 | Vote No to Slander - by Rabbi S. Weiss | |||||||||||||
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Monday, March 27, 2006
OrTorah: Vote No to Slander - by Rabbi S. Weiss
Thursday, January 26, 2006
Jew_Concious: An Open Letter to the Israel Prison Service - brought by Naomi Ragen
| An Open Letter to the Israel Prison Service - brought by Naomi Ragen |
| Friends, Guess who running for election in the Palestinian Authority? A letter from Arnold Roth, whose beautiful daughter Malki was murdered in the Sbarro Pizza bombing. Marwan Barghouti, who has been sentenced in Israeli courts to 5 life terms, and who hide the murderers of Malki Roth, is a candidate. Below, a letter from Malki's father on the outrageous way Israel is allowing Barghouti to run. Naomi An open letter from Arnold Roth, Jerusalem. Chief Superintendent Ian Domnitz International Relations Branch Israel Prison Service Jerusalem Dear Mr Domnitz, I would be grateful for your help in getting to the root of a troubling matter. Marwan Barghouti, the leader of Arafat's Fatah movement in the West Bank and closely identified with what the BBC <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/middle_east/2001/israel _and_the_palestinians/profiles/1473585.stm> calls "one of its militant offshoots", the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade, was arrested by the Israeli authorities in April 2002 and charged with the killing of 26 people and belonging to a terrorist organisation. On May 20, 2004, the Tel Aviv District Court convicted Barghouti of three terror attacks in which five Israelis were murdered. He was convicted of attempted murder, convicted of membership in a terror organization and convicted of conspiracy to commit a crime. On June 6, 2004, Barghouti was sentenced to five consecutive life terms and 40 years. He is therefore a convicted terrorist and a convicted murderer. It is worth adding that at the trial of Barghouti's nephew and aide Ahmed Barghouti, r <http://www.chronwatch.com/content/contentDisplay.asp?aid=11 614> evelations <http://www.chronwatch.com/content/contentDisplay.asp?aid=11 614> were made that Uncle Marwan hid the terror gang members who carried out the Sbarro restaurant massacre in Jerusalem in August 2001. Fifteen innocent civilians died there that day. Fair disclosure: one of those murdered was my 15 year-old daughter Malki <http://www.kerenmalki.org/> . (I make no pretence to being dispassionate about this particular thug.) In light of these matters, why, in your capacity as Israel Prison Service spokesperson, did you - an accomplished and fluent speaker of the English language - refer again and again in a BBC World Service radio interview yesterday (January 24, 2006) to Marwan Barghouti as "security prisoner"? My recollection is you used that expression half a dozen times or more in a single interview, speaking deliberately and fluently. No slip of the tongue seems to have been involved. It's clear enough that, for their part, Barghouti and gang want his multiple convictions for murder and terrorism to be expunged from the record, the faster the better. Claiming him as a security prisoner or a political prisoner plainly serves Barghouti's interests. The question for Israelis is whether this is (a) justified and (b) in the interests of Israelis. These are highly charged times. In the run-up to today's elections to the Palestinian Legislative Council, left-wing extremists like Joseph Beilin have called for Barghouti to be released from his Israeli jail-cell. Beilin has said <http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3174972,00.html> the murderer should be go free because he "heads one of the Palestinian camps that do want peace and so this is the moment to end his sentence". In the give-and-take of Israel's robust democracy, Beilin's position may be deeply offensive to many Israelis and thin on both logic and jurisprudence. But Beilin speaks as a political activist, which means he is perfectly at liberty to be as offensive as he chooses. But it's an entirely different matter for the official spokesperson of the Israeli Prison Service to express himself in what seems to be a partisan manner. Which brings me to my questions. Does the Prison Service agree with you that Marwan Barghouti is a 'security prisoner'? If yes, does this entitle him to privileges to which a mere murderer would have no right? If no, will you immediately issue a public statement clarifying that the final determination of Israel's criminal justice system, convicting Barghouti of the most serious crimes, will not be undermined any further by those responsible for running its jails? If the global war on terror means anything, it is essential for us to be clear about this. Barghouti is no security prisoner. He is no more than a loathsome felon. I await your response. Sincerely, Arnold Roth www.kerenmalki.org <http://www.kerenmalki.org/> Father of Malka Chana Roth Z"L ------------- The Malki <http://www.kerenmalki.org/> Foundation PO Box 23637 Jerusalem 91236 Israel To stay in touch with the work of the Malki Foundation, please join the Friends of Keren <http://groups.google.com/group/Friends-of-Keren-Malki> Malki Email List --------------------------------------------------------------------------- For more articles,please visit my Web page at: http://www.NaomiRagen.com |
Thursday, January 12, 2006
Jew_Concious: ON THE "PALESTINIAN ELECTIONS" INVADING EAST JERUSALEM: LETTER SENT TO REPRESENTATIVE, SENATORS AND WHITE HOUSE
| ON THE "PALESTINIAN ELECTIONS" INVADING EAST JERUSALEM: LETTER SENT TO REPRESENTATIVE, SENATORS AND WHITE HOUSE |
ON THE "PALESTINIAN ELECTIONS" INVADING EAST JERUSALEM: LETTER SENT TO REPRESENTATIVE, SENATORS AND WHITE HOUSE posted by pvpreacherman@webtv.net to the group STANDING_WITH_ISRAEL at YahooGroups Please write as well. This does not bode well for Yisrael or for Jerusalem! Dear (sir): As your constituent, I feel compelled to write about the latest news from Israel. It appears that Israel is going to allow the Arab residents of East Jerusalem to vote in the proposed January 25 elections. This is going to happen, it seems, in spite of Israeli misgivings, because of pressure being applied by Ms. Rice and her State Department. This could easily be seen as a step toward the division of Jerusalem, the eternal and indivisible capitol of Israel. Sir, our State Department has a long record of pro-Arab and anti-semitic bias, and this concerns me. Israel is our only real ally in the entire Middle East, and the only legitimate democracy there. If for no other reasons, it stands to more than reason that we accede more to her concerns, and less to the Arabs. For all of their so-called "desire for democracy", the only real aim of the so-called "Palestinians" (a true misnomer, by the way) is the destruction of the Jewish state and people. As both your constituent and a "man of the Book", I call upon you to do the right thing, to truly support our ally, Israel, and to do all possible to "rein in" our rogue State Department and Secretary of State. I, and others, will be watching your actions to that end, sir. Thank you very much, and may G-d guide and bless you. Sincerely, Robert L. Hand Those who kneel before G-d can stand before anyone! Please daven for the safety of Bnei Yisrael and Eretz Yisrael and for G-d's Shalom for Yerushalayim ! Am Yisrael Chai! |
Thursday, January 05, 2006
OrTorah: Harry Potter is Jewish!
| Harry Potter is Jewish! |
Harry Potter is Jewish! (A Useful Metaphor) by Rabbi Jack Abramowitz www.ou.org/ncsy/projects/5764/oct31-64/harry_potter_is_jewish.htm No, sorry to say, the character of Harry Potter is not Jewish. I think the books are quite clear on that, what with Christmas being a major plot point what seems like every six weeks. But I think the theme of the Harry Potter series is quite Jewish. Some religious people of different faiths, including Judaism and Christianity, have opposed the Harry Potter series. (I wouldn't be surprised to find that Moslems, Hindus and others have objected, as well.) After all, it does appear to glorify a lifestyle quite at odds with the one they espouse. But I think they're missing the point. Harry Potter doesn't advocate witchcraft as a lifestyle choice any more than the Terminator movies advocate the killer android from the future lifestyle. Harry Potter is about a boy who just happens to be a wizard. Personally, I think the Harry Potter story may be a perfect metaphor for what many Jewish teens encounter in their quest for religious growth. You see, Hogwarts isn't a school of wizardry. It's a yeshiva. It's Yarchei Kallah. It's a Shabbaton. It's wherever you want to go to grow in Torah observance and get closer to G-d. We'll talk more about Hogwarts specifically soon enough. All about Harry Harry is Jewish. His parents died so that he might survive and carry on their legacy. Voldemort isn't an evil wizard, but he does represent the forces of evil. He is Egyptian slavery. He is the Syrian-Greeks. He is Haman. He is the Roman persecution. He is the Spanish Inquisition. He is pogroms and Crusades and the Holocaust and the Intifada. He thought he had destroyed the Potter family, but you know what? They survived in Harry, much the same way the Jewish people lives on in you. Harry didn't know the gifts he had. He knew that talking to snakes at the zoo was a little strange, but he didn't understand the power he had inside. Maybe you've sometimes felt different from your peers. Maybe you've felt that spark inside you, but not known what it was. That's your Jewish soul, baby! It's looking to get out and express itself! So, like you, Harry got his wake-up call. His came by owl post. Yours probably didn't. But if you're reading this, somehow or some way G-d sent you an invitation. It didn't say "Hogwarts" on it, but it said "Torah." G-d invited you to come claim your heritage. Dealing with the Dursleys Harry had the Dursleys, his aunt and uncle, who tried to stand in his way. They were scared of witchcraft. They said it was because it wasn't "normal," but that wasn't the real reason. It was because Mrs. Dursley was jealous of her sister, Harry's mother, who was a witch. Lily Potter had something special that Petunia Dursley lacked and she hated her for it. Historically, a lot of people have hated the Jews for exactly the same reason: G-d gave us something special that they don't have. You probably have Dursleys in your life, too. In America in the 21st Century, your Dursleys probably aren't overt anti-Semitism (thank G-d), but there are plenty of others. People who belittle your interest in Torah can be Dursleys. But Dursleys can also come from within. The yetzer hara can be a big Dursley. ("Yetzer hara" is usually translated "the evil inclination. If you were a cartoon, the yetzer hara would be a little guy in a red suit who sits on your shoulder and tells you to keep a wallet instead of turning it in.) Laziness, fear of change, peer pressure - Dursleys all. Harry overcame his Dursleys. You can beat yours, too. (But you have to be careful! Harry goes home every summer and has to outwit the Dursleys again and again. Your Dursleys will never stop trying to deter you from growing in your "magic," so you must be ever-vigilant!) Harry and his Friends at Hogwarts Harry finally made it to Hogwarts. While he was there, he met other witches and wizards from all different types of backgrounds. Ron Weasley's family is all-wizard. He doesn't know any other lifestyle. He takes for granted so much of what is new and magical to Harry. Hermione Granger's family is all-muggle (non-wizard), but unlike the Dursleys, Hermione's family appreciates what being a witch has done for their daughter and they encourage her growth. Harry is a little jealous of this positive relationship. After all, Hermione can bring her muggle relatives to Diagon Alley (sort of like inviting them to your Shabbos table), something Harry can never do with his family. At Hogwarts, Harry studies magic. His course of studies includes such varied courses as the History of Magic, Potions and Care of Magical Creatures. This is like our study of Torah. (This gets a huge lehavdil, which is what we say when we compare two things that really aren't alike.) The Torah is not just a book of laws. It's the history of our people. It's self-improvement. It's how to treat other people. Harry's course of study is diverse and so is ours. Casting Spells Harry and his friends cast spells, but the charms they cast don't always turn out as intended. Hermione didn't mean to turn herself into a cat with the polyjuice potion. Ron didn't want slugs pouring out of his mouth. Gilderoy Lockhart didn't intend to remove all the bones in Harry's broken arm. To a degree this can be compared to davening. (No, really.) I'll explain. We "cast our spells" (a big lehavdil, again) and ask Hashem to do certain things for us. Sometimes He does as we ask. But, like a spell gone awry, sometimes G-d says no. Not because He's capricious, but because He knows what's best for us. (It's like when you refuse to stuff a three-year-old with candy until they get sick. They think you're "mean," but you know that you're doing them a big favor.) It's not a perfect parallel. Spells will probably succeed or fail based on the wizard's proficiency, which is not the case with our prayers. But, as with the spells, when our prayers don't get the results we asked for, that doesn't mean they dissipate in the atmosphere. They still have an effect. No, they won't make slugs come out of your mouth. The effect of prayer is invariably positive, even when G-d says no. Voldemort Returns But all is not perfect in Harry's world. Voldemort returns and he's out for blood. Yet, even with his meager abilities, Harry manages to defeat him. A little magic can go a long way, but after each year at Hogwarts, Harry becomes much more proficient! Similarly, whatever Torah we have is what we need to defeat the forces of evil. Even a little is powerful stuff, but every step brings us much more "power." Harry would not have been safer back on Privet Drive, never knowing he was a wizard. Voldemort still would have come after him, because he considered Harry's very existence a threat. Without Hogwart's, however, Harry never would have had the tools to survive. It's the same with you and Torah. Those who would oppose you because you are a Jew don't care whether you are learned or ignorant, observant or assimilated. They consider you a threat simply because you're a Jew. Without Torah, you lack the basic tools to defend yourself and banish the darkness. Refusing to take up your arms, i.e. the Torah, is what they want you to do. I could go on, but I won't. You can draw your own parallels. A metaphor is just a metaphor. (Or, as I like to put it, "A metaphor is like a simile.") Harry Potter is just a book. It may be well-written and critically-acclaimed, but at the end of the day it's the product of human hands and imagination. Like all humans, J.K. Rowling is just dust and ashes. She may have her five Harry Potter books, but we have the five Books that G-d gave to Moses on Mount Sinai. (And we saw special effects far greater than anything ever shown on the silver screen!) Those are the books that count. As much as we can learn from Harry, Ron and Hermione, there is so much more we can learn from the examples of Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov (our forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob). May we merit to spend as much effort analyzing the Torah, the true source of our real Jewish "magic." |
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