tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58497807621535812552023-11-16T14:55:05.110+02:00A Jewish Israel: Coming HomeEitanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10216473050451488742noreply@blogger.comBlogger79125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5849780762153581255.post-88446692282693474762023-02-16T13:27:00.002+02:002023-11-01T18:42:12.149+02:00 Parents Recall ‘Horror Stories’ About their Kids<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s not every day that you meet Chucky from “Child’s Play” but those of you who’ve had run-ins with that pesky baby that wouldn’t let go of your foot until you doled out the candy will agree that not all children were created in the image of God. Some resemble the not-so-funny version of <b>Dr. Evil</b>. And that’s for starters. When they’re not sound asleep, some kids can drive you absolutely <strike>crazy</strike> up-the-wall bonkers, as those lucky enough to have survived the calamity will attest to. You will be horrified by what random parents recalled about their experiences bringing up the <strike>“ultimate problem child”</strike> reincarnation of Bin Laden. </span></div><span id="docs-internal-guid-e83ef721-7fff-7118-f504-27e6165b20e7"><h3 style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></h3><h3 style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Who Let the Pets Out?</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></h3><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One parent told us about a time his 5-year-old decided to “free the animals” and let out all the family pets - including the 3-foot python, razor-toothed piranhas, and poisonous tarantulas. “It was a day I’ll never forget,” recalls Michigan-native Todd Gorlitch. “I was having breakfast at around 6:30 am that morning, and all of a sudden, I feel something long and slippery sliding up my leg. At first I thought I’d spilled milk from my cereal, but when I took a closer look, my prized (and potentially deadly) pet python was staring back at me. I’d find out later that my darling Billy was out of bed early that morning.</span></p><div><span><br /></span></div></span><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span>Driving Miss Baby</span></h3><span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; white-space: pre-wrap;">Roger from upstate NY recalled the time his 3-year-old took off with his $3 million Rolls Royce and created a scene that would best be described as “OJ on the run #2.” “I was getting ready for a night out with my wife when we got a call from the police. ‘Mr. Jacobs, this is the police and we have an emergency on our hands. There’s a baby at the wheel of a luxury vehicle making its way down Brooklyn Bridge. Helicopters are at the scene attempting to prevent your car - along with the baby - from creating a pile-up and potentially setting the entire bridge on fire.’ That’s when it dawned on me - little Jessica had been awfully quiet the last few hours.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><h3 style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">Set the World on Fire</h3><div style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jennifer shared the story of her 6-year old burning down the family mansion. She says Issabel had just come home from kindergarten and was playing with some toys when her husband called, asking her to pick up the other kids from school. Issabel had been left alone before and it wasn’t going to take long, so she took off. Half an hour later, the little princess was at her side but the house was nowhere to be seen. When the dust had settled and the family had a place to stay, (they’d just moved in and hadn’t gotten around to getting their new home insured) Jennifer says she remembered leaving a lighter in the living room.</span></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p></span>Eitanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10216473050451488742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5849780762153581255.post-84301889243084226572022-08-31T14:33:00.003+03:002022-09-13T09:42:48.947+03:00Beauty and the Beast? Young Models who Chased Wealthy Billionaires<p> <b><span face=""Helvetica",sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="color: #565656; font-size: 25.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Melania Trump</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDYHCruFTSPmWP6aPh4lhJTZbPnkGUUDFXa9vkNWoUKeUdbapH1PvRizZzoOgYjliOOaLuIskFEOP4U8JiSVlKQCOPGwheMNt_0mr518diAtmBdg9aGSu0DsJY-ffPVhsvL57ezbh4PbHo/s2048/melania.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDYHCruFTSPmWP6aPh4lhJTZbPnkGUUDFXa9vkNWoUKeUdbapH1PvRizZzoOgYjliOOaLuIskFEOP4U8JiSVlKQCOPGwheMNt_0mr518diAtmBdg9aGSu0DsJY-ffPVhsvL57ezbh4PbHo/w320-h213/melania.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #565656; font-family: "inherit",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Slovenian model Melania is the third wife of former </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #565656; font-family: "inherit",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">president
Donald Trump. The two have had their share of drama
since </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #be280e; font-family: "inherit",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0cm; text-underline: none;">Trump defeated Hillary Clinton </span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #565656; font-family: "inherit",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">in
one of the tightest presidential races in modern history. While president, the two were spotted arguing and Melania has, on more than one occasion, refused to hold
hands with the real estate tycoon. While her famed hubby has made his billions in a
variety of business and real estate transactions, hosted a reality show, and captured the
hearts of millions of adoring Americans, Mrs. Trump runs a successful body
lotion business and has tasted her own share of entrepreneur success.</span></span><span><br /></span></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #565656; font-family: inherit, serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12pt; mso-outline-level: 2; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><span face=""Helvetica",sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="color: #565656; font-size: 25.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Elisabetta Gregoraci</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX1uLcM7_LJf2Am-hstTYZ97O4_8FNTlRUUPQNpvWmxi5iKfsNOaMiugr2w9wkw9gKSdWmu-h6qAwZ5h0K_lzlySyUlAlYYq7kt3ZXwHaEGhZIAaURibq5mGKSp4KPG2YplYRjbBdNSPqxD9ZALbHD0Y4-HNlRItlhf5xDWxY7QNCU6D5cod2RBhDTlQ/s1200/pop.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX1uLcM7_LJf2Am-hstTYZ97O4_8FNTlRUUPQNpvWmxi5iKfsNOaMiugr2w9wkw9gKSdWmu-h6qAwZ5h0K_lzlySyUlAlYYq7kt3ZXwHaEGhZIAaURibq5mGKSp4KPG2YplYRjbBdNSPqxD9ZALbHD0Y4-HNlRItlhf5xDWxY7QNCU6D5cod2RBhDTlQ/w400-h225/pop.webp" title="Gregoraci per Newsfounded" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="background-color: white; color: #565656; font-size: large; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Gregoraci, who married Flavio Briatore, </span><span lang="EN-US" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: large; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.formula1.com/"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #be280e; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0cm; text-decoration-line: none; text-underline: none;">Formula One</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="background-color: white; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #565656;"> manager with a penchant for pursuing women half his age in 2008, separated on December 23, 2017, but not before bearing him a son named </span><span style="color: #202122;">Nathan Falco. </span></span><span style="color: #565656; font-size: large;">Briatore, who’s allegedly made at least some of his fortune illegally and been romantically linked to at least three supermodels, including Naomi Campbell and Heidi Klum, happens to be a fan of former president Trump and is known for his disdain for a formal education.</span></span></span><div><div><span style="color: #565656; font-family: inherit, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Kristy Hinze</b></span></span><span style="color: #565656; font-family: inherit, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY2R6RDnGMLrWYOkMIUsN7u-SrQcmKcNtLqtS_OMwzsKJhXcxn6ZJchlzCRxRqmN0oAl9jUKmgPZq5pYFJlVYp0dEuuO95-tp2jeu31WOpjBxHi8VbPtx9x68SXH78DHQy0Ttep33hB6cnfJAUZXIoVfe6DSQxt_oNgJLhzqN-rruHYTcqy4lE9_8h5w/s612/k.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="408" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY2R6RDnGMLrWYOkMIUsN7u-SrQcmKcNtLqtS_OMwzsKJhXcxn6ZJchlzCRxRqmN0oAl9jUKmgPZq5pYFJlVYp0dEuuO95-tp2jeu31WOpjBxHi8VbPtx9x68SXH78DHQy0Ttep33hB6cnfJAUZXIoVfe6DSQxt_oNgJLhzqN-rruHYTcqy4lE9_8h5w/w213-h320/k.jpg" title="Kristy Hinze" width="213" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">Australian runway model Kristy Hinze and Jim Clark are quite the success story. The blonde beauty, who appeared in Vogue Magazine at the ripe age of 14, married Silicon Valley investor and founder of Netscape, James H. Clarke. The power couple has had two children together and Hinze has won a boating contest since tying the knot with Clarke.</span><br /></span><p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Tiffany Stewart Cuban</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRyyS5CsTWFdxdwjd6_9V61UXgKXnTBFRGNuR_nka6GiAVN_fPj7-yAT4-iPxuFn7ieoi7JdWKE6zC9vR60aLYKX_QiEVaWl4q9OC8HNVa7RM5IMpw6EHHzuTvxJa9R61zh7XvyFKjLuQvO1Tzt5znB4ma-0pWCVfwJDzTHw-pID-pJrpX5nc__2UyrQ/s633/tif.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="490" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRyyS5CsTWFdxdwjd6_9V61UXgKXnTBFRGNuR_nka6GiAVN_fPj7-yAT4-iPxuFn7ieoi7JdWKE6zC9vR60aLYKX_QiEVaWl4q9OC8HNVa7RM5IMpw6EHHzuTvxJa9R61zh7XvyFKjLuQvO1Tzt5znB4ma-0pWCVfwJDzTHw-pID-pJrpX5nc__2UyrQ/s320/tif.jpg" width="248" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span>The gym saleswoman is married to Mark Cuban, one of the world's richest men, best known for being the outspoken owner of the Dallas Mavericks. Besides his occasional political meddling and spats with players who weren’t interested in competing under the Dallas logo, Mark is known for his role in the Shark Tank reality show. The story of this courtship is somewhat mired in secrecy with the </span><span>couple trying to avoid the public eye whenever possible.</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span></span><p></p></div></div>Eitanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10216473050451488742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5849780762153581255.post-61366296067274636292022-05-26T14:24:00.004+03:002022-12-21T13:30:29.171+02:00Why Hire Me?<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMaYYY4pm-4IiYYZm0G84VZ87Pu4cbYzfiE3uclaSJlzpSbIHPYevEmsbyesFzBtUTr_2Zq-I6kxFFc0bmgWfw4bQohdVVn0LxADCY8yZlmtgdVKrebE_YF1mAO37mI7LfrBkEjSvHhIpd0LT2d3DGaPQlMoqew9IvnVm4MtI3ZTN-rKPL4hzOeEi2Dg/s1328/IMG-20200204-WA0009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="747" data-original-width="1328" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMaYYY4pm-4IiYYZm0G84VZ87Pu4cbYzfiE3uclaSJlzpSbIHPYevEmsbyesFzBtUTr_2Zq-I6kxFFc0bmgWfw4bQohdVVn0LxADCY8yZlmtgdVKrebE_YF1mAO37mI7LfrBkEjSvHhIpd0LT2d3DGaPQlMoqew9IvnVm4MtI3ZTN-rKPL4hzOeEi2Dg/w338-h192/IMG-20200204-WA0009.jpg" width="338" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #565656; font-family: "inherit", serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #565656; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Now who am I?</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #565656; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Let’s take a look…<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #565656; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">A clever man – an open book,<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #565656; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Kind of complex,<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #565656; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">You never know,<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #565656; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">What kind of masterpiece I’m about to flow,<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #565656; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #565656; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Now, you may ask: why trust in me?<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #565656; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I’ll tell you, sir/ma’am/sire/ or Holy See,<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #565656; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I have the skills to make you wonder:<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #565656; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Is this guy real? He stole our thunder!<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #565656; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">He made us smile, made us laugh,<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #565656; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">He showed us how to do the math!<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #565656; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #565656; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Some folks know how to really think,<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #565656; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">They’re programmers, teachers, and some are shrinks,<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #565656; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">But as for me, I’ll write a play,<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #565656; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">A blog post, poem…I’ll make your day!<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #565656; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">You never know just how great it’ll be,<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #565656; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">If you make me your next hiree!</span><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>Eitanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10216473050451488742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5849780762153581255.post-87621916920006901962020-11-10T01:01:00.006+02:002023-04-03T18:02:53.604+03:00Top 10 Places to Visit and Love in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem<p><span style="font-style: italic;">For most </span><span><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;"><i>American tourists visiting Israel</i></span><span style="font-family: inherit, serif; font-style: italic;">, </span></span><span style="font-style: italic;">frequenting our distant shores can be
synonymous to a 7-year-old stepping into a candy shop. There’s just too much of
a good thing to go around…</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;">So where do you go if you’re a hard-working
businessman with little time on your hands to make the most of your Holy Land
experience? We’ve come up with a list of the top 10 places to visit in </span><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;">Tel Aviv and Jerusalem;</span><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;"> </span></i><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;"><i>Israel’s top two tourist attractions.</i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;"><br /></span></p>
<h3></h3><h3></h3><h3></h3><h3><ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in; text-align: left;" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0in; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: "inherit",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;">2C 50</span></b><b><sup><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: "inherit",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;">th</span></sup></b><b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: "inherit",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;"> story bar &
restaurant atop Azrieli Tower, Tel-Aviv</span></b></span></li></ol></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;">Enjoy delicious gourmet Mediterranean cuisine
for reasonable prices while gazing down on colorful </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit, serif;">yachts dotting the blue sea
below. If you’re looking for a great bargain, get a sandwich or cold drink at
the bar without having to pay a whole lot, and still get an incredible view of
greater Tel-Aviv, large stretches of the Mediterranean, and considerable swaths
of the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit, serif;">Judean desert.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhmmTNPQdclJfKI_E260Bpe_Ey10L_3Em1BiTN3rAIJNN1HvIWz0uAuMdtbw2Nf_HXWQcepFjbmvl6L2VFuak8PGqvEUIob9HctKXNth4wApc4genlanHax4X4gWNWqmQi-rQwumIkCAlAWprchnyggQrpMqGnP5MA3-GNo5WJrYsm5chcUgb7C36z4g/s550/2c_bar_restaurant.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="364" data-original-width="550" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhmmTNPQdclJfKI_E260Bpe_Ey10L_3Em1BiTN3rAIJNN1HvIWz0uAuMdtbw2Nf_HXWQcepFjbmvl6L2VFuak8PGqvEUIob9HctKXNth4wApc4genlanHax4X4gWNWqmQi-rQwumIkCAlAWprchnyggQrpMqGnP5MA3-GNo5WJrYsm5chcUgb7C36z4g/s320/2c_bar_restaurant.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<h3></h3><h3></h3><h3></h3><h3><ol start="2" style="margin-top: 0in; text-align: left;" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0in; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: medium; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;">Ben Yehuda Street,
Jerusalem</span></b></li></ol></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;">Ben Yehuda Street is Jerusalem’s prime hangout that captures the
spirit of Israel’s capital city. Throngs of tourists gather here at all times
of the year to listen to impromptu street shows including professional
musicians, trained acrobats, and live mannequins showing off their skills. A must-see
for anyone visiting the Holy City.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<h3></h3><h3><ol start="3" style="margin-top: 0in; text-align: left;" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0in; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: "inherit",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;">Nahalat Binyamin Street
Fair, Tel-Aviv</span></b></li></ol></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;">Every Tuesday and Friday (including holidays) artists, clowns,
and musicians display their merchandise in at the Nahalat Binyamin Street Fair
right along the famed Carmel Market. Even if you’re not there to purchase a
prized piece of art, you’ll definitely enjoy – and get entertained by this
incredible taste of Israel.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMBqGjP-l-3husVjfwDqBPia6jYIlIitPdu0CSXC5RG3tKAEKuJm0FmFu5wIJvmLgvlJvu_otHnV8lqLZUD5XWDCFz-G2yO2XibgIwHAzAgnzKi5SMKHA5DqriHSe1rWYvqzDhGxXLF9rfulIWPgmqBOHlpWuGvAchMXkcYV8FLE9NxYjbMfDbIKIOVg/s800/Nahalat-Binyamin-Crafts-Fair.webp" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMBqGjP-l-3husVjfwDqBPia6jYIlIitPdu0CSXC5RG3tKAEKuJm0FmFu5wIJvmLgvlJvu_otHnV8lqLZUD5XWDCFz-G2yO2XibgIwHAzAgnzKi5SMKHA5DqriHSe1rWYvqzDhGxXLF9rfulIWPgmqBOHlpWuGvAchMXkcYV8FLE9NxYjbMfDbIKIOVg/w320-h207/Nahalat-Binyamin-Crafts-Fair.webp" width="320" /></a></div><p></p>
<h3></h3><h3><ol start="4" style="margin-top: 0in; text-align: left;" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0in; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: "inherit",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;">Old Jaffa, Tel-Aviv</span></b></li></ol></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;">The historic Jaffa harbor, where the modern State of Israel
sprung its roots, is an enchanting maze of romantic gardens, enchanted paths,
and a rich selection of first-rate restaurants. The mighty Mediterranean shore
where Napoleon’s army was repelled for over a month by the Ottoman ruler with
the help of his right-hand Jewish adviser serves as a back-drop to the hotels
and skyscrapers of the booming metropolis of Tel-Aviv. Enjoy a care-free
evening and discover a hidden side of Israel at this pristine location.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<h3></h3><h3><ol start="5" style="margin-top: 0in; text-align: left;" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0in; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: "inherit",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;">Old City, Jerusalem</span></b></li></ol></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;">The Old City of Jerusalem is perhaps the greatest wonder of the
entire world. Built more than three thousand years ago, its stones have
witnessed almost all the upheavals in the history of mankind. Its colorful
markets, narrow alleyways, and spellbinding history give it a quality unlike of
any other place in the world. The Old City is an absolute must for anyone
visiting Jerusalem.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj0zSQ92JVrAzkz5rLEtr3XoC0Kzu8SeHvqX0y4aMyFSWpNfN5vjq6PEx4fVxFuVHN2qiH_JfoQ44CBj-Her7i-BfHAY89G3OOe1IhdHkhmMErfwDmcPMUzHt8TprfbMcKJo5WWcARocFvoFn7wnCXffuwMzF32uoQFW9DgKMh1ctA4YTDGZR4VFIvlA/s1600/bigstock-Jerusalem-Israel-October-329654893.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="991" data-original-width="1600" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj0zSQ92JVrAzkz5rLEtr3XoC0Kzu8SeHvqX0y4aMyFSWpNfN5vjq6PEx4fVxFuVHN2qiH_JfoQ44CBj-Her7i-BfHAY89G3OOe1IhdHkhmMErfwDmcPMUzHt8TprfbMcKJo5WWcARocFvoFn7wnCXffuwMzF32uoQFW9DgKMh1ctA4YTDGZR4VFIvlA/s320/bigstock-Jerusalem-Israel-October-329654893.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;"><br /></span><p></p>
<h3></h3><h3><ol start="6" style="margin-top: 0in; text-align: left;" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0in; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: "inherit",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;">The Tayelet, Tel-Aviv</span></b></li></ol></h3>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;">Tel-Aviv’s famed promenade runs along the shore of the
Mediterranean and offers tourists a riveting glimpse of Israel. There are hundreds
of sun-glazed bars offering an assortment of alcoholic beverages and
mouthwatering delights. Enjoy the sun and soak in the sights and sounds
of life in the Big City! You’ll be sure to bring home some unique stories…</span></p>
<h3></h3><h3><ol start="7" style="margin-top: 0in; text-align: left;" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0in; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: "inherit",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;">Mahane Yehuda Market,
Jerusalem</span></b></li></ol></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;">The Mahane Yehuda market has come to symbolize Israel’s capital
city. The colorful market attracts thousands of local and foreigners on a daily
basis thanks to its unique Middle Eastern appeal. You won’t want to miss this Israeli
marvel and dine in one of its prize-winning restaurants or bars!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<h3></h3><h3><ol start="8" style="margin-top: 0in; text-align: left;" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0in; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: "inherit",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;">Sarona Market, Tel-Aviv</span></b></li></ol></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="background: white; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb9cVS3XlxFwRSO3gdu706Ge2FyMeYhGTuRmqJDz6QnAKAADEZBS28T5jtgas82uY19416jtH7gP7d9eWB7STAyybz_5lMMOpA7jrmqRLxLF6Ah4k549KycCr9CkMx7DDR70DHJlSe5F7Fq0iRnJjc-0YxsxjuJVreHhedFwyDcnLL2zGA1zkTnRxF5g/s1600/Untitled-8-1.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb9cVS3XlxFwRSO3gdu706Ge2FyMeYhGTuRmqJDz6QnAKAADEZBS28T5jtgas82uY19416jtH7gP7d9eWB7STAyybz_5lMMOpA7jrmqRLxLF6Ah4k549KycCr9CkMx7DDR70DHJlSe5F7Fq0iRnJjc-0YxsxjuJVreHhedFwyDcnLL2zGA1zkTnRxF5g/s320/Untitled-8-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;"><br /></span><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;">The recently-opened Sarona Market at the heart of Tel-Aviv
offers visitors 89 businesses under one roof. It’s an experience that reflects
the dynamic culture of the “city that never sleeps” boasting 8,700 square
meters of pure delight. Check it out – you’ll enjoy every bit!</span></p><h3><ol start="9" style="margin-top: 0in; text-align: left;" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0in; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: "inherit",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;">Nachlaot,
Jerusalem</span></b></li></ol></h3><p></p><p></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;">Nachlaot is one of Jerusalem’s foremost cultural and religious
hubs. Built in the late 1800’s, this historic landmark is home to a fascinating
mixture of older generation Torah scholars alongside young American hippies.</span></p>
<h3><ol start="10" style="margin-top: 0in; text-align: left;" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0in; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: "inherit",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;">King David Hotel,
Jerusalem</span></b></li></ol></h3>
<div style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;">The fabled King David Hotel is the residence of choice for world
leaders and dignitaries visiting Israel. Walking down its lobby, you’ll see
signatures of some of the world’s biggest celebrities who’ve stayed there
including Madonna, Mohammad Ali, and the Grateful Dead. The 5-star hotel
features sprawling suites and Jerusalem’s largest outdoor swimming pool along
with picturesque villa looking out at the Old City.</span><span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span></div>Eitanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10216473050451488742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5849780762153581255.post-21261149113521330552020-11-05T17:48:00.001+02:002021-01-04T12:15:27.627+02:00My Top 7 Chicago Bulls of All Time<p> <b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #565656; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;">1. Michael Jordan (1984-’93, 1995-’98) – Who else??</span></b></p><p><span style="color: #565656; font-size: 10.5pt;">AKA “MJ,””Air Jordan,” “His Airness”- and no, ain’t never been a
better playa in NBA history than </span><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;">Air Mike!</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #565656; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Jordan was bigger than life itself. No kid growing up in </span><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #be280e; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;">Chicago</span><span style="color: #565656; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> –
perhaps the entire world – in the early 90’s didn’t know his name.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #565656; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">MJ’s
accolades include: 6 NBA championships, 5 MVP Awards and 14 All-Star
appearances. His net worth currently stands at $1.14 billion and he is the
principal owner and chairman of the Charlotte Hornets basketball team.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #565656; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLnq8H9xcrMAeW3p_V1aSEFGNezHrGmDI2xbdPXcV83zPzwvOQXwyw2GBPhcnhIS7I6z25W2HJto-fHLYfhe7VBhfhisvc8HC6CUxR2nqejfBzKW5FdG3eGZ2VjDps06cWbewqoZeJU-ZZ/s609/the+dunk.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="406" data-original-width="609" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLnq8H9xcrMAeW3p_V1aSEFGNezHrGmDI2xbdPXcV83zPzwvOQXwyw2GBPhcnhIS7I6z25W2HJto-fHLYfhe7VBhfhisvc8HC6CUxR2nqejfBzKW5FdG3eGZ2VjDps06cWbewqoZeJU-ZZ/s320/the+dunk.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #565656; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #565656; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;">2. Norm Van Lier (1971-1978) </span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #565656; font-size: 10.5pt;">“Stormin’
Norman” was a TV show host in the 90’s when I had just started watching the
Bulls. You could tell he was the ultimate gentleman who personified the
American spirit that extended far beyond sports. Van Lier came off as
completely unselfish. His love for the game of basketball was unparalleled.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #565656; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As far
as his career accomplishments, Van Lier is the Bulls’ third all-time leader in
both assists and steals behind Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdxewmI_NtQq13Ux1YRAc5l6mXclq3jzzuW99LX2SXEi7YRSiFmd0clzpmLscmo2JGXYef41_rYhtcIj1U3k3JBkJzjyLxzxNSKOzEamSpNXDQjMFI9U3Su8bMtC4JBJSsbx86Nn3P8Xvd/s820/norm+van+lier.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="581" data-original-width="820" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdxewmI_NtQq13Ux1YRAc5l6mXclq3jzzuW99LX2SXEi7YRSiFmd0clzpmLscmo2JGXYef41_rYhtcIj1U3k3JBkJzjyLxzxNSKOzEamSpNXDQjMFI9U3Su8bMtC4JBJSsbx86Nn3P8Xvd/s320/norm+van+lier.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="color: #565656; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #565656; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;">3.</span></b><span style="color: #565656; font-size: 10.5pt;"> <b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">John Paxson (1985-1994)</span></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #565656; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Johnny
Pax was my favorite Bull for much of his career. His style on and off the court
really spoke to me, and his game-winning 3 in game six of the 1993 NBA
Finals is perhaps my favorite moment in Bulls history.</span><span style="color: #565656; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #565656; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;">4.</span></b><span style="color: #565656; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">Horace Grant (1987-1994)</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #565656; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Grant
was an integral part of the Bulls’ ’91-’93 Three Peat. Horace’s trademark
goggles and jovial attitude always endeared him to me. He was the ultimate
competitor and another all-around good guy.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #565656; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;">5. B.J. Armstrong (1989-1995, 1999-2000) </span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #565656; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I will
never forget Bulls announcer Johnny “Red” Kerr telling the story of how one of
Michael Jordan’s kids had been asked who his favorite Bull was. He said it
was B.J. “because he’s a kid like me.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #565656; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Armstrong
was a too-cool guy with a great shot. He was well respected by all – even
with his babyface appearance-which might just be one of the reasons for
his relative fame despite having just one All-Star appearance to his name.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDlVKcHcmm7WQfirH_vQJJB0OFHE9-w9sXEvBQ_GvxMDLk4sPG_r9hTbpKspgphU1PFgd_6nPN2m_5WHYrESP2a-OEahIb2OZKSqtxK1BHElN0HTfQEU1DZmOfTYcnrQtCbEY_EDR1JtBQ/s1992/bj+armstrong.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1992" data-original-width="1234" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDlVKcHcmm7WQfirH_vQJJB0OFHE9-w9sXEvBQ_GvxMDLk4sPG_r9hTbpKspgphU1PFgd_6nPN2m_5WHYrESP2a-OEahIb2OZKSqtxK1BHElN0HTfQEU1DZmOfTYcnrQtCbEY_EDR1JtBQ/w199-h320/bj+armstrong.jpg" width="199" /></a></div><br /><span style="color: #565656; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #565656; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;">6. Toni Kukoc (1993-2000)</span></b><span style="color: #565656; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #565656; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Toni
began his professional career starring for his hometown Jugoplastike Split team
where he won three consecutive Euroleague titles.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #565656; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">When Kukoc
finally made it across the pond in 1993 and played on three Bulls championship
squads along with MJ, Pippen and Rodman, the basketball world witnessed one of
the greatest European ballers of all time step up his level of play and fit in
to a tee with a championship Bulls team filled to the brim with superstars.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #565656; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“The
Waiter” won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award in 1996.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #565656; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #565656; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;">7.</span></b><span style="color: #565656; font-size: 10.5pt;"> <b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">Dennis Rodman (1995-’98)</span></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #565656; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
numerous fights and antics “Dennis The Menace” engaged in over his
pro career made him enemy of the people #1 around the league.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #565656; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">He was
primarily a rebounding specialist, performing acrobatic stunts to nab the
ball out of what sometimes appeared as thick air.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #565656; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Some of
“The Worm’s” accomplishments include:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: #565656; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.1in; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Getting
married…to <u><b><i>himself</i></b></u> (!!!)<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: #565656; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.1in; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Having
an affair with Madonna.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: #565656; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.1in; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Coaching
a topless basketball league team.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: #565656; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.1in; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Coming
out with a book (about <u>himself</u>) with a picture of <u><b>himself</b></u> naked on the
front cover (basketball replacing fig leaf to prevent having to father too
many illegitimate future ballers/thugs).<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: #565656; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.1in; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Befriending
North Korean dictator and one of the world’s most evil men, King Jong-un
and making numerous trips to N. Korea to “engage in diplomacy” with the
rogue state.</span></li>
</ol><div><span style="color: #565656; font-family: inherit, serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhesC5AmC8ywiic7LPkSXmr321SeHLXvAVtmbEBvayoh7I49w8_UN7BBjc-KZ6Z33RvIsm40t-3U9KIDZxzZIIJKWz0V_Zx4hCRGEak1W2BanZuGZr7XJnxiOlpAXvkxsQ5nTomOt0pGZjZ/s1200/dennis+rodman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="835" data-original-width="1200" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhesC5AmC8ywiic7LPkSXmr321SeHLXvAVtmbEBvayoh7I49w8_UN7BBjc-KZ6Z33RvIsm40t-3U9KIDZxzZIIJKWz0V_Zx4hCRGEak1W2BanZuGZr7XJnxiOlpAXvkxsQ5nTomOt0pGZjZ/w320-h219/dennis+rodman.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span></div>Eitanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10216473050451488742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5849780762153581255.post-68348334957555964232020-09-24T13:04:00.002+03:002023-02-16T14:01:59.668+02:00Top 5 Jewish Dating Sites<p><i>Prior to finding my beshert more than 3 yrs ago, I discovered a variety of high-quality
Jewish dating sites in the great world wide web. Each seems to be tailored to a
specific audience. For example, there are those that target the Haredi
public, those for the religious Zionists out there, those for the
not-too-concerned Jews amongst us, etc...</i></p><p><i><o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p><i><b><u>Here are the top 5 Jewish dating sites according to my personal experience:</u></b></i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p><strong>1.</strong> <a href="http://www.sawyouatsinai.com/">SawYouatSinai</a>
and its sister website <a href="http://www.seeyouinisrael.com/">SeeYouinIsrael</a>:
<em><b>(free in Israel)</b></em> you get your choice of shadchan/shadchanit who
(if they care about what they're doing--and in my experience, while some are
better than others, you simply can't go wrong) will "suggest" at
least five matches for you/week. This means that they will send either you or a
potential match either his/her profile or your profile. If you choose to put
down a little extra cash, you get an unlimited amount of matches.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>If you "accept" a match, he/she has 7 days to either
"accept" or "decline." If he chooses to declines the match,
his/her choice will appear in your "Matches" box but obviously
without the reason they declined. If they accept as well (the second party has
5 days to decide), the guy gets the girl's phone number and has three days to
call her. They can talk things over and schedule a date if they so choose.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>Both parties are advised to follow up with their respective shadchanit
regarding "match progress." You fill in a blank once you've gone on
the first date, once you're "dating," and once you're
"engaged." The site states that you must pay your shadchanit a
certain bonus if a match is made. I feel that this "symbolic" payment
is well worth the reward.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1qbWII9aaaXYJ_Rq91SW6DmL3-9GU2zctTHf0e5kJi2eQbJD_nbQjqXj8to6WbeccR2aSOLDfDq8TaDaMlelUOBc47H1Lbtk0CRwblC9bQj7Gg8Z7tN5u5fDHFFXb5VRjXKw2_59EsmBA5hWO5OJRlAJBrmXinObpnNe3AYio7aBx6EUrBcIriSXHaQ/s240/15PIrp_j_400x400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="240" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1qbWII9aaaXYJ_Rq91SW6DmL3-9GU2zctTHf0e5kJi2eQbJD_nbQjqXj8to6WbeccR2aSOLDfDq8TaDaMlelUOBc47H1Lbtk0CRwblC9bQj7Gg8Z7tN5u5fDHFFXb5VRjXKw2_59EsmBA5hWO5OJRlAJBrmXinObpnNe3AYio7aBx6EUrBcIriSXHaQ/w330-h161/15PIrp_j_400x400.jpg" width="330" /></a></div><p><em><b><br /></b></em></p><p><em><b>My shadchan has made 11 matches (this number has probably doubled since I last posted). That's simply remarkable based on
the fact that both him and his wife work full time and have almost a minyan-full of lil ones at home.</b></em></p><p><o:p></o:p></p>
<p><strong>2. </strong><a href="http://www.date4dos.co.il/">Shlish Gan Eden</a>:
I believe this is <b>by far the best dating site in Israel</b>. If you're the least
bit religious and living in the Holy Land, Shlish is definitely the way to go!
They continuously update their site with new candidates. It's not a
shadchan-based dating experience; rather, you get to interact directly with the
other party.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>There are advantages to this system. For example, instead of a matchmaker
picking out girls/guys for you based on what they know about your personality,
looks, lifestyle, level of religiosity, etc., you get to "approach"
the people you're interested in yourself. There's a certain charm to this. <em><b>Perhaps,
it feels more natural--as if you're approaching someone on the street and
asking them for their phone number, only you're doing it in a discrete setting.
Highly recommended!</b></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p><strong>3.</strong> <a href="http://www.jwed.com/">JWed</a>: possibly the
best Jewish dating site intended for marriage purposes only (as it states on
the landing page). It features the same setup as Shlish--<em><b>meaning singles
get to see profiles of one another and approach each other without first having
to go through a third party. It's intended mainly for English-speakers.</b></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p><strong>4.</strong> <a href="http://www.jdate.com/">JDate</a>: while this
dating site is mostly intended for the <b>secular or non-frum population</b>, I
personally</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIdHEOSvbBQWzI1h3iOfOqI-3NYv1myG5hOvbentQ0SvvBh71HSjW-YKJyGU9pjS4YnJIA7P110xmeHA4w-I9c9ZbTiQ2TO8guStSYeFSzJabv9u4igxlmgnhrhMK92wL6kay7CVI4C4NCIET9FEuVU1CbWnPStzG4PAqeNWVCnJbO3WVhm01jYnUeRA/s948/144f2563cc5112e1d7d428e06664ab16634f4c52.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="699" data-original-width="948" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIdHEOSvbBQWzI1h3iOfOqI-3NYv1myG5hOvbentQ0SvvBh71HSjW-YKJyGU9pjS4YnJIA7P110xmeHA4w-I9c9ZbTiQ2TO8guStSYeFSzJabv9u4igxlmgnhrhMK92wL6kay7CVI4C4NCIET9FEuVU1CbWnPStzG4PAqeNWVCnJbO3WVhm01jYnUeRA/w320-h199/144f2563cc5112e1d7d428e06664ab16634f4c52.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /> know of a religious couple who met via JDate. You'll see a lot of
people interested more in looks and social status than other issues that I feel
hold a deeper significance, but <em><b>if you're that happy-go guy/gal who have
a steady income and aren't "overly" religious, this might be the site
for you!</b></em><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p>...and last but definitely not the worst option, a site where a close friend
of mine met her husband (this site is not all Jewish...)<o:p></o:p></p>
<p><strong>5. </strong><a href="http://www.okcupid.com/">OkCupid</a>: OKCupid
has a very unique setup that separates it from the field and gives it an added
advantage. It lets singles fill out a compatibility profile and matches up
other singles who have similar backgrounds, interests, goals, and life visions.
<em><b>While it's not a "Jewish" site per say, the fact that it will
only show you singles who would be a good match based on the amount of
qualities you have in common, you're more than likely to find that Jewish
guy/girl who lives in your neck of the woods. Unlike of the other sites,
OkCupid is also completely free!</b></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Eitanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10216473050451488742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5849780762153581255.post-7738810839254874302013-03-14T16:59:00.001+02:002013-03-14T23:40:13.743+02:00L.A. Lakers' Star, Kobe Bryant, Calls Hawks Player Out After Fouling Him and Getting Injured<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOnPAzFqXm-5nbQMmw1pbIdbMQyXuRkmTspTcIXMGgT-hPuEMyT2P3uMWUbw-kWZWdrqDn0ZNtDBCNor-s5G3X2VT4-t7ckCStPZfqrHttkV0wv0lefM93fSzhic6pOYnHTKLSFd4W_32G/s1600/kobe-bryant-vs-hawks-getty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOnPAzFqXm-5nbQMmw1pbIdbMQyXuRkmTspTcIXMGgT-hPuEMyT2P3uMWUbw-kWZWdrqDn0ZNtDBCNor-s5G3X2VT4-t7ckCStPZfqrHttkV0wv0lefM93fSzhic6pOYnHTKLSFd4W_32G/s320/kobe-bryant-vs-hawks-getty.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
L.A. Lakers' former MVP and 5-time NBA champion, Kobe Bryant isn't known as the nicest of people. He's gotten into small-time scraps with opposing players from time to time, and isn't the perfect teammate as reported by multiple sources over the years. But the great thing is (and this is really, really great) that LA is likely to miss the playoffs outright. I certainly hope they will!<br />
<br />
Kobe landed akwardly after missing a fadeaway in the final seconds of Wednesday's loss to Atlanta. He claims that Dhantay Jones, who was guarding him on the play, purposely stuck his foot out to prevent all-powerful Kobe from landing right. Having watched video of the play, my feeling is that Bryant is just upset about missing the shot, and that he likes to cry to the press about his little run-in's with players like Jones, whom he apparently has some history with.<br />
<br />
In other NBA news, <a href="http://jewishisraelhome.blogspot.co.il/2013/03/can-miami-heat-be-stopped.html">Miami</a> has now won 20 straight. I don't think the Heat will lose again till well into the playoffs, perhaps the Conference Finals--or even the Championship. I'm beyond certain the Heat will win it all this year. It doesn't exactly take a brain surgeon to predict this much. <br />
<br />
Who'll win it all in 2014? My first pick would be Miami again, but a few teams from the West such as the Clippers and Oklahoma City might have a decent shot too. I'm prepared to count out San Antonio for the next few years. That's one team you shouldn't expect much from, especially when Duncan, Parker and Ginobili are set to retire a few years down the line.<br />
<br />
When will it finally be Chicago's turn to rule supreme? DRose should be ready to go next season, and we might actually make some noise in '14, but don't expect a finals run. Miami is just too good with their <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/news/heat-stay-calm-rally-20th-025128134--nba.html">3-Headed Monster</a>. Maybe when the Heat finally disolve their roster or at least trim it a little bit, Da Bulls will gain some type of momentum in the East. I think maybe 2016 will be that magical year for Chicago. Why 2016? I don't know, it just sounds good!Eitanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10216473050451488742noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5849780762153581255.post-63500198015614506852013-03-14T11:02:00.001+02:002013-03-14T11:02:18.549+02:00On Continuing Where You Started, and Not Giving Up (and My New Job at Judaica Web Store)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMrDHzGRPs4cW26IC3YKE2J6P-fsDXuGIuhVW2-OX1ndW1KF04c6amyq1tkX8D2S4TXDp368YQ5XJyP361aoR4_045QV-p9AXkj1-UjdRyjGXaNbtnbIWtwA3aZjFuQjYmg0RocqeqEoBE/s1600/untitled.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMrDHzGRPs4cW26IC3YKE2J6P-fsDXuGIuhVW2-OX1ndW1KF04c6amyq1tkX8D2S4TXDp368YQ5XJyP361aoR4_045QV-p9AXkj1-UjdRyjGXaNbtnbIWtwA3aZjFuQjYmg0RocqeqEoBE/s320/untitled.png" width="254" /></a></div>
<br />
I've learned a lot of valuable lessons over the past few years. Continuing onwards with my mission, and not giving up are two of the most important ones. I've overcome so much, but there's still so much ahead of me. I realize I need to keep a steady pace if I'm to reach the goals I've set for myself. In general, I believe it's important to set realistic goals, and follow through on them.<br />
<br />
As far as what's been happening in my life lately, I got a really interesting job working at a company in Givat Shaul. I've been assigned the task of writing product descriptions for their website: <a href="http://www.judaicawebstore.com/">Judaica Web Store</a>. I've found that they're offering some really nice items like: <a href="http://www.judaicawebstore.com/-ahava-mineral-duo-kit-hand-body-cream-P7128.aspx">Ahava hand and body cream</a>, nicely-priced <a href="http://www.judaicawebstore.com/passover--C35.aspx">Passover gifts</a>, etc, etc...<br />
<br />
On the topic of setting goals, work is one of these for me. I believe that hard work improves a person, making him a better human being. Only by doing hard work, can we hope to give back to society--and the world. <br />
<br />
Wishing everyone a great month of ניסן, new strength, and a renewal of old friendships! <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
שניזקה כולנו לגאולה שלמה בקרוב בימימו! אמן</div>
Eitanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10216473050451488742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5849780762153581255.post-14591456513952515432013-03-13T15:45:00.001+02:002013-03-13T22:43:14.317+02:00Can the Miami Heat be Stopped?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6E4vWhVRDLXWqgZR3v7DT5WL6kKm6Qp2BwrYV92HdXsYOBfCMf-_jJ923HiXdctbm0pfNFDDvXX0h4G3SfL7pf9BCl0BUVvDCkTM-FGxWZZL2k5bBX-cPf6mmTp4pHiz07NUmKdXUVq6j/s1600/lbjsmile_display_image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6E4vWhVRDLXWqgZR3v7DT5WL6kKm6Qp2BwrYV92HdXsYOBfCMf-_jJ923HiXdctbm0pfNFDDvXX0h4G3SfL7pf9BCl0BUVvDCkTM-FGxWZZL2k5bBX-cPf6mmTp4pHiz07NUmKdXUVq6j/s320/lbjsmile_display_image.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
As Lebron Jame's <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3704">Miami Heat</a> continue their domination of the <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/news/heat-streak-now-19-top-015708384--nba.html;_ylt=Ah0ZH6M7pNmM.dhYMZbmzoO8vLYF;_ylu=X3oDMTRtZmVuYWpwBG1pdANMSVNUUyBNaXhlZCBMaXN0IE5CQSBIZWFkbGluZXMEcGtnA2RhYzIyNmE1LTU1OWItMzg2NS04OWYxLWMyNWMyMWQ3ZTlhOQRwb3MDMgRzZWMDTWVkaWFCTGlzdE1peGVkTFBDQVRlbXAEdmVyAzcwZjU2ODcwLThiOTctMTFlMi04ZGYwLTFjYTYxYmIwNzRiNw--;_ylg=X3oDMTFoNjVvZWVyBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDBHBzdGNhdANuYmEEcHQDc2VjdGlvbnM-;_ylv=3">NBA</a>, the concrete answer that enters my mind to the question posed above is "No, they can't." Point blank period.<br />
<br />
The latest tour de force came at the expense of one of this year's Eastern Conference disappointments, <a href="http://www.nba.com/hawks/">Atlanta Hawks</a>, currently in a tie with Boston for 6th/7th and 14.5 back of Miami in a Southeast Division that was decided before the opening tip of game 1 this year.<br />
<br />
Dwyane Wade has had yet another All-Star season. He scored 23 points on Tuesday night, in a game that was never in doubt from the starting whistle. The unflinching Miami squad extended their winning streak to 19 games.<br />
<br />
Now's the time for me to start saying "I told you so!" to all y'all. I made a bet with a close friend of mine that the Heat would go on a 7-peat when they put together their freak show three years ago. It didn't happen. Dallas got the better of them in '11, but folks, it's gonna be all Heat from here, and they're not gonna be de-throned for another 4-5 years with D. Rose sidelined for G-d knows how long.<br />
<br />
This is a true freak show, make no doubt about it. James is a machine on a mission, D Wyade is a special specimen not to be forgotten, and Chris Bosh is all that and a bag of pistachios. Take it to the bank, guys: El Heat will <em>at least </em>5-Peat!<br />
<br />
Reporting from the capital of the world...this here disgruntled <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Jordan">Chi Bulls</a> fan...and we thought we could do it...<br />
<br />Eitanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10216473050451488742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5849780762153581255.post-65410642629851880542013-03-07T00:13:00.003+02:002022-08-31T13:51:00.102+03:00Update: Hugo Chavez in the Process of Interviewing for a Position in Hell<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-YjozVMLjbmZs24TRVFvsF-0GDVZlpmmhFS-EPpc5fwmyWRbSLevp6h7MHgiCfJTIGJdFoLfXlFk9n_k083ZrJ7GHbC8GCDi-1t-bd6TuJyhZrd7hnbyN0xA84OM4-Orlj4R753as6DfH/s1600/Saddam.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-YjozVMLjbmZs24TRVFvsF-0GDVZlpmmhFS-EPpc5fwmyWRbSLevp6h7MHgiCfJTIGJdFoLfXlFk9n_k083ZrJ7GHbC8GCDi-1t-bd6TuJyhZrd7hnbyN0xA84OM4-Orlj4R753as6DfH/s320/Saddam.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<strong>Here's my preview of the interview the </strong><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saddam_Hussein"><strong>Devil</strong></a><strong> is having with (ex) Venezuelan dictator, </strong><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-21682247"><strong>Hugo Chavez</strong></a><strong>:</strong><br />
<br />
<strong>Devil:</strong> Welcome to my abode, my son! What can you offer us here on the dark side besides the bootylicious behinds of <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/entertainment/2013/03/sean-penn-mourns-death-of-hugo-chavez/">Sean Penn</a>, <a href="http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/entertainment/2012/10/08/danny-glover-shows-hugo-chavez-love-after-political-victory-in-new-video/">Danny Glover</a>, and my favorite Jew, <a href="http://libcom.org/library/chomsky-chavez-clown">Noam</a>?<br />
<br />
<strong>Hugo:</strong> Uhm...thanks I guess. Are you <a href="http://ibnlive.in.com/news/on-devil-george-w-bush-and-more-famous-quotes-by-hugo-chavez/376954-2.html">George W. Bush</a>?<br />
<br />
<strong>Devil:</strong> No, Saddam here. I called you down here because I was looking for an intellectual. Weren't you the one who read The Warrior's Oracle, and some stuff by Ortega Y Gasset? Don't you know anything about Senorito Consentido? <br />
<br />
<strong>Hugo:</strong> No, I'm just a thug, and everyone knows that except for you apparently. What exactly were you expecting?!<br />
<br />
<strong>Devil:</strong> Hugo, but you're such a sexy stud, can't you tell me about your dirty underwear or something?<br />
<br />
<strong>Hugo:</strong> Well, I threw my first wife to the curb after she refused to...<br />
<br />
<strong>Devil:</strong> Yes, my beloved dictator, tell me more...<br />
<br />
<strong>Hugo:</strong> Well, the b#### wouldn't stay in the kitchen. Did I forget to mention women need to stay in the kitchen?<br />
<br />
<strong>Devil:</strong> I, too, believe in that, my dictator buddy. Tell me more about your life...<br />
<br />
<strong>Hugo:</strong> I was born in the capital of the Barinas State whose capital is, well...Barinas...There's some oil there, and some cows who munch on grass...you know, Devil, grass...<br />
<br />
<strong>Devil:</strong> Yeah, of course I know about grass, now tell me more!<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<strong>Hugo:</strong> I attended a military academy where they had a baseball team. Then, I turned towards the teachings of my great predecessors, Mr. Stalin, Mao, and Mr. Pot, and ya know...the good people who always believed in higher values like reallocating the wealth to the poor, and making love to blow-up dolls of Fidel.<br />
<br />
<strong>Devil:</strong> I'm all ears...and a##...<br />
<br />
<strong>Hugo:</strong> There was this tree...no, it's not what you're thinking, Devil...I didn't smoke it, but I would have liked to...I took an oath at this tree. It had something to do with Bolivar's life-long aspiration of uniting the people of America.<br />
<br />
<strong>Devil:</strong> OK, OK, enough, lil buddy. I'm taking you to bed with me. <br />
<br />
<strong>Hugo:</strong> I'm too sexy for my pants, too sexy for...<br />
<br />
<em>to be continued...</em>Eitanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10216473050451488742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5849780762153581255.post-44643780160214716992013-03-06T16:53:00.002+02:002013-03-06T16:54:45.413+02:00Here Come the 'Hawks!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmAX8FadPXIHR6sqnPKtp3D0PrqFzHSJS08K_-G3pDvZKAaw5m1ahHbHJUrZmAIRFwgMWeGPOZxrnaAsINU8WDZCCpKFtV5N_PRwhAJKjL_IA9W2Cxoq44D5KIst1GdLnsCxP7SpbqRTpc/s1600/imagesCAZZKT28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmAX8FadPXIHR6sqnPKtp3D0PrqFzHSJS08K_-G3pDvZKAaw5m1ahHbHJUrZmAIRFwgMWeGPOZxrnaAsINU8WDZCCpKFtV5N_PRwhAJKjL_IA9W2Cxoq44D5KIst1GdLnsCxP7SpbqRTpc/s1600/imagesCAZZKT28.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
Just in case you haven't noticed, the <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/news/blackhawks-extend-points-streak-win-042204608--nhl.html">Chicago Blackhawks</a> have ravaged the rest of the NHL since the 2013 campaign got under way. They've won a franchise-best 10 in a row, and have extended their points streak (the amount of time they've gone without losing in regulation) to 29 consecutive games.<br />
<br />
The 'Hawks are 1st in the West and 1st overall with an incredible record of 20-0-3. This is pretty much unheard of in a league with a history of relative parity. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/players/3814">Bryan Bickell</a> scored twice and <a href="http://espn.go.com/chicago/nba/story/_/id/9019562/patrick-kane-chicago-blackhawks-likes-miami-heat-comparison">Patrick Kane</a>, who's in the running for the <a href="http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=658492">NHL MVP</a> award (second only to Sidney Crosby) connected on a big one in the third. Corey Crawford has been sensational in goal all season long. He's in the running for the Vezina Trophy for top goalie of the year. And that's just one season after a sub-par 2012 during which he allowed all types of mistakes. Pretty impressive for a team that suffered a major let-down last year, huh!?<br />
<br />
There's still a long season left to go, but the 2013 NHL lockout has forced a shorter season on those poor, disenchanted hockey fans. To be sure, there are 25 <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/opinion/2013/01/plenty-of-questions-as-curtain-raises-on-2013-nhl-season.html">games left in the NHL season</a>. I just hope those pesky 'Hawks keep flying high till it's all said 'n done, and Lord Stanley's Cup is hoisted once again atop the Chicago ice.<br />
<br />
<div class="first">
</div>
Eitanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10216473050451488742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5849780762153581255.post-10809411591538055142013-03-04T17:11:00.001+02:002013-03-14T10:35:23.593+02:00A World Without Facebook<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5QUGsJweJs91MujMQM02MSTCKL9CBFGV8XBAS8ZtUYOmbmOGeBkwA1jqpcs4Qb_PdZqR-GJPSHfzYBUYeGh5uBi7h2ADMJ3fH5alvIqnzS50i9U2gUeTQaJnIti0XAxt69krIwS291YMt/s1600/fbclosed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5QUGsJweJs91MujMQM02MSTCKL9CBFGV8XBAS8ZtUYOmbmOGeBkwA1jqpcs4Qb_PdZqR-GJPSHfzYBUYeGh5uBi7h2ADMJ3fH5alvIqnzS50i9U2gUeTQaJnIti0XAxt69krIwS291YMt/s320/fbclosed.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
It's been a week since I quit the T-Rex of <a href="http://socialmediatoday.com/">social media</a> that what's-his-name founded aka <a href="https://www.facebook.com/">Facebook</a>. I can't say I've missed it; on the contrary, I've had a lot more time for taking care of daily chores and working on my day job.<br />
<br />
Facebook doesn't need me--and I don't need Facebook to survive in this crazy, senseless world full to the brink with all types of "interesting" phenomena to go around the block and then some, etc, etc to a million degrees. <br />
<br />
I need me some peace of mind, and gosh darn it, I'm gonna get it! Living in Israel, about 15 min's ride from the <a href="http://geography.about.com/od/politicalgeography/a/palestinenot.htm">"Occupied Territories"</a> (boy, would I love it if the our cousins in "<a href="http://www.freepalestinemovement.org/home.html">Palestine</a>"--wherever that happens to be--quit occupying our land), this might just be a difficult proposition, but I'm gonna see to it that I get this one task done!<br />
<br />
Facebook or no Facebook, it's still vital to focus on the goals ahead: get elected to the post of Prime Minister, followed by a destructive take-over of the world...or maybe just stay on as the product description manager at this here place smack in the middle of nowhere. Whichever the case may be, I'm about to get it done and it doesn't involve Facebook.<br />
<br />
So there, let's raise a shot of L'chaim to a world free of social media and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet">Internet</a>--oh wait, I'm using it right now. Gotta go, sorry folks, I need to save the world!Eitanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10216473050451488742noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5849780762153581255.post-87468433860247756562013-02-27T12:49:00.000+02:002013-03-22T14:25:27.526+02:00Once Upon a Busy Place in Baka<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzrPTWu79R4NoPlb98Rm6uTwmgaI4ssUr9My4_ymGR6e8l6dUQhoAufP8F2hJVVvV25ntxi9A_qVgWJ2NlUAhRHSBnG7NIesLPNwZ6el9pqhZKjol-2_KVl37Iu68bzHTSsYBrWAswpBnZ/s1600/DSCF0358.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzrPTWu79R4NoPlb98Rm6uTwmgaI4ssUr9My4_ymGR6e8l6dUQhoAufP8F2hJVVvV25ntxi9A_qVgWJ2NlUAhRHSBnG7NIesLPNwZ6el9pqhZKjol-2_KVl37Iu68bzHTSsYBrWAswpBnZ/s320/DSCF0358.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 1em;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Bagel Bite is a
restaurant in Baka, a neighborhood that used to be home to a few thousand Arabs.
Today, it's a blossoming district of Jerusalem neighboring Talpiot and the
German Colony, about 40-minutes walk from the center of town, and another 15 to
the Wailing Wall. It's a busy place. You'll hear excited voices at any time of
the day--or night. There's always something to do here.<br />
<br />
Even though I live in a highly contested area, you won’t hear a word of
politics at Bagel Bite because it’s a mixed staff of Jewish and Palestinian
workers who try to have as much fun as possible while making a living selling
bagels, and an assortment of foods ranging from muffins to sushi (sushi was
recently added to their already-packed menu).<br />
<br />
I've been coming here ever since I moved from Efrat to Jerusalem a year ago.
It's a nice place with friendly waiters who do their best to make you happy,
leaving you wanting to hand them a big tip. I’ve made some really good friends
amongst both the staff and the usual customers. Somehow, I feel this is my “home
away from home.” I come to Bagel Bite whenever I have a writing assignment, or
need to finish a translation project. In fact, I’m sitting here now writing this.<br />
</span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="more"></a><br /><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
One of my closest friends at Bagel Bite is a young Palestinian called “Baha.” I
recently helped him put together an application to a German university.
Yesterday he approached me and thanked me for having performed this act of kindness
towards him. And the result: he was accepted to study there! Now, it’s on to
bigger and better things for my friend, Baha. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;">Bagel Bite
allows people of different backgrounds to come together for a hearty meal. It’s
a place to read a good piece of literature, sip a cup of Latte, or do some
work. I’m grateful to the Bagel Bite staff for treating me like I’m one of
theirs. Even though I recently started working full-time, I continue frequenting
this busy place in Baka in search of the company of good people, and a refuge
from all the hustle and tussle of our beautiful capital.<br />
</span></span></div>
Eitanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10216473050451488742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5849780762153581255.post-13929483242789327972013-01-07T20:04:00.000+02:002013-01-07T22:45:48.596+02:00From Darkness to LightVery often in life, we face situations that make us question ourselves: Are we doing the right things? Are we behaving correctly? Are we treating others as we, ourselves, would want to be treated? What can we do better?<br />
<br />
R' Nachman of Breslov equates the <em>yetzer ha'ra </em>or evil inclination, that inner devil within you who wants you to make all the wrong decisions even though the real "you" knows he's wrong, to one's imagination. Our imagination is capable of taking us to places we don't want to be. It can persuade us to make the wrong decisions, and focus our attention on the wrong things. It can be a very dangerous factor. <br />
<br />
Some extreme cases of this phenomenon can be found in individuals suffering from paranoia and hallucinations. There are people who imagine that they're constantly being "watched" or "followed," or that there's a conspiracy against them. But these are the extreme cases. Everyone suffers from one sort of paranoia or another, however.<br />
<br />
What helps?<br />
<br />
For one, constantly being busy, working helps a lot. When one is focused on the imortant aspects of life, they forget about "finding the next date," or the latest sports or social media news. <br />
<br />
Being focused on your goals goes hand in hand with working. When you're focused on what you want to accomplish either short--or long term, you forget about the meaningless chatter in your head.<br />
<br />
And how do you go from being "down in the dumps," from constantly being depressed and laying around the house all day to being a productive member of society? It takes a lot of effort, a lot of perserverance, and a steady commitment. I've done it, you can too!Eitanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10216473050451488742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5849780762153581255.post-37794687723412715982012-12-27T01:39:00.000+02:002013-01-09T19:32:20.433+02:00Tel-Aviv and Jerusalem: A Tale of Two Cities<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJUa_0Wd5acClUTOd3_8lChJqE_LYio5AbgV9lKMHgxi7Zi7CDiadnS0pIqa0R8ZYZVMYwqC8wui4I0At6Ht8159kfRnYTTfXnMcUBy8HREzBGAp141bOsk7ogK1uaKYV8jyMXdROzefF1/s1600/With+Sarit+and+Max+014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJUa_0Wd5acClUTOd3_8lChJqE_LYio5AbgV9lKMHgxi7Zi7CDiadnS0pIqa0R8ZYZVMYwqC8wui4I0At6Ht8159kfRnYTTfXnMcUBy8HREzBGAp141bOsk7ogK1uaKYV8jyMXdROzefF1/s320/With+Sarit+and+Max+014.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I got up early Friday morning,
attended the local Chabad morning prayers, and took bus 75 to the central bus
station in Jerusalem. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I hurried to find my way. I’d
been here many times before, and the Friday morning hustle was nothing new to
me. I encountered a few beggars on the way. Jerusalem is host to an array of
both needy people and those pretending to be poor and spending their time benefiting
from the locals’ generosity.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">There’s a wide range of
stores, pharmacies, cafes, restaurants, and even a place to donate blood at the
central bus station. At this particular time of the year, it’s teaming with
tourists from all over the world. Many are Christian pilgrims who’ve come to
Israel for Christmas. Some continue on a tour of the Middle East, while others
prefer to stay in Israel and remain shielded from the perils of our neighbors
to the East.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a name='more'></a><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Just before I entered the
big, grey building a bit reminiscent of a cardboard box with holes, an Arab cab
driver beckoned to me, yelling “Tel-Aviv, Tel-Aviv!” in all directions. His
cries were so loud that I heard him as soon as I got off the bus. I wanted to
thank him politely and continue on my way, but realized that this would be a
faster way of reaching my destination. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I paid him and proceeded to
sit in his mini-van for the next ten minutes before realizing there would be no
takers besides me. While seated in the mini-van I listened to the all-Arabic
radio station and figured it was probably the local P.A. station because
screams of “Alla El-Akhbar,” the deadly reminder of Arab terror, protruded from
the radio display ever so often. I decided to take the safe route, bus 480, to
the railway station in Tel-Aviv. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Having arrived in “Sin City,”
as religious Jews often refer to Tel-Aviv, I took a bus to the center. I had
scheduled a meeting with an old buddy of mine, a German Jew who’d been the
guard (those were the days of the Intifada, but I believe there are still
guards stationed there), at one of the dorm buildings in Tel-Aviv University,
where I’d studied for my B.A. I’d taken a particular liking to Max despite his
hard-core leftist leanings. We spent entire days chit-chatting about topics
ranging from animal rights and preserving the environment to the rights of Palestinian
refugees.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Max and I embraced when we
met. It had been a long and difficult six years for me. It seemed he hadn’t had
the easiest go of it either. We exchanged some greetings, and grabbed some
seats at a kosher café (kosher restaurants are somewhat difficult to find in
Sin City) in Dizzengoff Center, named for Tel-Aviv’s first mayor, and far-left
activist Meir Yankelevich Dizzengoff. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We discussed the upcoming
elections (Max is voting for one of the far-right parties in the hopes it will
gain some seats and expose Israel as the “apartheid” state he believes it to
be. I’m voting for this party as well, but for different reasons altogether.
Ironically, we’ve been placed in the same camp party-wise, while being on
opposite ends of Israel’s political spectrum). We also touched on Max’s plans
of reducing pollution, and global warming, and his newly-found passion for clay
sculpting. Towards the end of our get-together, we asked the waitress to take
some pictures of the two of us.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">From Dizzengoff Center, I
travelled to Ramat Hasharon, an upper-class, northern suburb of Tel-Aviv, and a
place I used to live in. I took bus 24, the bus I’d always taken on my way from
either the center or Tel-Aviv University. I reminisced about days gone by as
the bus violently swerved from one narrow street to the next leaving smaller
vehicles wondering if Obama’s motorcade had finally made it to Israel and was
now speeding along the not-so-docile streets of what America considers Israel’s
capital.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We finally made it to
Morasha, a religious enclave of Ramat Hasharon, where my Rabbi lives with his
wife and five small children. They welcomed me warmly and I reached for the
presents I’d brought them for Shabbat. The kids swarmed around me, insisting
that they’d be the one to sit next to me at the dinner table. It was a relief
to be in the company of people who cared about me as deeply as the Ariel’s. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Ariel’s had come to Ramat
Hasharon from Beit-El, a “settlement” deep inside the Green Line in 2006
following the expulsion of Jews from Gush Katif. They had actually moved to
Gush Katif in 2005 right before the Disengagement from Gaza in order to protest
the government’s actions. They’d been forcefully kicked out of their home.
Their oldest son, Yonatan (literally “Given by G-d”) was born in Gush Katif. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I met Amitzur, the man of the
family, when he was rolling the second-born, Yochai, up the building stairs in
a stroller. I’d approached him and inquired where he was from and if I could
study Torah with him. As he told me years later, he felt this was a “sign” he
was making the right decision by moving to an unknown place with his young
family.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When Shabbat had drawn to a
close, I packed my things and set out on a long trek back to the eternal
capital of the State of Israel and the Jewish people. I was glad to be heading
home; sad that it would be some time before I saw the Ariel’s again. I was
headed towards a city we, as a people, have dreamed of returning and rebuilding
for two millennia; leaving the sprawling high-tech capital of the Middle East. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">On my way back, I saw a lot
of things that made me realize just how much of a difference there was between
Jerusalem and Tel-Aviv. While Jerusalem symbolizes our People’s connection to
their past, Tel-Aviv represents the desire of a large segment of Israel’s
population to leave this past in the rear view mirror, and move forward to a
better future empty of any reminders of years past. It symbolizes a departure
from accepted mores and values; a separation from what we, as a people, have
considered “sacred” for as long as we’ve been around. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And yet, Tel-Aviv is holy in
its own way. Not only is it an integral part of Israel, but the great Rabbi,
author, and scholar, Avraham Tzvi Ha’Kohen Kook,founder of the religious-Zionist
movement that has captured the hearts and souls of so many Israelis today, made
Tel-Aviv his home. Countless other religious authorities have spent their lives
in Tel-Aviv. And Tel-Aviv is home to some of the world’s most renowned yeshivas
and seminaries. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Thoughts about the future of
my country and People occupied my mind as I closed my eyes and fell asleep on
the bus heading along the hilly ascent to Jerusalem. I was making the coveted
pilgrimage Jews had dreamed of making for the duration of our difficult, often
tragic exile. What was better: Jerusalem or Tel-Aviv? Where would I settle
next: the internationally-accepted capital of Israel or the one we, Jews,
consider our nation’s center? And just before dozing off, and finding myself in
dreamland, one last thought: Just how many people was the 70-year old bus
driver going cut off before he was pulled over for breaking the speeding limit?<o:p></o:p></span></span>Eitanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10216473050451488742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5849780762153581255.post-22120667075307709922012-12-23T14:39:00.001+02:002013-01-09T19:32:40.700+02:00End of DaysBy Eliyahu:<br />
<div class="WordSection1">
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<span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="color: #17365d; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">ד"סב</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 10.05pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-line-height-rule: exactly; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 99%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 3pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="color: #17365d; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 41pt; line-height: 99%;">ָהיֶכ</span><b><span style="color: #17365d; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 99%; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria;">The</span></b><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="color: #17365d; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 41pt; line-height: 99%;">ָרְדּ</span><b><span style="color: #17365d; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 99%; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria;">Torah'stakeon
life - and all it throws our way.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 99%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.45pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-line-height-rule: exactly; mso-pagination: none;">
<v:line from="-1.35pt,4.7pt" id="_x0000_s1026" o:allowincell="f" strokecolor="#4f81bd" strokeweight=".96pt" style="position: absolute; z-index: -4;" to="457pt,4.7pt"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></v:line><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 169pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<i><u><span style="color: #0f243e; font-family: Stencil; font-size: 19.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Stencil;">END OF DAYS</span></u></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 11.45pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-line-height-rule: exactly; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 111%; margin: 0in 10pt 0pt 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple; text-indent: 38.15pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 111%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">December 20th, 2012 has come and gone. Those who wasted valuable time
and money buying lifetime supplies in fear of the baseless prediction of the
world's end are now exempt from grocery shopping forever more as life carries
on. While the Mayan myth has been debunked (until they come up with another
date for disaster), we must take this opportunity to explore the Jewish view on
the apocalypse. Do we believe in such an event? And if we do, what's in store
if and when it happens?</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 111%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><a name='more'></a></span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 111%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 103%; margin: 0in 3pt 0pt 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple; text-indent: 35.05pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 103%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Once again, we will begin with a passage from the Ramhal's work Derech
Hashem, who succinctly briefs us on the topic</span></b><b><sup><span style="font-size: 17.5pt; line-height: 103%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">1</span></sup></b><b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 103%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">. The basic idea,
on a shallow level of understanding, begins with Adam's sin - eating from the
forbidden fruit of the Tree of Knowledge</span></b><b><sup><span style="font-size: 17.5pt; line-height: 103%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">2</span></sup></b><b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 103%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">. Before the
transgression, our world was in a perfect state; <i>Gan Eden </i>on earth. As
Adam took a bite out of the fruit, the blissful condition was<i> </i>reversed
into the world as we know it today. Since then, our underlining goal was to,
one way or another, patch up his sin and bring the world (as well as man) back
to their state of perfection.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 103%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 110%; margin: 0in 4pt 0pt 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple; text-indent: 35.05pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 110%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">The Ramhal notes one issue lying within this demanding process:
neither man nor the world can reach full perfection in their current state.
Everything has been tainted with sin and impurity to a point which is beyond
repair. Therefore, it has been decreed from above that man should die and be
renewed at the time of <i>Tehiyat Ha'Metim </i>(Revival of the Dead), which
takes place around the time of<i> </i>Mashiah.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 110%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 94%; margin: 0in 10pt 0pt 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple; text-indent: 35.05pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 94%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">More pertinent to our subject, the world must also be destroyed and
later renewed to reach its full potential. It is only in this manner that
Adam's </span></b></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 95%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">transgression can
be fixed entirely. This is the reason behind a <i>Gemara</i> which states,</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 95%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><i><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 87%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">For 6000 years, the world will exist; for 1000 years, it will be
desolate. At the end of this 1000 years, G-d will again renew His world"</span></i></b><b><i><sup><span style="font-size: 17.5pt; line-height: 87%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">3</span></sup></i></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 87%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 102%; margin: 0in 5pt 0pt 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple; text-indent: 35.05pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 102%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">There are many commentaries on this piece. It is noteworthy to mention
the dispute between the Rambam and Ra'avad in the <i>Yad Hazaka</i></span></b><b><i><sup><span style="font-size: 17.5pt; line-height: 102%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">4</span></sup></i></b><b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 102%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">. Rambam says the
renewal will be this world, reconstructed; Ra'avad understands that it will be
a completely new world. Whichever way it turns out, there is indeed a concept
of apocalypse in our religion.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 102%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.25pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-line-height-rule: exactly; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 106%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple; text-indent: 35.05pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 106%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Now, the Sages speak in different places
throughout the Talmud of what we can expect in the stages leading up to this
point. A crucial event that must take place before the above-quoted <i>Gemara</i>
comes to fruition is the coming of Mashiah - a topic in its own right which
deserves much discussion at another time. The buildup to his arrival is
labelled as "<i>Hevlei Mashiah</i>" - the birth-pangs of Mashiah</span></b><b><sup><span style="font-size: 17.5pt; line-height: 106%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">5</span></sup></b><b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 106%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">, a time which will
cause much anguish to the world. It will, according to most opinions, involve
the war of Gog U'Magog - a worldwide battle with unhappy results. <i>Chazal</i>
say the war will last for twelve months from the beginning of the attack until
the final outcome</span></b><b><sup><span style="font-size: 17.5pt; line-height: 106%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">6</span></sup></b><b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 106%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 106%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.3pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-line-height-rule: exactly; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 99%; margin: 0in 3pt 0pt 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple; text-indent: 35.05pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 99%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Fortunately, there is a way to ensure one's safety. The <i>Gemara</i>
advises to toil in Torah and be involved in acts of <i>Hessed</i> in order to
be saved from the birth-pangs of Mashiah.</span></b><b><sup><span style="font-size: 16.5pt; line-height: 99%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">7</span></sup></b><b><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 99%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> Elsewhere, the <i>Hahamim</i>
say that the Jews will only be spared if they do <i>Teshuva</i></span></b><b><i><sup><span style="font-size: 16.5pt; line-height: 99%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">8</span></sup></i></b><b><i><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 99%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">.</span></i></b><b><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 99%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> If we wisely
utilize these options, there is not much to fear.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 99%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 87%; margin: 0in 1pt 0pt 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple; text-indent: 35.05pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 87%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">To turn what we're saying into a biting reality, we will bring one
final source - a Mishna in <i>Masechet Sotah</i></span></b><b><i><sup><span style="font-size: 17.5pt; line-height: 87%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">9</span></sup></i></b><b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 87%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> - which tells us
some signs that will act as </span></b></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 95%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">indications that
Mashiah (and all it comes packaged with) is right around the corner.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 95%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="WordSection3">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.25pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-line-height-rule: exactly; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 35pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Brazenness
(<i>"Hutzpa")</i> will become common. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 7pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-line-height-rule: exactly; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 94%; margin: 0in 42pt 0pt 35pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 94%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Wine will be expensive; everyone will be drinking
which will result in increased demand. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 94%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 2.8pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-line-height-rule: exactly; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 35pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">The
government will turn to heresy against G-d and the Torah. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 7pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-line-height-rule: exactly; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 94%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 35pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 94%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">No one will be able to give rebuke, because he is guilty of the very
same sin. Truth will be sparse/unclear. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 94%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 2.9pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-line-height-rule: exactly; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 35pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Young will
not hesitate to embarrass the elderly. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.75pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-line-height-rule: exactly; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 107%; margin: 0in 2pt 0pt 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple; text-indent: 35.05pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">We are much closer than we think. Although we can't put a date on it</span></b><b><sup><span style="font-size: 17.5pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">10</span></sup></b><b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">, it is understood
that it must take place before the year 6000 - only 227 years from where we
stand now. If there is one thing we can take out of the Mayan's failed
prediction, it is the sacrifice shown in its believers to prepare for it.
Pushing all dignity to the side, these unfortunate people stocked up on food
and supplies based on their immovable trust in the world's collapse.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.3pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-line-height-rule: exactly; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 109%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple; text-indent: 35.05pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 109%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Taking a page out of their books, we must also
stock up. Stock up on <i>Teshuva</i>, prayer, Torah,<i> Mitzvot</i>,<i> Hessed </i>and
fear of Heaven. It's only with these<i> </i>apparatus that we will escape not
only alive, but in a state of perfection exceeding that of Adam and Hava. All
who make the proper arrangements have a guarantee that they will be spared from
the <i>Hevlei Mashiah</i>.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 109%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 10.9pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-line-height-rule: exactly; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 35pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Treat it like it's the end of the world.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 10pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-line-height-rule: exactly; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.7pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-line-height-rule: exactly; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 99%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><sup><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 99%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">1 </span></sup></b><b><span style="font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 99%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Derech Hashem 1:3:8,9</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 99%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 81%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><sup><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 81%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">2 </span></sup></b><b><span style="font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 81%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">See Bereshit ch. 2</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 81%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><sup><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">3 </span></sup></b><b><span style="font-size: 9.5pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Sanhedrin 97a</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 77%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><sup><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 77%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">4 </span></sup></b><b><span style="font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 77%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Hilchot Teshuva 8:8</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 77%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 77%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><sup><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 77%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">5 </span></sup></b><b><span style="font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 77%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">See Berachot 13a; Sanhedrin 97-98</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 77%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 77%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><sup><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 77%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">6 </span></sup></b><b><span style="font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 77%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Eduyot 2:10; see Tosafot Yom Tov</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 77%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 77%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><sup><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 77%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">7 </span></sup></b><b><span style="font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 77%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Berachot 13a</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 77%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 0.05pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-line-height-rule: exactly; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 90%; margin: 0in 1pt 0pt 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><sup><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 90%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">8 </span></sup></b><b><span style="font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 90%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Sanhedrin 97b; The Gemara there asks - ultimately, we will be saved regardless of whether or not we do Teshuva!</span></b><b><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 90%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></b><b><span style="font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 90%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">To which the Sages reply, there must be Teshuva. If we fail to do it on our own, desperate circumstances will leave us no other choice.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 90%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 86%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><sup><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 86%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">9 </span></sup></b><b><span style="font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 86%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">49b</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 86%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 25.5pt;">!<span dir="RTL" lang="HE">םולש תבש</span></span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Eitanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10216473050451488742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5849780762153581255.post-9870161354078224172012-12-18T08:58:00.001+02:002013-01-09T19:33:10.643+02:00Reprinted via The Algemeiner: Not the Typical IDF Soldier’s Mom: Muslim Arab Mother Whose Son Serves in the IDF Speaks Out<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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H/T: <a href="http://www.algemeiner.com/2012/11/27/not-the-typical-idf-soldiers-mom-muslim-arab-mother-whose-son-serves-in-the-idf-speaks-out/arab-idf-family/">The Algemeiner</a></div>
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Anet Haskia is not the typical mom of a soldier serving in the Israel Defense Forces. A Muslim Arab, who grew up in a mixed Arab-Jewish city in the north, Haskia is breathing a little easier this week.<br />
For Haskia, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision not to enter the Gaza Strip last week was “brave and right.”<br />
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The mother of three children, with a 20-year-old IDF combat soldier, Haskia told Tazpit News Agency, that “many Israeli soldiers’ lives were saved thanks to that decision.”<br />
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“Going into Gaza would have yielded success for the Hamas terrorists. Israel did what it had to do for the time being to stop the rocket attacks and played it smart.”<br />
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Haskia who was born and raised in Acre (Akko), a mixed Arab-Jewish city in the Western Galilee in northern Israel, is openly vocal about her support for the Jewish state of Israel.<a name='more'></a><br />
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“I am proud to live in Israel,” she says. “I am even prouder that both my sons have served as soldiers for this country.”<br />
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“If I was living in Gaza, I would have no rights as a woman under Hamas,” explained Haskia. “And you can’t expect anything different—Hamas is a terror organization, they treat people like animals with no regard to human life. They will never hold democratic elections like they do in Israel.”<br />
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“I’m open about these truths,” adds Haskia. “The Arab MKs in the Israeli Knesset don’t represent me. The extremist left-wing in Israel also doesn’t represent me and others in my community who share my beliefs. Those corrupt politicians just contribute to hate, incitement and lies.”<br />
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“When an IDF soldier is killed in combat, not one Arab MK will stand up and offer his condolences to the bereaved family,” she exclaims. “These Arab MKs enjoy democratic rights but don’t appreciate them.”<br />
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Anet explains that her attitude towards the Jewish state as a member of the Arab minority country stems from the fact that she was raised in a home that “respected both Hebrew and Arabic-speakers.”<br />
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“When I grew up in Akko, we had good relations between Jewish and Arab families.”<br />
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“I realized early on that I wanted my children to advance in Israeli society. They studied in a private Jewish school on a kibbutz and were exposed to a different mentality. It was not an easy road, but I taught my children to always be proud of their identity and not to cry and whine like our politicians.”<br />
During Israel’s Operation Pillar of Defense, Haskia did not just sit worrying over what may happen to her son—the proud mom did her share to help Israel as well. “Over 12 years, Hamas has been firing rockets at Israeli civilians and all you see are photos of Gaza in the media. Some of those photos are fakes,” Haskia pointed out.<br />
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“I noticed many times in Arab media that ‘Gaza’ photos of bleeding civilians were actually photos from other Arab conflicts in the Middle East— Syria and Iraq for example. They were being used to incite hatred against Israel, so I started to post these fake photos and their origins on my Facebook wall.”<br />
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Haskia has political ambitions as well. “I want to be part of Israeli politics some day and make a change by representing my people politically. There are many people who are too scared to speak up, who love Israel like I do and have done well here. They want a future where their children will not fall to hatred and incitement, but overcome that. I want to be their voice,” she concludes.<br />
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Eitanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10216473050451488742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5849780762153581255.post-73893076147464330132012-12-16T20:01:00.003+02:002013-01-09T19:33:40.514+02:00The Miracle of Hannukah<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i><u><span style="color: #0f243e; font-family: Stencil; font-size: 19.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Stencil;">MIRACLES</span></u></i></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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By Eliyahu</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 113%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">R' Moshe Haim Luzzato (<i>Ramhal)</i>, in his classic work Derech
Hashem, writes that the events on which our holidays are based upon are
revisited every year. The theme of redemption is most pretentious on Pesah,
when we celebrate the salvation of the Jewish people from the hands of the
Egyptians. On Shavuot, the potency for success in Torah reaches its highest - a
reflection of <i>Matan Torah</i>, which took place on the 6th of Sivan hundreds
of years ago. It thus follows that on Hanuka, a holiday which serves as a
remembrance for the impossible victory of the minute Jewish army over the mighty
Greeks and of the beloved wonder involving the oil which lasted for 8 days,
there is a higher level of potential for miraculous occurrences. We shall try
today to aim for a deeper understanding of the mechanics behind miracles, and
the way to view them through the lenses of our Torah.</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 113%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 105%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> The Ramban asks a thought-provoking question in <i>Perashat Noah</i></span></b><b><i><sup><span style="font-size: 17.5pt; line-height: 105%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">1</span></sup></i></b><b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 105%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> regarding the ark
which carried Noah, his family and all living animals through the apocalyptic
flood. While the ark itself was quite large - approximately 472 ft. in length</span></b><b><sup><span style="font-size: 17.5pt; line-height: 105%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">2</span></sup></b><b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 105%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> - it was not
nearly spacious enough to contain two of each species. The amount of creatures
which were brought on the ark was beyond count. If so, poses the Ramban, since
we are obviously relying on what can be nothing less than an open miracle, why
couldn't the measurements of the ark have been made smaller? At the end of the
day, it will just be a much bigger miracle!</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 105%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 97%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> The reason Hashem didn't direct Noah in this fashion was because it's
against the nature of miracles. Hashem desires to make miracles as small as </span></b></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 87%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">possible; that man
will make his efforts towards making it look natural, and the rest will be
taken care of by G-d through miraculous means</span></b><b><sup><span style="font-size: 17.5pt; line-height: 87%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">3</span></sup></b><b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 87%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 87%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 108%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">This principle leads us to another important foundation. The <i>Gemara</i>,
in many places, forbids us to depend on miracles.</span></b><b><sup><span style="font-size: 16.5pt; line-height: 108%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">4</span></sup></b><b><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 108%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> Perhaps the most
graphic depiction of this concept can be found in <i>Masechet Megila</i></span></b><b><i><sup><span style="font-size: 16.5pt; line-height: 108%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">5</span></sup></i></b><b><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 108%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> which tells us of
a Purim feast held by R' Zeira. As is customary, the guests had consumed lots
of wine, to the point where Rabbah inadvertently severed R' Zeira's head.
Fortunately, after fervent prayer for mercy on R' Zeira, he was revived. The
following year, naturally, Rabbah invited R' Zeira to his Purim feast. To which
R' Zeira responded with our rule: "I can't rely on such a miracle to save
me again."</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 108%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Likewise, our Sages instruct us to stay away from dangerous places and
situations which will require us to fall back on a miracle. The reason for this
law is twofold: a) Maybe the miracle won't happen; b) Even if it does, and the
individual is saved, it will detract from his or her merits. This was recently
expressed in <i>Perashat Vayishlach</i>, when Yaakov Avinu heard news that his
wicked brother<i> </i>Eisav, along with 400 troops, was coming to kill him. He
cried out to Hashem - "I have become small from all the kindness...that
You did for [me]"</span></b><b><sup><span style="font-size: 17.5pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">6</span></sup></b><b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">. Rashi, on that verse</span></b><b><sup><span style="font-size: 17.5pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">7</span></sup></b><b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">, explains he was
concerned that perhaps he had no merit to win the battle, since it was all
taken away after all the good Hashem had given him.</span></b><b><sup><span style="font-size: 17.5pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">8</span></sup></b><b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> We see, then, that
not only is it inadvisable to throw oneself into a situation which would
necessitate a miracle to get out of - but even when a miracle does occur, there
is legitimate reason for apprehension.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 94%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">This being true, one could ask - why is nearly every Jewish holiday is
based on miracles?!</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 94%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 112%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> I believe the answer to be very simple.
All the little points aside, the fact is that getting out of a desperate
situation is much more advantageous than staying in one. When Hashem, in His
merciful ways, acts for us and intervenes with never-ending spectacular
wonders, it's only right to recognize and celebrate.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 112%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 113%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Miracles are always happening to each Jew, many times daily. We are
given holidays throughout the year to redirect our attention to them. They are
veiled to us through the curtain of nature, but it is evident and clear to the
one with an attuned mind what they <i>really</i> are. R' Eliyahu Dessler <i>zt"l</i>
tells it as follows: If someone were to stand behind a door to a room, inside
of which is a man on a chair writing with a pen, and could peek inside only through
a small section of a keyhole, he would only see a pen moving on paper and
nothing else. He would exclaim, "I can't believe that pen is writing on
its own!". If another part of the keyhole were to be removed, he'd see a
hand moving the pen. He would say, "What a miracle! That hand is
controlling the pen on its own!". Finally, we remove the door, and he sees
that the hand was not magically writing, but was only carrying out the will of
its owner, the man on the chair. A Jew should accustom himself to not only spot
the miracle, but see beyond the miracle, and acknowledge Hashem's hand running
the show.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 113%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 106%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">As Hanuka comes to a close, there is still time to take advantage of
the "sparks" originated from the flame of the miraculous oil and the
roaring victory of the Hashmonaim, which continue to carry down to us every
year at this time. It's miracle season, and they are waiting to be taken.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 106%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><br clear="all" style="mso-break-type: section-break; page-break-before: always;" />
</span>
<br />
<div class="WordSection4">
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><sup><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">1 </span></sup></b><b><span style="font-size: 9.5pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Ramban on Bereshit 6:19</span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 78%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><sup><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 78%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">2 </span></sup></b><b><span style="font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 78%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Based on measurements listed in Bereshit 6:15</span></b></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><sup><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">3 </span></sup></b><b><span style="font-size: 9.5pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">This idea requires much study, especially in its application to those who are involved in Torah study.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 78%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><sup><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 78%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">4 </span></sup></b><b><span style="font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 78%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Pesahim 64b</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 78%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 77%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><sup><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 77%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">5 </span></sup></b><b><span style="font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 77%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">7b</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 77%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 77%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><sup><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 77%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">6 </span></sup></b><b><span style="font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 77%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Bereshit 32:11</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 77%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 77%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><sup><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 77%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">7 </span></sup></b><b><span style="font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 77%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Based on Berachot 4a</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 77%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 94%; margin: 0in 1pt 0pt 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; punctuation-wrap: simple;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><sup><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 94%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">8 </span></sup></b><b><span style="font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 94%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">The Siftei Hahamim wonders: How could he have been concerned that merit taken away from him through</span></b><b><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 94%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></b><b><span style="font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 94%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">miracles and kindness will play a part in losing to his brother? After all, the <i>Gemara</i>in Shabat 55a clearly notes that death or tribulation can't come about unless there is an element of sin involved. Therefore, Rashi adds that he was also afraid that his sins may play a part in losing to his brother. It was a combination of the two factors which acted as the source for his fear.</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
</div>
Eitanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10216473050451488742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5849780762153581255.post-13003009465962140792012-12-16T00:55:00.001+02:002013-03-04T14:48:57.405+02:00Nothing is Certain in this World and a Little Commentary on Parshat Miketz<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 1em;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We learn from
the travails of our forefathers that almost nothing--perhaps with the exception
of the Torah and its teachings--is for certain, and that we should always be
happy with our lot in life.<br />
<br />
We learn several important lessons from the story of Joseph the Tzaddik.
There's a good reason he's the only person in the Five Books of Moses to carry
the title of "Tzaddik" or "Righteous one." Joseph endures
several monumental tests in his life, not the least of which is his being
tempted by Potiphar's wife. Joseph is described as being "good of stature
and good of look," in other words, a very handsome guy. <br />
<br />
At the beginning of parshat Miketz, he's said to put a lot of effort into
"making his hair." We can also make a reasonable case that growing up
as Jacob's favorite son, he's very much "full" of himself to a point
where he not only dreams of instances that clearly portray his superiority over
the other members of his family, but even goes on to describe these dreams to
his brothers and Jacob himself.<br />
<br />
Joseph is able to overcome his main weakness and withhold himself from acting
on his impulses. He goes beyond his calling, one may argue, by refusing to be
taken in by Potiphar wife's incessant sexual appeals. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
A case is brought up in the Gemora of a very high-statured Rabbi from the times
of the Mishna who ends up buring down his own house for the sake of avoiding
seeing an attractive women who he's afraid will tempt him into sin. Such are
the lengths our holy forefathers took to remain on a spiritually lofty level; a
level above that of modern Western culture; a level that religious Jews all
over the world try to attain to this day. This is the inherent strength of the
Torah: it provides us with guidelines on how to live our lives today as it did
3.5 thousand years ago.<br />
<br />
Joseph is referred to as "Joseph the righteous" because of his
ability to maintain the highest standard of purity of thought and of action.
But nothing in Joseph's life is certain. He goes from being stranded in an
"empty" pit with "no water," to being Potiphar's favorite
servant whom the former allows all sorts of liberties, to being pent up behind
bars in an Egyptian dungeon, to being the Pharaoh’s second-in-command and the
most successful man in all Egypt. <br />
<br />
Joseph's story is a lesson to us all. It teaches us that while there are no
certainties in life, we should be happy with our lot (Pirkei Avot) and never
give up no matter what life may throw at us (teachings of Rebbi Nachman). <br />
<br />
The theme of dreams is also prevalent in last week's parsha. At the beginning
of Miketz, Joseph dreams his two famous dreams in which his brothers and
parents are depicted as either stocks of wheat bowing down to a bigger, fatter
stock, or the stars in the sky, the sun and the moon bowing down to him. Then,
after having been thrown into the dungeon, he's able to solve the two
ministers' dreams, and finally, he solves Pharaoh’s repeating dream regarding
the "fat" and the "lean" years. The previous week's parsha
also features a dream; then it was Jacob's ladder dream as he fled from Esav.<br />
<br />
Dreams have always puzzled me. I've had a variety of interesting dreams. Most
of my dreams seem to come from an entirely foreign reality. They have nothing
in common with my everyday life. My grandfather, on the other hand, has very realistic
dreams. He often dreams of real people he's met and of days gone by in Moscow
where my family lived for a very long time. I've often wondered if my dreams
hold a message; if someone out there is trying to tell me something; if these
are hints at what I'm doing wrong, and what I should be doing differently.<br />
<br />
As I've mentioned, our forefathers also had dreams. But these were much
different than ours. Why the difference? I'd like to suggest that perhaps this
is due to the fact that they lived their lives differently and that the more we
strive to reach their level, the more meaning our dreams will entail.</span></span><br /></div>
<br />
שבוע טוב ומבורך מירושלים, איר הקודשEitanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10216473050451488742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5849780762153581255.post-88886080300398754282012-12-11T16:26:00.000+02:002013-03-13T22:46:40.861+02:00Duality in Israeli Society<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">You'll find just about anything and anyone
you're looking for in Israel from criminals and drug-dealers to Rabbis immersed
in a life of giving and good deeds and scientists trying to come up with cures
for the world's deadliest diseases. After a lengthy exile from the Holy Land,
Jews from around the globe have gathered in Israel. Representatives of six
continents make Israel their home. This is literally the ingathering of exiles;
the land of immigrants. Not America--but Israel.<br />
<br />
The result of this blend of Jews from around the world is a society saturated
with inherent dualities in all its aspects. Because Jews tend to be so
opinionated (it's been said that for every two Jews, there are three different
sets of opinions), conflict is the modus operandi in Israel. This is the way of
life here. You'll see people arguing on just about any subject. Arguments range
from the petty to the extremely serious, and as is the case in any society,
they can die down quietly, but sometimes get out of hand as well.<br />
<br />
I decided to write this article having attended a party where I witnessed a
young couple (I didn't know they were married till the husband told me his
"companion" was indeed his wife) arguing about the rights of Israelis
to smoke in public. There's no way I could have known they were married judging
by the way they were going at it. Mind you, this wasn't a matter of life and
death; not even politics. This was a question whose outcome isn't likely to
affect the life of the young couple in any particular fashion: it won't make it
better or worse in the conceivable future.</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
Riding buses in Jerusalem, where I've lived for the past half year, is another
source of inspiration for this piece. I regularly see Charedi (ultra-Orthodox)
Jews, covered from head to toe in their traditional garb, secular Jews with an
array of piercings and tattoos, and Arabs who don't care one bit about the
future of the State of Israel--or would simply prefer for it not to be there,
going to the same place, and making conversation in the process. <br />
<br />
We simply have to get along, or at least make a pretense of doing so in order
to get anywhere. Most people aren't interested in violence. They want to quietly
raise a family and make a living and need to make it safely through the day.
Thus, the concept of co-existence. Israel's Jews, more than anyone else, need
to learn to coexist through the political chaos that's a predominant factor of
life in Israel. We need to make peace with ourselves before any kind of
long-lasting peace with our neighbors can be attained. This is part and parcel
of my personal thinking.<br />
<br />
Israel is a society in the making; a relatively young country still searching
for its identity. We have a little of everything here, and this is what makes
life so exciting. There's none of the boredom one encounters in America, none
of the "just another day" mentality. One has no way of telling what's
around the corner; what fate awaits him when he wakes up. Good or bad, this is
the reality in Israel.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
Eitanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10216473050451488742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5849780762153581255.post-1537833597674991332012-12-10T17:38:00.001+02:002013-01-07T23:00:59.321+02:00For All We Do<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
For all we do, for all we say,</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
A price is surely to be paid.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
A humble servant of man’s fate,</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
That is not me, </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
I’ve come too late.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Look here,</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
I’m not special, different, better than anybody else,</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
I’m simply me,</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
At any rate,</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
I’d like you, if it’s possible, to relate,</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
To my life’s journey,</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
A work of passion, loss, adjustment, disarray,</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
A cycle with an end,</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
A trendy way of living-with no real trend.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Brought here on a mission,</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Clear that height!</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
I see my elders take to flight,</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
They do not know, do not see,</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
The person buried deep in me.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Felt hardships, done what’s wrong,</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
I know this,</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
The notes to a different song,</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Will express my thanks, </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
To those who’ve believed and never shouted,</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
To those who’ve helped and never doubted.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
I will escape,</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Tear down the iron gates, </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
I will be free one day,</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
I will enjoy my life,</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Is what you too should say.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Listen, fellow sufferers,</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Hearken to my words,</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Believe me, I have been hurt as well.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Two things that you must never lose, lest you lose
yourselves:</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Your hope, your resolve to make it no matter what the odds, </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
And your sense of humor, your smile, </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
What you do from here isn’t up to me,</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Keep working always,</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
You too will go free.</div>
<br />
<strong><em>Dedicated to all those trying so hard to get out of whatever predicament they've found themselves in for their own good and the good of the world.</em></strong>Eitanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10216473050451488742noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5849780762153581255.post-58386436039150640352012-12-02T13:38:00.001+02:002013-01-09T19:38:15.891+02:00Desperate Soul: In Memory of Jovan Belcher and his Girlfriend<br />
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Deperate Soul: In
Memory of NFL Player Jovan Belcher and his Girlfriend</div>
<o:p> </o:p><br />
The football world was devastated—yet again—yesterday by
<a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nfl--police--chiefs-cm-scott-pioli-is--very-emotional---after-witnessing-player-kill-himself-192214813.html">Chief’s Jovan Belcher’s murder</a> of his girlfriend, and mother of their infant
baby girl, followed by his <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/report-chiefs-player-kills-girlfriend-takes-own-life-154951891--nfl.html">taking his own life</a>. For both
these individuals, it’s over. Yesterday, they were here. Today, they are no
more. Their world is gone.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
It’s written that every human being is a “world unto
himself,” that every individual, whether Jew or Gentile, has an immense amount
of potential. We either live up to our potential or needlessly lose it—as I’m
afraid was the case with Jovan. </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Suicide is the antithesis to life. Even Arab suicide bombers
have difficulty accepting the fact that they’re going to die. I know this because
there have been cases in which soon-to-be suicide bombers have repented and
handed themselves in.</div>
<o:p> </o:p><br />
I spent many years of my life being depressed for no
apparent reason. I know what it feels like to hurt inside. To hurt all over. To
have no one to turn to...<br />
<br />
...And I know what it feels like to be connected. To be
connected to one’s Father in Heaven. To come to an understanding that there’s a
Source for the world, for both the good and the bad; for both the horrible
things that happen in our non-stop thrill-seeking reality, and the wonderful
introspectiveness that we may bring to our lives as a result of holy living.<br />
<br />
May Jovan's story be a lesson to us all. May we merit to see the day there's no more sadness, and no more murder.<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<em><u><strong>A poem in Jovan and his girlfriend's memory:</strong></u></em><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Desperate soul,</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Searching for answers,</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Quaking, quivering, questioning.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
What have I come to?</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Which path to choose?</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Where will it lead me?</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Small human,</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Lost in tidal humanity,</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
No haven on the dark horizon,</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Wind soars,</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Clouds flee for new, unknown shores,</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Human spirits. </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Alien voices,</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Heard in a void,</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Where? Where?</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
What is my meaning?</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Who am I?</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Questions unanswered.</div>
Eitanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10216473050451488742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5849780762153581255.post-51518136668047095152012-12-02T00:44:00.000+02:002013-03-13T22:48:57.074+02:00Summer Months (A Poem from a Few Months Ago)<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Back in
Israel,</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Back home,</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Reliving
sweaty days at the kibbutz,</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sitting here
writing all alone,</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Feel like
composing a song for my people, for the country I so love, for all I hold dear,</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">These sweaty
July days when people in the country heed no fear,</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">No fear of
the past, no fear of death, just longing for better days to come,</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">To shout out
in glee,</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">For all
that’s done is behind us,</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And there
are only good things, warm summer days beyond,</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Where no man
has walked,</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Where no
woman has cried,</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Where no
little child has fallen down,</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Where no
human-Jew or Arab has died.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As I sit,
relax, sip some ice coffee in a bar just off Yehuda,</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I think of
days when modern-day Maccabies stood tall, the likes of Judah,</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Took on
armies just a few feet from where I sit,</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">These hot, trying
days and nights are fit,</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">For heroes’
stories, dreams of giving back, </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Of armies
taking flight,</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Of going on
the attack.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have so
much love, so much desire to be here in July,</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My Aliya
month,</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The time, I
myself, tried in vain, cried out, lied,</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Took hold of
all that was important and moved back home,</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This time in
July I feel every kotel stone,</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Remember my
people’s past,</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Remember
where I came from, and my destination,</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Remember to
keep my dreams afloat, to drown out my frustration.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’m getting
used to being here,</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">To being
happy at long last,</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And people
all around me cry,</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As they try
so hard to forget the past,</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Days,
months, years gone by,</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We try to
gather up what we’ve lost,</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">With every
passing moment,</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We struggle
as we assess the cost.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I read Rav
Kook’s “Sparks” and know what my mission in this world is</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">To light up
the dark Av sky,</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">To help end
this painful Exile,</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">To spark a
flood of brotherhood and unity,</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">To never
fully fall, always get up and try,</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">To keep on
trying when all has failed</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And I’ll
know my dreams and plans have prevailed</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When I open
my door this very day next year</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And the
Messiah beckons to come near</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When my
People are brought back from every corner of the world</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Then, and
only then,</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Will my own
story have been told.</span></div>
Eitanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10216473050451488742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5849780762153581255.post-72234391887396710642012-12-01T21:59:00.002+02:002013-01-09T19:40:46.382+02:00A Day in the Muslim Quarter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9BDJSgDUW5yPzOhki_DRIAq7kc2IsYdZh5o0E1t51gcZ9GEHYXo3IwboDRt3EYrl5VN5mvgJDE6_Q2XK-lkLiHDI9uQa4EYaTp5o6ARmzLjEXKB1Bq9oTcRJBX2z6P6z56wgnJKWhgdVI/s1600/With+Lena+in+Old+City+116.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9BDJSgDUW5yPzOhki_DRIAq7kc2IsYdZh5o0E1t51gcZ9GEHYXo3IwboDRt3EYrl5VN5mvgJDE6_Q2XK-lkLiHDI9uQa4EYaTp5o6ARmzLjEXKB1Bq9oTcRJBX2z6P6z56wgnJKWhgdVI/s320/With+Lena+in+Old+City+116.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I recently had an opportunity to take a walk in the Muslim
Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem. Before going there, I’d always been a
little apprehensive about showing up—especially with my kippa and tzitzit (the
traditional Jewish garb). It took some courage and the friendly smile of a
close friend who made Aliya about a year ago to persuade me to venture out of
my familiar comfort zone into a hereto unknown reality.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We entered the Old City, a place holy to the world’s three
great faiths, perhaps the most hotly contested area in the world through the Yaffo
Gate. I asked my friend if she was up for some coffee (the cold weather was
beginning to be felt in Jerusalem). She gladly accepted my offer. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As we sat there watching passerby’s, we noticed people of a
variety of backgrounds that’s difficult to spot just about anywhere else. Both
of us are Russian-speakers, so I pointed out a group of Russian tourists taking
in the beauty of the Old City. They spoke in the traditional jargon that I
simply couldn’t resist ignoring them. It was like being back in Moscow again.
Some kind of dejavu…</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a name='more'></a></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We finished our coffee, and departed for the kotel (the
Western Wall) the only remaining part of the Second Temple, and the holiest
place for Jews. It was constructed by Herod in the 1<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">st</span></sup> century BCE
to add splendor to Jerusalem and fend off conquering armies. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I prayed the evening prayer, while my friend took pictures
from the women’s section. The kotel vestibule is divided into two parts: one
for men and the other for women. This is done for religious reasons. Judaism
holds women to a higher standard than men. The sexes have their own unique
qualities that need to be recognized. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I had mixed feelings as the final leg of our trip got under
way. On one hand, having spent half a year living in Judea, I was familiar with
the Arab mentality and their way of life, so I wasn’t too worried about showing
my fear and falling prey to another terrorist attacks (stabbings became a daily
occurrence in this area during the 2<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">nd</span></sup> Intifada). On the other, I
was a little apprehensive about being in a place I wasn’t welcomed in. This was
Israel: it defined your general understanding of nature and history. You could
be in a safe haven for all colors and creeds one second and in a literal war
zone the very next.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My friend seemed less anxious than me. She’d been here
before. I don’t know whether she’d been accompanied by someone or not, but she
had an aura of invisibility that extended to me as well. I was glad to have her
with me. I wondered if she was really as brave as she seemed, but I wasn’t
about to ask any silly questions. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We entered the Muslim Quarter through an obscure opening
that presented itself right as we left the kotel grounds. There’s a fork in the
road there: one leads to the Jewish Quarter, and the other to the Muslim. You
have a choice between two unique worlds that happen to be both close and yet,
so far apart. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Our stay in the Muslim Quarter lasted about half an hour.
There was only so much to see. Every store was pretty much the same. They sold
funny t-shirts with inscriptions varying from “Proud to be Jewish” to “Free
Palestine,” Arabian sweets, soft drinks, religious paraphernalia (mostly
Jewish), etc. There were a few phone shops, as well as a lot of lingerie
stands. I guessed they were marketing mostly stolen goods, although one can
never know. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Our foray into “enemy territory” was uneventful for the most
part. The only time I sensed trouble was coming was when a group of three young
Arabs dressed in traditional Muslim clothing sped along the narrow road
chanting something I couldn’t understand. I could tell they were invoking the
name of Allah, but other than that it could have been anything. We met a few
friendly store owners whom we took pictures with. The majority of people were
very friendly and courteous. This could have been because they wanted our
business or were simply afraid of us just like we were of them, but it seemed
they were earnest about wanting to just live their lives, and do their business
without getting into politics. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I came away from this visit with a lot of questions: how
come Muslims are so different from one another? There are the more modern ones
who dress like Westerners, go to parties, have Jewish friends, and so on, and
there are those who live in a completely different world; a world of bias and
anger. These two prototypical types of Arabs and many more different kinds of
people converge in Jerusalem every day. This is our reality. This is the land I
love and call “home.”</span></div>
<br />Eitanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10216473050451488742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5849780762153581255.post-52019828727204450792012-11-30T11:03:00.000+02:002013-03-13T23:03:45.788+02:00Derache'ha -- Israel<br />
<div style="border: currentColor; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent1; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 0cm 0cm 4pt;">
<div class="MsoTitle">
BS'D</div>
<div class="MsoTitle">
Hello,</div>
<div class="MsoTitle">
I am Eliyahu, a student at Yeshivat Midrash Shmuel. I have learned previously in Yeshivat Ner Israel in Baltimore, MD and in Yeshivat Ruach Chaim in Jerusalem. Eitan Divinsky, an esteemed colleague of mine and a budding <i>talmid chacham, </i>has kindly asked me to share my weekly Divrei Torah on his blog. It is my honor and privilege to share my writings on such an esteemed platform. Shabbat Shalom!</div>
<div class="MsoTitle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoTitle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoTitle">
<span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 48pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">דְּרָכֶיהָ</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span lang="HE" style="background: white; font-size: 48pt;"><span dir="LTR"></span> </span><span style="background: white; font-size: 20pt;"> </span><span style="background: white; font-size: 15pt;">The Torah's take on life - and all it throws our way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i><u><span style="color: #0f243e; font-family: Stencil; font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themeshade: 128;">israel<o:p></o:p></span></u></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #0f243e; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themeshade: 128;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"> It's an undisputed fact that Eretz Yisrael
holds a special place in the heart of every Jew. Through thick or thin, every
member of our people supports the land in every which way they can. In times of
turmoil, <i>Klal Yisrael</i> gather together to pray for a ray of light; and in
times of peace, preservation of the land is always on the tips of our tongues.
We shall attempt to explore this deep-rooted affection for the land of Israel
and in the process, understand why it is such a central focus in our religion. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"> The foundation begins in <i>Sefer
Bereshit</i>, in which the Torah details the covenant made between Hashem and
Avraham Avinu (known as the "Covenant of the Parts"). While on
Israel's soil, Hashem promises Avraham that the land on which he stands will be
promised to his offspring, the Jewish people (1). Immediately, at that point, the land became infused with an extraordinary level
of holiness not found in any other part of the world. Eretz Yisrael became the
epicentre for spirituality of the world forever more. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"> Plenty of evidence for the holiness
of Eretz Yisrael can be found in many places throughout <i>Chazal</i>.
According to one <i>Gemara</i>, the land of Israel receives the first rains,
while the rest of the world only gets that which is left over (2) - a proof
that Hashem's "nature" system revolves around Eretz Yisrael. In
Tractate <i>Pesahim</i>, the <i>Hahamim</i> list three groups of people who are
assured a portion in the world to come: one who raises his children to learn
Torah, one who makes <i>Havdala</i> over a cup of wine (after Shabbat), and <b>one
who lives in Eretz Yisrael (3)</b>.
Furthermore, another <i>Gemara </i>declares that one who walks 4 cubits (around
8 ft.) in Israel is another candidate for a spot in the world to come (4). Seeing as
the land is injected with intrinsic holiness, just <i>being</i> on its terrain
can produce a tremendous merit!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><a name='more'></a><o:p></o:p></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"> In contrast, just to further stress
the point being made, there are sources which speak quite negatively about
living outside of Eretz Yisrael. In fact, it is explicitly codified in the
Rambam's writings that one should preferably reside in Israel over the
Diaspora, even if the city in Israel is populated by non-Jews, and the city in
the Diaspora is populated by Jews (5). There even
exists a prohibition to leave Eretz Yisrael if no good reason to do so exists (6). Our Sages
expound from the verse: "So that your days and the days of your sons will
be lengthened <b>
</b> one will have length of days if he is <i>on the land (7)</i>, but if he is
outside of the land, he will not (8).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"> This is encapsulated in a famous
remark made by the Ramban in his commentary on the Torah where he says that a <i>mitzva</i>
performed in the Diaspora is only <u>preparation</u> for <i>mitzvot</i>
performed in Eretz Yisrael (9). With one
swift blow, the Ramban turns life in Israel from an advantage to an absolute <b>must</b>
for one who is interested in performing the commandments to their utmost
requirements. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"> This is the level of Eretz Yisrael.
It's Hashem's chosen land for His chosen people. It's on this basis that the
Ramban, in the same piece of commentary, claims that the land of Israel does
not tolerate lax <i>mitzva</i> observance. Abominations such as gay parades and
nightclubs in the land which Hashem has selected as His home will ultimately
cause the initiators to be "spewed forth from the land." (10) These
types of things are to remain on the other side of Israel's borders, as the <i>kedusha</i>
inherent within simply cannot handle sin and promiscuous behaviour. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"> Love for the land is fueled by the
fact that Hashem chose it. It is in Eretz Yisrael where the Jewish people
belong - <i>not</i> Uganda, as a certain "visionary" once tried
claiming. There's a huge gain in having a group of Jews living together, but
when the group is found in Eretz Yisrael, a divine match is made - two holy
entities complimenting one another - something which simply cannot be attained
anywhere else in the world. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"> We are fortunate to have the land of
Israel in our possession, but it is definitely not the final stage. When it is
ruled by <i>Melech Ha'Mashiach</i>, its <i>kedusha</i> will vibrantly flourish
on a level which we cannot even begin to conceptualize. It's up to us. Showing
interest in the land for what it is - the driving force behind nearly all of
the events in the Torah which defines our people - will hopefully prove to be a
step closer towards the final redemption, where we will merit to see Eretz
Yisrael in its full untainted glory.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="font-family: "David","sans-serif"; font-size: 26pt; line-height: 115%;">שבת
שלום!</span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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1. Bereshit 15:18<br />
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2. Ta'anit 10a</div>
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3. Pesahim 113a</div>
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4. Ketubot
111a; Rambam, Hilchot Melachim 5:11 </div>
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5. Rambam, Hilchot Melachim 5:12</div>
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6. Ketubot ibid.</div>
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7. Devarim 11:21</div>
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8. Berachot 8a</div>
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9. Ramban, Vayikra 18:25</div>
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10. Vayikra 18:25</div>
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