-Netanyahu. Drucker has been pushing for the release of these records for a long time and is now asking for details on the conversations that took place. He says he is looking for any conflicts of interest between Netanyahu and the newspaper. He has called the number of phone calls between the prime minister and Adelson and Regev a “crazy amount” that goes far beyond “just friendly conversation.” The court’s ruling that he give over his contact history comes as Bibi faces more legal troubles. He is suspected of offering to curb Israel Hayom’s circulation in exchange for more favorable coverage by a rival paper. “The public interest in releasing this information outweighs the considerations for Netanyahu and Adelson’s right to privacy,” Justice Menachem Mazuz wrote in the ruling. Although Israel Hayom has always portrayed Netanyahu in a favorable light, lately the paper has been more critical of the prime minister and his family.

fore the crowd of about 100 people. “We’ll continue to yell, to fight, until you come home, healthy and whole,” he added. Haili, Abera’s father, said that he prays every day to see his son again. “We only see darkness,” he said. “We don’t see the light at the end of the tunnel.” The crowd in general had a lot of negative things to say about how the government is handling the negotiated return of Abera, as well as Hisham al-Sayed, Juma Ibrahim Abu Ghanima, and the bodies of two IDF soldiers, Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul. Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman was especially put under fire for comments he made last week. Lieberman said that Israel must not repeat the “mistake” it made in the Shalit deal of releasing Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Israelis. In 2011, Israel released 1,027 security prisoners, including 280 who were serving life sentences for planning and perpetrating various terror attacks against Israeli targets, in exchange for the release of Gilad Shalit. Lieberman has since elaborated that he feels there is no easy way to bring back Mengistu, al-Sayed, Abu Ghanima, Goldin and Shaul, short of “capitulating to Hamas’s demands or reoccupying the Gaza Strip.”

Rally Held for Hamas Prisoner

Saudi King Funding “Martyrs’” Hajj

A rally took place in Tel Aviv this week to commemorate three years since Israeli civilian Abera Mengistu was taken into captivity by Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip. On September 7, 2014, Mengistu crossed into Gaza from the beach at Zikim. The 28-year-old suffers from mental illness and did not understand what he was doing when he crossed over into the Strip. He was captured inside Gaza and has been in Hamas’s custody since then. “Unfortunately, today we are commemorating three years that Abera has been in captivity. There isn’t one day that mom doesn’t pray for you to come home,” one of Mengistu’s older brothers said be-

The king of Saudi Arabia is continuing his tradition of sponsoring five hundred families of Palestinian “martyrs” to go on the annual Muslim pilgrimage of Hajj. For the past eight years, King Salman Bin Abdulaziz has sponsored their trip to Mecca. The pilgrimage is one that every Muslim is commanded to make at least once in their lifetime. They are supposed to travel to Mecca, the holiest city in the Muslim religion. Saleh bin Abdul-Aziz bin Mohammed Al-Sheikh, the Saudi Minister of Islamic Affairs, said in a press conference that the move “comes from the king out of Muslim and Arab support for ‘Palestine’ and its people.”

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The Palestinians were chosen from Gaza and the West Bank equally. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia pays for “ev-

erything starting with the crossing of the bridge [into Jordan], flights, visas and their stay in Mecca.” The Trump administration has been very active in trying to limit the coverage, attention, and benefits that are given to Palestinians who have died while committing terrorist attacks against Israel. President Trump has called on Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to stop paying the salaries of said “martyrs.”

Case against Pro-Israel Parties Thrown Out A one billion dollar case that was brought against a group of wealthy American Jews has been thrown out by a U.S. federal court. The group, which included casino magnate Sheldon Adelson and media mogul Haim Saban, was accused of supporting illegal Israeli war crimes against Palestinians. The lawsuit, which was brought by Palestinian activists against 49 defendants, was thrown out by United States District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan. Chutkan decided that the plaintiffs were asking her to decide on a matter which is outside of the purview of the United States legal system. The main plaintiff, Bassem Tamimi of the West Bank, frequently speaks on college campuses advocating the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel. Along with his other cronies, Tamimi was seeking $1 billion in damages against those that support the settlement movement in Israel. He accused them of engaging in a conspiracy to expel all non-Jews from East Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, as well as aiding and abetting war crimes and crimes against humanity, including genocide. The judge said that the case did not meet the jurisdictional requirements for a U.S. federal court to make a ruling. “The Palestinian and Palestinian-American Plaintiffs in this lawsuit allege that they have experienced immense loss of life, liberty, and property over the last several decades, and they seek justice and compensation for violence they have experienced,” Chutkan wrote. “This issue, both close to the heart of the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict and central to the United States’ foreign policy decision-making in the region, is simply inappropriate for this court to resolve. Instead, these issues must be decided by the political branches.” The list of defendants included pro-Israel donors like Irving Moskowitz, Norman Braman, Daniel Gilbert and Lev Leviev; corporations like the car-manufacturer Volvo; and groups that support West Bank settlements, like American Friends of Har Homa and the Karnei Shomron Foundation.

Quotes The Week In News

OCTOBER 29, |2015 The Jewish SEPTEMBER 7, 2017 The |Jewish HomeHome

Notable Quotes “Say What?!”

Artificial intelligence is the future not only of Russia but the future of humankind. Here there are colossal possibilities and threats that are hard to predict today. Whomever becomes a leader in this sphere will be the master of the world. - Russian President Vladimir Putin giving a pep talk to students at the beginning of the school year

I am amazed and excited by what is being done here at Ziv for the sake of people from a neighboring country and an enemy, and I think you are the ones who need to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. - Conan O’Brien, during a visit to a hospital in Sefad which treats people injured in Syria’s civil war

I hear the Coast Guard saved… almost 11,000 people by going into winds the media would not go into. They will not go into those winds unless it’s a really good story, in which case they will. – President Trump, in Houston

This is a desperate effort by this White House to come up with a new storyline because the story that Donald Trump doesn’t want the world focused on is the Robert Mueller investigation. - MSNBC correspondent Gabriel Sherman explaining why President Trump visited Texas last weekend

We support the Second Amendment here in Fort Bend County, and there are many of us that are armed. I would caution those that want to come and prey on our people here in Fort Bend County that are suffering so much right now. You may want to stay out of Fort Bend County because you could leave this county in a bag. - Fort Bend County, Texas, Sheriff Troy Nehlsm making it clear to potential looters, during a TV interview, that they shouldn’t try it in his jurisdiction

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The Week In News

SEPTEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home

The Week In News

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