Book Review: I am almost finished with Sara Yocheved Rigler's Book: "I've been here before – when Jewish Souls of the Holocaust Return." A video. I liked the book and after almost completing it understand why my story of 3year old R. Pauli dreams did not make the cut. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxctHP1VVLM
The book answers why a lot of
non-Jews are converting now to Judaism. Highly recommended.
Parsha Vayakhel
Last week, we received the two
Luchos twice once from the hand of G-D and once from Moshe. It interrupted our
theoretical discussion of the Mishkan. Last week Betzalel and Oholiav were
assigned the task by order of G-D to Moshe. They had the prophecy on how and
what to build for the Mishkan. A thing that Moshe and many of us could not do
for lack of either imagination.
35:1 And Moses assembled all the
congregation of the children of Israel, and said unto them: 'These are the
words which the LORD hath commanded, that ye should do them.
We are being call upon by the L-RD
to act on the following.
2 Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there
shall be to you a holy day, a sabbath of solemn rest to the LORD; whosoever does
any work therein shall be put to death.
The first action we must take is
not to do Melacha on Shabbos. The act of resting is action for renewing the
body and soul of the Bnei Yisrael. Not taking this action will either lead to
some form of madness or a fatal heart attack or stroke. The act of resting is
positive for the Jew. A death penalty is involved with witness on a man who
knows what Shabbos is, means but not as I wrote last week a person similar to a
non-Jew from birth, a raving lunatic, an imbecile, deaf-mute or a child.
3 Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon
the sabbath day.'
The Karites do not allow flames
lite Erev Shabbos except perhaps candles but a burning gas range is forbidden
by them while we cover it over and use the heat from Erev Shabbos.
4 And Moses spoke unto all the congregation of the children
of Israel, saying: 'This is the thing which the LORD commanded,
saying: 5 Take ye from among you an offering unto the LORD, whosoever
is of a willing heart, let him bring it, the LORD'S offering: gold, and silver,
and brass; 6 and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and
goats' hair; 7 and rams' skins dyed red, and sealskins (wrong
translation rather giraffe skins for the skins came from a Kosher Animal),
and acacia-wood; 8 and oil for the light, and spices for the
anointing oil, and for the sweet incense; 9 and onyx stones, and
stones to be set, for the ephod, and for the breastplate.
These are the donations we need.
10 And let every wise-hearted man among you come, and make
all that the LORD hath commanded:
You will join with and work under
Betzalel and Oholiav
11 the tabernacle, its tent, and its covering, its clasps,
and its boards, its bars, its pillars, and its sockets; 12 the ark,
and the staves thereof, the ark-cover, and the veil of the
screen; 13 the table, and its staves, and all its vessels, and the
showbread; 14 the candlestick also for the light, and its vessels,
and its lamps, and the oil for the light; 15 and the altar of
incense, and its staves, and the anointing oil, and the sweet incense, and the
screen for the door, at the door of the tabernacle; 16 the altar of
burnt-offering, with its grating of brass, its staves, and all its vessels, the
laver and its base; 17 the hangings of the court, the pillars
thereof, and their sockets, and the screen for the gate of the court; 18 the
pins of the tabernacle, and the pins of the court, and their
cords; 19 the plaited garments, for ministering in the holy place,
the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to
minister in the priest's office.'
All this was assigned to Betzalel.
20 And all the congregation of the children of Israel
departed from the presence of Moses. 21 And they came, every one
whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing, and
brought the LORD'S offering, for the work of the tent of meeting, and for all
the service thereof, and for the holy garments.
The collectors had to turn people
away as they had so much. Those who knew metal and wood work volunteered.
… 25 And all the women that were wise-hearted did spin with
their hands, and brought that which they had spun, the blue, and the purple,
the scarlet, and the fine linen. 26 And all the women whose heart
stirred them up in wisdom spun the goats' hair. 27 And the rulers
brought the onyx stones, and the stones to be set, for the ephod, and for the
breastplate;
The women volunteered their
knowledge and patience to spin the wool on a live goat and the other workings
in embroidery, sewing and more.
… 30 And Moses said unto the children of Israel: 'See, the
LORD hath called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe
of Judah. 31 And He hath filled him with the spirit of God, in
wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of
workmanship. 32 And to devise skillful works, to work in gold, and in
silver, and in brass, 33 and in cutting of stones for setting, and in
carving of wood, to work in all manner of skillful workmanship.
Moshe was a prophet shown a vision
that he could not construct. But give a little prophecy and a vision to
Betzalel the skilled craftsman and you have a Mishkan from the raw materials
donated. Betzalel was acquainted with all metal working from foundry, molding,
forging, some form of soldering as modern welding did not exist then. If they
had some form of a lathe, vise, file, chisel, etc. In woodwork, he knew sawing,
chiseling, planning, etc. Precision was the name of the game and to make
precise tapers from Amah wide to handbreadth on top 50 times required skilled craftmanship
and measurements. Board had to be held together with loops and holders for
curtains.
34 And He hath put in his heart that he may teach, both he,
and Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. 35 Them hath
He filled with wisdom of heart, to work all manner of workmanship, of the
craftsman, and of the skillful workman, and of the weaver in colors, in blue,
and in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen, and of the weaver, even of them
that do any workmanship, and of those that devise skillful works.
As a weaver and tailor, he had the
other crafts for the Mishkan that Betzalel lacked. He knew he art of twining
goats hair on a living animal, shearing it and turning it into string or twine.
The art of sewing, precision repair and knitting, darning, dying, etc. These
were his skills and that of the wise women and men involved.
36:1 And Bezalel and Oholiab shall work, and every wise-hearted man, in
whom the LORD hath put wisdom and understanding to know how to work all the
work for the service of the sanctuary, according to all that the LORD hath
commanded.' 2 And Moses called Bezalel and Oholiab, and every
wise-hearted man, in whose heart the LORD had put wisdom, even every one whose
heart stirred him up to come unto the work to do it.
3 And they received of Moses all the offering,
which the children of Israel had brought for the work of the service of the
sanctuary, wherewith to make it. And they brought yet unto him
freewill-offerings every morning. 4 And all the wise men, that
wrought all the work of the sanctuary, came every man from his work which they
wrought. 5 And they spoke unto Moses, saying: 'The people bring much
more than enough for the service of the work, which the LORD commanded to
make.' 6 And Moses gave commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed
throughout the camp, saying: 'Let neither man nor woman make any more work for
the offering of the sanctuary.' So the people were restrained from
bringing. 7 For the stuff they had was sufficient for all the work to
make it, and too much. {S} 8 And every wise-hearted man among
them that wrought the work made the tabernacle with ten curtains: of fine
twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, with cherubim the work of the
skilful workman made he them. 9 The length of each curtain was eight
and twenty cubits, and the breadth of each curtain four cubits; all the
curtains had one measure. 10 And he coupled five curtains one to
another; and the other five curtains he coupled one to
another. 11 And he made loops of blue upon the edge of the one curtain
that was outmost in the first set; likewise he made in the edge of the curtain
that was outmost in the second set. 12 Fifty loops made he in the one
curtain, and fifty loops made he in the edge of the curtain that was in the
second set; the loops were opposite one to another. 13 And he made
fifty clasps of gold, and coupled the curtains one to another with the clasps;
so the tabernacle was one. {P}
14 And he made curtains of goats' hair for a tent over the
tabernacle; eleven curtains he made them. 15 The length of each
curtain was thirty cubits, and four cubits the breadth of each curtain; the
eleven curtains had one measure. 16 And he coupled five curtains by
themselves, and six curtains by themselves. 17 And he made fifty
loops on the edge of the curtain that was outmost in the first set, and fifty
loops made he upon the edge of the curtain which was outmost in the second
set. 18 And he made fifty clasps of brass to couple the tent
together, that it might be one. 19 And he made a covering for the
tent of rams' skins dyed red, and a covering of sealskins
above. {S} 20 And he made the boards for the tabernacle of
acacia-wood, standing up. 21 Ten cubits was the length of a board,
and a cubit and a half the breadth of each board. 22 Each board had
two tenons, joined one to another. Thus did he make for all the boards of the
tabernacle. 23 And he made the boards for the tabernacle; twenty
boards for the south side southward. 24 And he made forty sockets of
silver under the twenty boards: two sockets under one board for its two tenons,
and two sockets under another board for its two tenons. 25 And for
the second side of the tabernacle, on the north side, he made twenty
boards, 26 and their forty sockets of silver: two sockets under one
board, and two sockets under another board. 27 And for the hinder
part of the tabernacle westward he made six boards. 28 And two boards
made he for the corners of the tabernacle in the hinder part; 29 that
they might be double beneath, and in like manner they should be complete unto
the top thereof unto the first ring. Thus he did to both of them in the two
corners. 30 And there were eight boards, and their sockets of silver,
sixteen sockets: under every board two sockets. 31 And he made bars
of acacia-wood: five for the boards of the one side of the
tabernacle, 32 and five bars for the boards of the other side of the
tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the tabernacle for the hinder part
westward. 33 And he made the middle bar to pass through in the midst
of the boards from the one end to the other. 34 And he overlaid the
boards with gold, and made their rings of gold for holders for the bars, and
overlaid the bars with gold. 35 And he made the veil of blue, and
purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen; with the cherubim the work of the
skilful workman made he it. 36 And he made thereunto four pillars of
acacia, and overlaid them with gold, their hooks being of gold; and he cast for
them four sockets of silver. 37 And he made a screen for the door of
the Tent, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, the work of
the weaver in colours; 38 and the five pillars of it with their
hooks; and he overlaid their capitals and their fillets with gold; and their
five sockets were of brass. 37:1 And
Bezalel made the ark of acacia-wood: two cubits and a half was the length of
it, and a cubit and a half the breadth of it, and a cubit and a half the height
of it. 2 And he overlaid it with pure gold within and without, and
made a crown of gold to it round about. 3 And he cast for it four
rings of gold, in the four feet thereof: even two rings on the one side of it,
and two rings on the other side of it. 4 And he made staves of
acacia-wood, and overlaid them with gold. 5 And he put the staves
into the rings on the sides of the ark, to bear the ark. 6 And he
made an ark-cover of pure gold: two cubits and a half was the length thereof,
and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof. 7 And he made two
cherubim of gold: of beaten work made he them, at the two ends of the
ark-cover: 8 one cherub at the one end, and one cherub at the other
end; of one piece with the ark-cover made he the cherubim at the two ends
thereof. 9 And the cherubim spread out their wings on high, screening
the ark-cover with their wings, with their faces one to another; toward the
ark-cover were the faces of the cherubim.
When there was peace in Israel, the
Cheruvim faced one another but during a dispute they turned away from each
other each for there was no internal peace in Israel.
10 And he made the table of acacia-wood: two
cubits was the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof, and a cubit and
a half the height thereof. 11 And he overlaid it with pure gold, and
made thereto a crown of gold round about.
The Aron Kodesh was first made from
wood and then over laid with gold. Betzalel may have had assistants for the
approximate work and he did the finish.
12 And he made unto it a border of a hand-breadth round
about, and made a golden crown to the border thereof round
about. 13 And he cast for it four rings of gold, and put the rings in
the four corners that were on the four feet thereof. 14 Close by the
border were the rings, the holders for the staves to bear the table.
Precisely set.
15 And he made the staves of acacia-wood, and overlaid them
with gold, to bear the table. 16 And he made the vessels which were
upon the table, the dishes thereof, and the pans thereof, and the bowls
thereof, and the jars thereof, wherewith to pour out, of pure gold.
Not gold plated but solid gold
pans, bowls, jars, etc.
17 And he made the candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work
made he the candlestick, even its base, and its shaft; its cups, its knops, and
its flowers, were of one piece with it.
The modern one from the Temple
Institute was specially cast with the most modern techniques. The original was
a casting that was beaten out of an ingot of gold. Easier to make the first
part but harder to chop and chisel and etch the gold.
18 And there were six branches going out of the sides
thereof: three branches of the candlestick out of the one side thereof, and
three branches of the candlestick out of the other side
thereof; 19 three cups made like almond-blossoms in one branch, a
knop and a flower; and three cups made like almond-blossoms in the other
branch, a knop and a flower. So for the six branches going out of the candlestick. 20 And
in the candlestick were four cups made like almond-blossoms, the knops thereof,
and the flowers thereof; 21 and a knop under two branches of one
piece with it, and a knop under two branches of one piece with it, and a knop
under two branches of one piece with it, for the six branches going out of
it. 22 Their knops and their branches were of one piece with it; the
whole of it was one beaten work of pure gold. 23 And he made the
lamps thereof, seven, and the tongs thereof, and the snuffdishes thereof, of
pure gold. 24 Of a talent of pure gold made he it, and all the
vessels thereof.
Hand shaping and carving out
precisely as possible 7 times much harder than the casting done by the modern menorah.
25 And he made the altar of incense of acacia-wood: a cubit
was the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof, four-square; and two
cubits was the height thereof; the horns thereof were of one piece with
it. 26 And he overlaid it with pure gold, the top thereof, and the
sides thereof round about, and the horns of it; and he made unto it a crown of
gold round about.
This small Mizbayach weighted some
amount that it had to be carried but strong enough to last for centuries.
27 And he made for it two golden rings under the crown
thereof, upon the two ribs thereof, upon the two sides of it, for holders for
staves wherewith to bear it.
They were solid gold ring strong
enough to carry the small Mizbayach.
28 And he made the staves of acacia-wood, and overlaid them
with gold. 29 And he made the holy anointing oil, and the pure
incense of sweet spices, after the art of the perfumer.
Incense was made according to a recipe
given in Oral Torah and not mentioned here.
38:1 And he made the
altar of burnt-offering of acacia-wood: five cubits was the length thereof, and
five cubits the breadth thereof, four-square, and three cubits the height
thereof. 2 And he made the horns thereof upon the four corners of it;
the horns thereof were of one piece with it; and he overlaid it with
brass. 3 And he made all the vessels of the altar, the pots, and the
shovels, and the basins, the flesh-hooks, and the fire-pans; all the vessels
thereof made he of brass. 4 And he made for the altar a grating of
network of brass, under the ledge round it beneath, reaching halfway
up. 5 And he cast four rings for the four ends of the grating of
brass, to be holders for the staves. 6 And he made the staves of acacia-wood,
and overlaid them with brass. 7 And he put the staves into the rings
on the sides of the altar, wherewith to bear it; he made it hollow with
planks.
Unlike the incense altar that was
gold plated, the wood burning Mizbayach was made with brass.
8 And he made the laver of brass, and the
base thereof of brass, of the mirrors of the serving women that did service at
the door of the tent of meeting.
The laver of brass was large with
spigots for a number of Leviim to wash Cohanim.
9 And he made the court; for the south side
southward the hangings of the court were of fine twined linen, a hundred
cubits. 10 Their pillars were twenty, and their sockets twenty, of
brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets were of
silver. 11 And for the north side a hundred cubits, their pillars
twenty, and their sockets twenty, of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their
fillets of silver. 12 And for the west side were hangings of fifty
cubits, their pillars ten, and their sockets ten; the hooks of the pillars and
their fillets of silver. 13 And for the east side eastward fifty
cubits. 14 The hangings for the one side [of the gate] were fifteen
cubits; their pillars three, and their sockets three. 15 And so for
the other side; on this hand and that hand by the gate of the court were
hangings of fifteen cubits; their pillars three, and their sockets
three. 16 All the hangings of the court round about were of fine
twined linen. 17 And the sockets for the pillars were of brass; the
hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver; and the overlaying of their
capitals of silver; and all the pillars of the court were filleted with
silver. 18 And the screen for the gate of the court was the work of
the weaver in colors, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen;
and twenty cubits was the length, and the height in the breadth was five
cubits, answerable to the hangings of the court. 19 And their pillars
were four, and their sockets four, of brass; their hooks of silver, and the
overlaying of their capitals and their fillets of silver. 20 And all
the pins of the tabernacle, and of the court round about, were of brass.
All the measurements were made they
were tested but not assembled. The curtain appears to be one piece about 150
feet round about with their hooks matching the hooks in the boards of the
Mishkan.
Surviving my near fatal marriage by Donna Pellar
https://www.aish.com/sp/so/Surviving-My-Near-Fatal-Marriage.html
The knock on the front door brought my husband back to the
present moment. The crazy look in his eyes faded. He released his hand from my
throat and holstered the gun he had been pressing against my forehead.
He warned me that if I called the police, he’d make sure I
didn't live to testify against him and abruptly left the bedroom of the house
we shared together with our two young children. I fell to my knees, gasping for
air.
I heard him fling open the front door, utter something to
his waiting friend, and then leave, tires screeching.
When I was able to pull myself off the floor, I locked the
front door and pushed the couch in front of it to prevent him from storming
back in. I checked on the children, miraculously sleeping soundly in their
beds, and prayed in thanksgiving for our safety.
As I started to dial 911, my husband’s words echoed in my
head. If anyone had told me a week prior to this that one day my husband would
hold a loaded gun to my head, I would have thought they were crazy. But after
what had just happened, I knew he was capable of following through with his
threat. So instead of calling the authorities, I called the only person I hoped
would help me, my mother. It was just before 3 AM.
She answered after the second ring and I managed to get my
story out between sobs. With a loud sigh, she told me that she didn't think he
would do such a thing. After all, she said, he had always been nice to her. She
said it was the middle of the night and she had to work in the morning, and
with that she hung up the phone.
Devastated and feeling utterly alone, I stayed awake until
my youngest son awoke. I fed him and got him dressed while I waited for my
oldest to rise. Bags packed, we left our home and headed for safety in an
unexpected place – my in-laws. My mother-in-law had never particularly liked me
because I was outside of their race and culture, but my father-in-law was a
kind and gentle man. When I relayed my harrowing experience, he welcomed us
with open arms. He assured me that his son was no longer welcomed in his home
until he got the help he needed. We all suspected that he was using drugs, and
we were right.
Not long after, my husband was arrested for selling drugs.
He was allowed bail and fled the state, leaving me and the kids some room to
breathe. Despite being eight months pregnant, I found a job managing a small
flower company. I was able to make our house payment and hold on to the car as
well. Things were tight, but we managed. It seemed as though life was slowly
returning to a new normal.
One day, as I was driving to pick up the children after
work, I received a call from an unknown caller. After a few seconds of silence,
I heard his voice. My estranged husband informed me that he had decided he
didn't want to be married or have kids anymore. "I'll send you some
money," he said before hanging up the phone.
I knew our marriage was over, but he decided he didn't want
to have kids anymore? Too late! They’re already here!
Tears of anger and frustration ran down my face. The kids
had no idea what had happened. They had never witnessed their father harm me in
any way and he had never behaved badly towards them.
They also rarely saw him since he was never home. I had no
idea if or when they’d ever see him again. He couldn't be on the run from the
police forever. Eventually he’d be caught and serve his jail time. Perhaps
then, he would gain the perspective that can only come with sobriety, regret
his actions and want to see his children.
My parents had gone through a bitter divorce and I was
subjected to constant negative talk about my father from my mom. I heard how
bad he was so often that I began to project that onto myself: if he was such a
bad person, I must be too. It was evident in the way my mother treated me, that
I was indeed my father’s daughter and therefore undeserving of my mother’s
love. I did not want to do that to my children. When they’d be old enough,
they’d make their own decisions about their father without any undue influence.
Less than a month later, I gave birth to our third child, a
daughter. My best friend drove me to the hospital and waited for hours. I
welcomed my baby into my arms at 10:47 PM, amazed that her father could
willingly miss this event.
That year went by in a blur. So much had changed. I was now
working as a doctor’s assistant, a job that had easy hours, weekends off and
good pay. I was managing to hold down the fort and life was surprisingly pretty
good.
One night at 1:30 AM I was awakened by the sound of the
front door knob jiggling. With my heart pounding in my ears, I slowly crept to
the front door. Somebody was definitely on my front porch. I dared a look through
the peephole and there stood my estranged husband, looking puzzled as to why
his key didn't fit into the lock.
Feeling strong and confident, I refused to open the door
and warned him that if he didn't leave immediately, I would call the police. He
started to protest, but then went down the stairs, got into his car and left.
The next day, I received a call from my father-in-law
asking me if I’d be willing to meet with him and his son. I went over that
evening and we discussed the situation. My husband told me that he was going to
turn himself in and face the consequences for his actions. He also indicated
that he was now sober and very sorry for what he had done – I suppose as sorry
as a person can be after holding a loaded gun to his wife’s head.
He asked if I’d consider forgiving him and he expressed a
desire to reconcile, which I flatly turned down. What had happened between us
could not be undone, and I had already made a life-altering decision, one that
he was adamantly against: I was converting to Judaism. He thought it
was ridiculous. Little did he know I was on a journey that would take me
further than I had ever dreamed possible. I was not about to give that up.
The following day, he turned himself in. He was arrested
and eventually released, credited for time served and given a large fine and
community service. He moved in with his parents, we finally completed our
divorce, and he saw the kids under the watchful supervision of his father.
Initially, I hoped he’d see the kids frequently and work on
rebuilding his relationship with them. He didn't.
The pain and heartache he had caused me was one thing, but
doing it to the kids, the truly innocent ones in this equation, was
unforgivable. I didn’t say a negative word about him, but on the inside my
hatred for him began to take on a life of its own.
I went back to school to bolster my education and provide
the best life possible for my kids. I worked hard, I made good grades and even
talked my way into an internship at the best salon in town, after being turned
down for a job there, due to my lack of experience.
I worked there for nine months before taking a manager's
position at another salon, one that offered health insurance and assistance
paying off my student loan. I quickly worked my way to General Manager,
overseeing three salons. Thank God, I was doing well, the kids were thriving,
but inevitably, the question of where their father was always seemed to present
itself.
Each time it did, I’d feel my anger deepen. I longed to
tell people he lived abroad or at least in another state, but the truth was he
lived just a few blocks away from his three children who were growing up and
changing before my very eyes. He lived his life completely separate from them.
The kids would go to their paternal grandparents’ house and
spend time with their family, but seeing their dad was a rarity. I began losing
sleep, suffered from frequent stomach pain, migraines and anxiety. After
seeking out counseling, I came to realize the extent of the trauma I had
suffered through my marriage, and that I was holding onto a lot of anger that
was consuming me and robbing me of the joy of the present.
I examined my life: I had converted to Judaism which was a
source of great meaning in my life. I had made the bold decision to open my own
salon and day spa, which had turned into a success. I had purchased a beautiful
home where my kids could run and play, and I had done it all on my own.
My Jewish studies were teaching me about forgiveness. I
learned that forgiveness, mechilah, should be given if the offender
is repentant and asks for forgiveness. My ex-husband had asked my forgiveness,
but was he truly repentant? I was not sure.
For years I believed that he’d deserve forgiveness only
when he was truly sorry and finally stepped up as a father. I held onto the
notion that forgiveness was some type of feeling I would have, some inherent
knowledge that would suddenly wash over me.
Judaism taught me that forgiveness isn't a feeling; it's a choice. It’s an empowering
decision I could make without any expectations from the person who is being
forgiven.
That night I prayed, asking for the strength to offer
forgiveness to the man who almost took my life. Forgiveness to the man who was
the father of my three children whom he abandoned, leaving me to raise them on
my own. This was going to be hard. I had faced quite a few hardships in my
life, but this felt insurmountable.
I called to mind my many blessings: I had healthy,
well-adjusted children, I sat on the school board, and was a member of several
business networking groups geared at young entrepreneurs. I had the respect of
my community and I was an observant Jew trying to live an authentic Jewish
life. I was even the recipient of a Women in Business award. On top of that, I
met a wonderful man. A Sephardic man, also a divorcee and single parent. His
interfaith marriage had failed and he, too, was on his own raising a child.
As I shared my story with him, he suggested that I seek
advice from his rabbi. The rabbi told me that forgiveness is necessary for the
offended, not just for the offender. Forgiveness releases the obligation from
both parties. In forgiving my ex, I would release myself from carrying an
enormous burden that was never mine to carry. I was astounded by his wisdom.
So in preparation for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, I began
to pray for my ex-husband. If God, the Creator of the entire universe, could
forgive me, then surely I could forgive him.
Almost immediately, I began to feel lighter. My physical
symptoms also lessened, until they completely disappeared. My life was
improving in ways I hadn't even realized were lacking.
My relationship with the man I was dating had become quite
serious, and unbeknownst to me, he had asked my children's blessing before
proposing to me.
We had a small, beautiful ceremony. As we broke the glass
under the chuppah, our friends and family shouted, "Mazel Tov!" It
was truly a day of many blessings.
Several happy years went by. My ex-husband, with whom I had
little contact, called me out of the blue one day because he needed someone to
talk to. He was going through a second divorce. He told me he knew he didn't
deserve to have me as a friend, that I was a kind person, and he hoped I would
not turn him away. There was a time I would have been angry to receive a call
from him, but no longer. The rabbi's advice was not wasted on me.
Instead of hating him, I began to look upon him with
compassion. My children now had the love and support of their step-father, a
man they could look up to. We were deepening our faith and felt welcome in our
tight knit Jewish community. And here was my ex-husband so utterly alone.
Over the course of several months, I tried to assist him in
re-building his relationship with this family. I helped him re-vamp his
business and happily cared for his two children from his second marriage any time
it was needed. Sadly, none of the positive changes stuck. He eventually
reverted back to his old ways. But his lack of care did not diminish my own.
My forgiveness may not have impacted his life, but it has
certainly changed mine. By choosing to forgive a man who many would deem
undeserving and unforgivable, I found true happiness and freedom.
Chassidic Tale from
the Holocaust
https://www.aish.com/sp/pg/You-Are-Someones-Lifeline-A-Hassidic-Tale-of-the-Holocaust.html?s=shl
77 Years after the
Holocaust a Family Reunion. By Dr. Yvette Alt Miller
https://www.aish.com/jw/s/77-Years-After-the-Holocaust-A-Family-Reunion.html?s=shl
When Suzanne Hecker’s beloved grandfather Robert
Weiss, a Holocaust survivor, died in 1993, she found a secret box he’d never
shown his family: it contained old photographs and an Austrian passport stamped
with a big swastika and the letter “J” for Jude – Jew. Suzanne’s grandfather
survived the Holocaust, along with two of his sisters, but they’d never talked
about their experiences or their life in Europe before the war.
Most amazing of all was a large, formal family
portrait from the 1920s. “I recognized my grandfather and his sisters in the
picture,” Suzanne recounted in a recent Aish.com interview, “but I didn’t
recognize anyone else in the picture. Neither did my mother.” Suzanne had been
very close with her grandfather and burned with curiosity about who these
relatives could be.
“That’s when I started this quest,” Suzanne explains.
Longing to know her relations, she embarked on what would turn into 25 years of
intense genealogical research.
Suzanne began her research in a local Mormon church.
As a Jew, she felt very awkward entering the building. “There was a big sign on
the door saying there was no proselytizing in the library,” she recalls. “That
comforted me somewhat.” (Mormon churches have encountered criticism for
posthumously “baptizing” deceased Jews – particularly Holocaust victims – into
the Mormon religion. The Church promised to stop this practice in 1995, but
some instances have been recorded since then.)
Suzanne began with one photo from her grandfather’s
box labeled “My uncle, Edmund Blau.” Blau was her grandmother’s maiden name,
and she wondered if Edmund could be her great uncle. After years of painstaking
research, Suzanne got her first clue: “I came across testimony from Yad Vashem
that was done by the son of a man named Edmund Blau in Israel – the son’s name
was Walter.” Could this Edmund Blau be her great-uncle and Walter her long-lost
cousin?
Eventually, Suzanne managed to uncover more documents
about Walter. “I found a Palestinian British police report with a mug shot of a
teenage Jewish refugee named Walter Blau. He’d been caught trying to sneak into
the land of Israel in 1946. “I had his birthdate and confirmation of his
parents' names,” Suzanne explains, “so I knew it was the right family.” It was
incredible to realize that one of her grandfather’s close relatives had
survived the Holocaust, but Suzanne didn’t reach out at first. “I don’t speak
Hebrew… I didn’t know where to go.”
In 2009, Suzanne and her mother took a trip to Vienna
to do more research. When they reached the archives of the Israelitische
Kultusgemeinde Wien, Austria’s officially recognized Jewish community
organization, the staff at the front desk was less than helpful. After asking
politely, Suzanne was shocked that the staff still refused to help. “I said
these records don’t belong to you; they belong to her,” gesturing to her
mother. Finally, the desk staff allowed Suzanne and her mother to view the
precious documents in their archive. They found extensive records – but still
couldn’t complete the puzzle of their family tree.
A few months ago, all of Suzanne’s research finally
paid off.
“I was on a Jewish genealogy Facebook page,” Suzanne
recalls, “and somebody told me about an Israeli genealogical Facebook page. I
said I don’t speak Hebrew, and they said that is okay – most Israelis know at
least some English.” Suzanne joined the group and asked if anyone could help
her find a cousin in Israel who was a Holocaust survivor named Walter. “Within
an hour I had messages and links,” Suzanne recalls in amazement.
One of the links was to an interview on Israeli
television with the Blau family. Some Israeli students had done a project in
middle school on the Holocaust and interviewed Suzanne’s family. The names of
Walter’s children bore the names of Suzanne’s deceased relatives.
Suzanne thought carefully how to approach her
newly-discovered relatives and decided to send a group message over Facebook.
“I believe we’re family,” she wrote. She wasn’t sure if anyone would write
back.
“The response from them was immediate. It was a
resounding yes, that’s definitely us. They were super-eager to be in touch.”
One cousin who was fluent in English sent Suzanne the message she’d been
awaiting for decades: “My father Oscar and my uncle Walter are the ones you’ve
been looking for. They’re still alive.” They were 87 and 91.
Within just a few days, during Passover 2021,
Suzanne, her mother and other relatives set up a Zoom meeting. “It seemed like
a whole lot of people on the call,” Suzanne explains. Her cousins’ spouses and
kids and grandkids all crowded into the screen. Finally, her 87-year-old
cousin, Oscar, came on the phone. He described how he was born in Vienna and
how he and his brother Walter were sheltered in an orphanage in Belgium during
the Holocaust. “He kept saying this is a dream come true. My whole life my
brother Walter and I thought we were alone in the world.”
“All I knew was both of their parents were murdered
in Auschwitz,” Suzanne recalled. Oscar and Walter were able to fill in
Suzanne’s gaps in family history, and she was able to tell them details about
their own family too. “For example, they did not know that their father…was the
youngest of eight children,” Suzanne explains.
Most moving of all, Suzanne was able to show Walter
and Oscar a picture of their father. The brothers had a blurry copy of the same
large family portrait that Suzanne had. They knew the people in the portrait
were relatives, but they didn’t know their names. All their lives, they’d
assumed that Suzanne’s grandfather was their father.
On the Zoom call, Suzanne held up the picture of
Edmund Blau with whom she’d started her research decades before. This was their
father, she explained. “Since the brothers got to Israel as teen-aged orphans,
I knew there was almost no chance they had these pictures.”
Suzanne and her Israeli family spoke many more times,
and they invited her to visit. Last November, Israel opened its borders to
tourists. It wasn’t easy to take time away – Suzanne has a demanding job and
her husband has some major health challenges. But the chance to finally meet
her Israeli family seemed too good to pass up.
Within two weeks, Suzanne flew to Israel. Suzanne
shared her excitement in a post on a Jewish genealogy Facebook page:
“After escaping Vienna in 1938, my grandfather never
found surviving family. In March, after 25+ years of searching, I found his 1st
cousins, who are 87 & 91, living in Israel. I Skype with them every week,
but EVERY day, they ask someone when I’m coming. So my friends, TODAY I fly to
Israel to meet over 30 members of my family – a reunion 83 years in the making.
I am over the moon!”
The evening that Suzanne’s plane landed in Tel Aviv,
she had a brief moment of panic. “I just flew across the world to stay at the
house of people I never met.” Any anxiety she had dissipated when outside the
airport, two of her new-found cousins rushed to embrace her in a long hug. The
connection they’d felt during phone calls was even stronger in person.
Suzanne’s cousin told her, “My father wants to meet you tonight – he doesn’t
even want to wait until tomorrow!’”
Suzanne went to meet her beloved grandfather’s
cousin, Oscar: “When I saw him it was like looking at my grandfather.”
Oscar kept saying that this reunion was a dream come
true. His daughter told Suzanne that this was no exaggeration. “My whole life
he’s always been saying that. He’s always said he feels alone in the world,
that he wished he had a bigger family.” His dream finally came true.
In Haifa, Walter’s 90-year-old wife prepared an
amazing Israeli meal and they gave her a gift of Shabbat candlesticks. “They
all wanted to sit next to me,” Suzanne remembers. “I broke down in tears; it
felt like something out of a movie. It was a homecoming… For 25 years, I’ve
been looking for family.”
“Thank you so much for finding us,” her Israeli
relatives said.
This is a charming story about Alice,
a waitress and Emma, an old lady. A worthwhile read about the old lady who came
every day to a restaurant that opened up in 1952. https://www.momlifematters.com/en/15993/1/
Milestone Bob Beckel,73, old generation Liberal
TV host not WOKE. https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2022/02/22/bob-beckel-dead-former-host-fox-news-the-five-73/6889474001/
Milestone Justice Gavriel Bach, 94, Attorney
General at Eichmann Trial. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/sjlbbhkxc
Inyanay Diyoma
Summit meeting Biden – Putin. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-and-putin-agree-to-principle-of-summit-discussing-ukraine
Intense shelling in Ukraine near Belarus. https://www.timesofisrael.com/intense-shelling-along-ukraine-dividing-line-as-belarus-says-russian-forces-to-stay/
Senior Israeli Officials slam Biden on Iran
Deal. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/322619
Shots fired at IDF post. https://www.timesofisrael.com/shots-said-fired-at-idf-post-in-northern-west-bank-no-injuries-reported/
US House candidate boozing and pills at
pre-teen slumber party. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/democrat-us-house-candidate-under-fire-for-alleged-boozy-profanity-laced-tirade-at-pre-teen-slumber-party
CRT being taught in 23 of 25 medical schools. https://www.foxnews.com/media/critical-race-theory-related-mandatory-top-medical-schools-report
Maritime Protective Dome passes test. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/322628
Dem. Torres pro-Israel on Avraham Accords. https://www.algemeiner.com/2022/02/16/ny-dem-torres-blasts-opposition-to-abraham-accords-as-bowman-drops-support-makes-no-sense-even-by-the-distorted-logic-of-bds/
Ukrainian Parliament takes tougher stance on
antisemitism. https://www.algemeiner.com/2022/02/16/ukrainian-parliament-approves-tough-legal-penalties-for-antisemitic-incitement/
US Amb. To the Ukraine Russia will face
devasting sanctions. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/322620
Israel approaching 10,000 Covid Deaths. https://www.ynetnews.com/health_science/article/byujibge9
Trapped in Marriage. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/r1k7ollg9
Bennett warns that new Iran Deal delays bomb by
2.5years only. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/rjspv9jg9
Not the end of the Road – Ganz. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/322581
Ron Ben Yishai. Israel faces terror despite
relative calm. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/ryawxnujq
Flying low under radar it is hard to detect
drones. https://www.debka.com/flying-object-from-lebanon-blown-up-over-galilee-by-iron-dome/ Turning a rifle into a
smart weapon against drones. https://www.algemeiner.com/2022/02/18/israeli-startup-turns-small-arms-into-smart-weapons-to-take-down-drones/ Iron Dome not built for drones. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/322509
Amos Gilead, the former director of the
Political-Military Affairs Bureau at the Defense Ministry, tells the Conference
of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations meeting in Jerusalem that
“history will judge [former prime minister Benjamin] Netanyahu harshly” for his
handling of Iran’s drive to nuclear weapons. https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/amos-gilead-history-will-judge-netanyahu-for-his-failures-on-iran/
AOC lies about Israel caging Arab Children. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/322624
Silicone implants and the nervous system. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/322623
NYC antisemitic graffiti on Israeli Restaurant.
https://www.algemeiner.com/2022/02/17/f-jews-israeli-owned-restaurant-on-nycs-upper-west-side-hit-by-antisemitic-vandalism/
Steep rise in antisemitism in German during
2021. https://www.algemeiner.com/2022/02/18/shocking-not-surprising-german-interior-ministry-records-steep-rise-in-antisemitic-crimes-during-2021/
Fireblocks raises money for Crypto-currency. https://www.algemeiner.com/2022/02/16/israels-fireblocks-acquiring-crypto-payment-platform-first-digital-for-100-million/
Truth Media to launch today. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/322614
Unvaccinated tourist can come starting Mar. 1st.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/322591
191 Arrests of 3 weeks of protest in Ottawa
streets clear. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/322621
Russia has kill – arrest list in Ukraine. https://www.timesofisrael.com/russia-has-lists-of-ukrainians-to-be-killed-or-sent-to-camps-us-warns-un/
Jewish Federation not Yiddishkeit as Gun
Control, LGBT agenda, not Torah, antisemitism tops their list. https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-federations-revises-agenda-restoring-gun-control-lgbt-rights-to-priority-list/
Mother of 8 arrested in National Insurance
Fraud. https://www.timesofisrael.com/mother-suspected-of-drugging-her-daughters-to-collect-national-insurance-benefits/
Israel Electric Company plans high voltage
cable in Hulda Forest. https://www.timesofisrael.com/electric-company-plans-high-voltage-cable-pylons-in-israels-oldest-planted-forest/
Israel again calls on citizens to evacuate. https://www.algemeiner.com/2022/02/20/israel-reiterates-call-for-citizens-to-immediately-leave-ukraine-amid-fears-of-russian-invasion/ Israel prepares for land evacuation. https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog-february-20-2022/
Journalist defends his report on police spying
on people. https://www.timesofisrael.com/journalist-who-broke-police-spyware-story-defends-reporting-amid-growing-doubts/
5 Arabs arrested in potential murder plot. https://www.timesofisrael.com/police-arrest-5-allegedly-on-their-way-to-commit-murder-in-northern-arab-village/
Ukrainian Jews storing food. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/322481
Reservists are the backbone of Israel. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/322552
6 Bedouins stole weapons from IDF Museum a
quick arrest. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/322548
Glick – US Credibility hits an all time low. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/322573
Miracle: Occurred
on Friday in the town of Kedumim in Samaria, after a child who went missing was
located in the trunk of the family vehicle after lengthy search efforts. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/322560
The Queen tests positive to Covid. https://www.timesofisrael.com/britains-queen-elizabeth-ii-tests-positive-for-coronavirus-but-symptoms-mild/
Israeli chick peas in space. https://www.timesofisrael.com/28-chickpeas-launch-into-space-for-israeli-led-food-experiment/
Bedouin ignore court order. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/322574
Emek Hospital responsible for ICU deaths. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/322569
Interior wants to ban Amnesty Intl. members
from coming. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/322566
Idiot selfies with dangerous animals at Safari
Ramat Gan. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/322571
No real Iranian Plan. https://www.debka.com/no-clear-israeli-plan-for-countering-dangerous-nuclear-vienna-deal-with-iran/
Russia takes over Eastern Ukraine. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/322666
Putin's speech. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/322661
Israeli Ukrainian Embassy moves west. https://www.algemeiner.com/2022/02/21/israel-to-move-embassy-from-kiev-to-lviv-as-threat-of-russian-invasion-grows/
Ukrainian President not afraid. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/322672
Extreme right wing Jew finds that her
biological mother converted to Islam and both parents were Junkies. https://www.timesofisrael.com/far-right-jewish-extremist-discovers-her-biological-parents-are-muslim/
Ganz threatens coalition. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/322679
Truth Social launched by Trump but I cannot get
on it. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/322675
Dirty tricks against Trump. https://nypost.com/2022/02/18/those-responsible-for-dirty-tricks-against-trump-need-to-face-consequences/
4 new Israeli Justices. https://www.algemeiner.com/2022/02/21/israel-appoints-first-muslim-justice-mizrachi-woman-to-supreme-court/
Israel should stay neutral with Ukraine. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/322657
Elements trying to block British Holocaust
museum. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/322659
Boy killed by car not by donkey. https://www.timesofisrael.com/childs-death-caused-by-runaway-car-not-donkey-say-police/
Lead Ingots from 'Bronze Age' trade. https://www.timesofisrael.com/new-analysis-of-3200-year-old-lead-ingots-sinks-theories-about-bronze-age-trade/
Diane Weber Bederman on Fascism in Canada. https://dianebederman.com/justin-trudeaus-fascist-war-against-canadians/
The Broward County School Board had the opportunity
to restore the public’s confidence in K-12 education for Broward students, but
once again failed miserably. Choosing interim Superintendent Vickie
Cartwright as the permanent leader of Broward Schools is a slap in the
face to all parents with students in K-12, as well as all Broward County
taxpayers. https://www.sun-sentinel.com/opinion/commentary/fl-op-com-broward-county-school-board-cartwright-superintendent-20220215-fso6k4czurhjfjk7krncsrf3zi-story.html
25 years later mother arrested for kids deaths.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/woman-arrested-on-suspicion-of-killing-her-infant-children-over-25-years-ago/
Lev Tahor skipping around the Balkans. https://www.timesofisrael.com/bouncing-around-the-balkans-lev-tahor-cultists-struggle-to-evade-attention/
Covid deaths pass 10,000. https://www.timesofisrael.com/israels-covid-death-toll-crosses-10000-as-fifth-wave-wanes/
PTSD self-immolation is walking again. https://www.timesofisrael.com/astonishing-recovery-10-months-after-self-immolating-idf-vet-is-again-walking/
Parks Authority will not use church lands. https://www.timesofisrael.com/parks-authority-says-its-shelving-mount-of-olives-plan-that-angered-church-leaders/
Ground to ground attack in Syria. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/322737
Asteroid comes close to earth today. https://www.jpost.com/science/article-698208
Iran supplies Venezuela attack drones. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/r111h00agl5
Putin moves "Peace-Keepers" or Piece
of Ukraine keepers into S. Ukraine. https://www.debka.com/putin-moves-peacekeeping-force-into-e-ukraine-after-recognizing-breakaway-republics/
Young Firebomber Shachid. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/sjx2q6zg5
Israeli AI for Cargo Ships. https://www.jpost.com/business-and-innovation/article-698326
Amsterdam Hostage Situation over. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/322734
Israel's never ending traffic accidents. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/322738
Jordanian 9000 year old shrine. https://www.timesofisrael.com/almost-perfectly-preserved-9000-year-old-shrine-discovered-in-jordan-desert/
This whole section called Inyanay
Diyoma (Topics of our day) in Aramaic was launched for the days of war of Gog
and Magog at the end of days. I cannot be sure of the time as the Malbim
discussing a war with Iran that right now is on low key. The Vilna Gaon
discussing the Russian Fleet crossing the Bosporus Straights (that happened
when 125 war and supply ships participated in a drill in Tartus Syria a few
weeks ago.) One thing for sure is that the sanctions of the G7 vs. Russia are
preliminary stages as history comes to its conclusion. Kabbalah teaches us that
the world will last 6,000 and Moshiach should come. In a Kabbalistic Drasha that
Rabbi Pinchas Winston wrote is that the resurrection of the dead should take
place by or during the year 5790. We are now in 5782. With this in mind I start
today's news.
Russia starts a full invasion of the Ukraine
where they stop nobody but G-D and perhaps Putin knows. Will it be a puppet
state? https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/322801
Three Russian guided missile cruisers took up
battle positions in the Mediterranean on Wednesday, Feb. 23, opposite the USS
Harry Truman, the Italian ITS Cavour and French FS Charles de Gaulle strike groups. For the first time, the consequences of
the Ukraine crisis seem to be spilling out of East Europe over to the
Mediterranean arena. https://www.debka.com/russian-missile-cruisers-on-battle-alert-face-nato-carriers-in-mediterranean/
Ground to ground missiles hit Syria. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/322797
Munich 1938 = Vienna 2022. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/322804
Bennett offers Ganz compromise on army
pensions. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/322800
Mar.1st Arab day of rage. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/322799
Millions of names added to Jewish Website. https://www.algemeiner.com/2022/02/22/israeli-genealogy-website-adds-millions-of-jewish-historical-records-to-collection/
The director general of the Otzma
Yehudit Party, Yitzhak Wasserlauf, was attacked on Wednesday evening as he was
leaving the Shimon HaTzadik neighborhood in Jerusalem. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/322794
Israel stays neutral Russia naughty but not
100% pro-west. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/322794
Extended bus splits in two in Yerushalayim. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/322794
Ashdod – man's heart stops while driving
revived. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/322783
The day before, in a sports stadium a camera
man collapsed saved by defibrillator. https://www.timesofisrael.com/photographer-meets-medic-who-saved-his-life-at-basketball-game/
Form PM defends courts vs. Sephardim. https://www.timesofisrael.com/amsalem-netanyahu-harmed-dignity-of-right-wing-bloc-with-refusal-to-back-me/
Politicians who don't know when it is time to
retire but run forever and a day. https://www.timesofisrael.com/tel-aviv-mayor-huldai-to-run-for-sixth-term-after-25-years-in-office/
Israeli President heads to Greece. https://www.timesofisrael.com/herzog-heads-to-greece-for-state-visit-as-turkey-detente-brews/
Indiana U. targeted by extreme antisemites. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/322782
Belgium Jews allowed to wear Kipos anywhere in
prison. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/322780
Health Dept. prepares for next Covid Wave. https://www.ynetnews.com/health_science/article/rjph2sqg5
Ed-Op David Michaels by Christian Denominations
calling Israel an Apartheid State they think that they are not antisemitic but…
The leader of the Presbyterian Church USA Rev. J. Herbert
Nelson, II accused Israel last month of instituting "21st-century
slavery". https://www.ynetnews.com/article/r1yahcqe5
Ill Arab Israeli arrested in Saudi Arabia for
praising Israel and insulting their lack of hospitality. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/h131bt7lc
REDUCING PTSD BY OXYGEN
TREATMENT. https://www.timesofisrael.com/world-first-israeli-study-shows-oxygen-therapy-can-dramatically-reduce-ptsd-symptoms/
Chief Rabbi calls on Jews of the Ukraine to come
to Israel. https://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/headlines-breaking-stories/2060147/ikvesa-dmashicha-harav-yosef-calls-on-ukrainian-jews-all-jews-to-fulfill-the-words-of-ovadiah.html?fbclid=IwAR15cYdwSVZl994o8lgMt3rcf7eXRryt-Kv22CUUAXsXmIDjIinIMqRZGWM
Rabbis in the Ukraine hunker down. https://www.timesofisrael.com/ukraines-jews-hunker-down-as-long-feared-russian-invasion-becomes-deadly-reality/
Kyiv under siege. https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog-february-24-2022/
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/bjkanpbec
Ukraine left alone to face a Russian Invasion. https://www.timesofisrael.com/zelensky-says-ukraine-left-alone-to-face-russian-invasion-137-killed-on-1st-day/
Russia claims to have complete 70% of goals. https://www.debka.com/russian-military-70pc-of-objectives-achieved-on-day-one-of-ukraine-operation/
BKLYN NY elderly Jewish bus driver beaten by
black teens. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/322895
Biden puts on strong sanctions but not oil and
gas. WHERE IS THE US INDEPENDENCE ON OIL AND GAS THAT TRUMP HANDED BIDEN? https://www.ynetnews.com/article/h1i3oirxc
Ukraine asks to exclude Russia from Euro Song
Contest. https://www.ynetnews.com/culture/article/ryjabnblq
Finally, Israel figure out that an army marches
on its stomach. https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-to-overhaul-soldiers-food-by-renovating-mess-halls-putting-shawarma-on-menu/
Two KY lawmakers apologize for terms against
Jews. https://www.timesofisrael.com/2-kentucky-lawmakers-apologize-for-saying-jew-them-down/
Afghanistan and Ukraine a warning to Israel. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/322836
Lebanon saves Hezballah headquarters from bomb.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/lebanon-says-it-thwarted-islamic-state-suicide-bomb-plot-on-hezbollah-stronghold/
Ukrainian Birthright Group stuck in Israel. There
are three Birthright Israel groups from Russia and Ukraine currently in Israel,
of which 26 participants are from Ukraine. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/322864
Iranians call NATO a serious threat. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/322879
New Jewish Refugee Crises. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/322842
Zelensky – I am the number 1 target. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/322872
White House condemns hostage report. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/322874
Arab Minister Shimon HaTzadik belongs to
Israel. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/322881
US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday said
lawmakers want to provide Ukraine with $600 million for "lethal defense
weapons" to battle Russia's attack against the country. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/322877
Russian aircraft downed. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/322880
Have a healthy, peaceful and
pleasant Shabbos, Chodesh Adar Bet tov,
Rachamim Pauli