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ewish Voice J Deuteronomy 32:1
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M AY T H E E A RT H H E A R T H E WO R D S O F M Y M O U TH
MARCH 12, 2010 | 26 ADAR, 5770
Annual Friends of the Israel Defense Forces Held At The Waldorf Astoria
Vol. 11, Iss. 11
www.JewishVoiceNY.com
Redidacation of the Rambam Synagogue in Cairo
BY MAXINE DOVERE In New York, one of the most significant philanthropic events of the year has traditionally been the annual dinner of the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces. Tuesday Evening, March 9, the 2010 National Gala Dinner of the FIDF was held at the Waldorf Astoria. More than 1,200 business and philanthropic leaders from across North America gathered to express their support for the Soldiers of Israel. Chaired by Benny Shabtai, president of Di Modolo, with author and nationally-syndicated radio host Monica Crowley, as Master of Ceremonies, the gala presented dignitaries from Israel and Washington. Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi, Chief of the IDF General Staff, was the evening’s keynote speaker. As has become tradition, several interviews “on the ground” live via satellite from military installations around Israel added to the excitement of the event A Silent Auction prior to the program featured exciting prizes; entertainment by the Orchestra of the IDF was spirited and emotional. The mood of the evening was heightened by the presence of 30 active duty combat soldiers working under constant pressure to “prevent terrorist attacks and guarantee the security of the Jewish people worldwide by protecting the State of Israel.” Funds raised at this dinner provide
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Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar, Feels ‘Deceived’ Over Amendment To Conversion Law
BY YAIR ETTINGER FROM COMBINED NEWS SOUURCES Last week the Egyptian Jewish community celebrated the rededication of the historic Rambam shul, restored by the Egyptian government. hen I f irst set foot here only f ive years ago, the synagogue was in ruins and its roof opened to the sky,” said Rabbi Andrew Baker, AJC’s Director of International Jewish Affairs, as he aff ixed a new mezuzah, a gift from AJC, at the entryway to the adjoining yeshiva. The yeshiva was the original study of Rav Moshe ben Maimon, commonly known as the Rambam, leader of the Egyptian Jewish community in the 12th century. Baker praised Egypt’s Minister of Culture Farouk Hosny and Supreme Council of Antiquities Head Zahi Hawass for now recognizing that Jewish religious sites are also an integral part of Egyptian heritage and Egyptian culture,
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and then leading the restoration project. “There is no more tangible expression of this than the restored synagogue and yeshiva where we gather today,” said Baker. “They are a testament to the verbal commitment of Minister Hosny and Dr. Hawass, and a reflection of the dedicated work of skilled engineers and artisans. On behalf of AJC I salute them and thank them for what they have done.” AJC, a global advocacy organization based in New York, maintains longstanding ties with Egypt and several other Arab countries. Recalling his very f irst to Egypt, Baker described how Carmen Weinstein, a leader of Cairo’s Jewish community, led him on a tour of twelve synagogues, most of them in a state of neglect and disrepair. “They reflected the diversity and richness of Jewish life in Egypt,” Baker said. The Egyptian Jewish population totally 80,000 in the f irst half of the twentieth century, and today is only about 100. Baker lauded Ms. Weinstein
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Chief Sephardi Rabbi Shlomo Amar feels he was “deceived” by Yisrael Beiteinu, but still supports in principle amending the law that governs conversions, his associates said on Monday. ntil Sunday, MK David Rotem (Yisrael Beiteinu) had viewed Amar’s support for his bill as a guarantee that it would easily pass into law, with the backing of all 11 MKs from Shas, the Sephardi ultra-Orthodox party. But then, objections from the two MKs comprising Degel Hatorah - a faction of the Ashkenazi ultra-Orthodox list United Torah Judaism - proved that on matters of Jewish law, the Ashkenazi ultra-Orthodox still have the final word. As MK Chaim Amsellem (Shas) put it, “mathematically speaking, two is greater than 11.” About two weeks ago, after months of negotiations, Rotem finally won Amar’s backing for his bill, as well as verbal (though not written) backing from Shas’ spiritual leader, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef. But on Saturday night, the Degel Hatorah MKs, Moshe Gafni and Uri
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