Sunday, January 31, 2016

Moro Bay and great plane story from WW II

Rabbi Yehuda Lave

Grow Gradually

It is unrealistic and counterproductive to think you have to be perfect in refraining from counterproductive thinking and behavior. Demanding perfection from yourself will make you excessively nervous and prone to anger and guilt. The way to bring about positive changes is to maintain a realistic awareness of your imperfections in this area, and to work consistently to improve.

Love Yehuda Lave

Live being a learning process I made a mistake on Thursday and my computer server sent out Thrusday and Friday's email at the same time. I didn't resend the Friday email on Friday since you had it already. I am trying a new feature on the server. It sends out a resend of the same email if you don't open the first one by 10 hours later. The idea behind it is to give people a second chance to open as some people don't stay on top of their email and only open an email when they get it. this gives a second chance to those to open. I have had some blessings on this new system and some don't like it. I will try it for 30 days and see the results. My goal is to inform, entertain and make you think with my daily email and I do it so you have only one a day, and this system gives you a second chance to look at it.

Yehuda

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Italian paper distributes kippot in protest over anti-Semitism

To protest anti-Semitism on Holocaust Remembrance Day, Il Foglio's Wednesday edition will include a small white kippah.

An Italian newspaper will be making a touching and brave gesture against anti-Semitism on Wednesday, International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Il Foglio, under the leadership of Editor-in-Chief Claudio Cerasa, decided to take the unprecedented step of giving each of its readers a small white kippah on this day.

"We intended it as a gesture of closeness and solidarity with the Jewish people, now that anti-Semitism is getting stronger in Europe and that many Jews are abandoning our cities," explained Giulio Meotti, who writes for the newspaper and is a regular Arutz Sheva columnist, noting that this year there has been a boom year for Aliyah from Europe.

"From Marseilles to Milan, many Jews in Europe today have chosen to stop wearing the kippah in public," he explained. "They do it for personal safety or because some leaders of Jewish communities asked them to do so. They hide all symbols of their Jewish identity.

"Hatred of Israel has returned to dominate the media and politics," he stated sadly. "Anti-Semitism does not shock anymore. But we must pay attention. Because they start by hitting the Jews but they do not stop there: we are all in danger.

"So what could we do? Solidarity is the only weapon we have. That little kippah is the symbol of our greatest and most precious freedoms. And of Israel, the outpost that Europe should defend and love," said Meotti.

Keep on working until you are 80: Pension poverty 'forces' millions to cancel retirement

A real miracle - from WWII

B-17 "All American" (414th Squadron, 97BG) Crew

Pilot- Ken Bragg Jr.

Co-pilot- G. Boyd Jr.

Navigator- Harry C. Nuessle

Bombardier- Ralph Burbridge

Engineer- Joe C. James

Radio Operator- Paul A. Galloway

Ball Turret Gunner- Elton Conda

Waist Gunner- Michael Zuk

Tail Gunner- Sam T. Sarpolus

Ground Crew Chief- Hank Hyland

In 1943 a mid-air collision on February 1, 1943, Between a B-17 and a German fighter over the Tunis dock area, Became the subject of one of the most famous photographs of WW II. An enemy fighter attacking a 97th Bomb Group formation went out of control,

Probably with a wounded pilot, then continued its crashing descent Into the rear of the fuselage of a Flying Fortress named "All American", Piloted by Lt. Kendrick R. Bragg, of the 414th Bomb Squadron.

When it struck, the fighter broke apart, but left some pieces in the B-17. The left horizontal stabilizer of the Fortress and left elevator were completely torn away. The two right engines were out and one on the left had a serious oil pump leak. The vertical fin and the rudder had been damaged, The fuselage had been cut almost completely through Connected only at two small parts of the frame,

And the radios, electrical and oxygen systems were damaged. There was also a hole in the top that was over 16-feet long and 4 feet wide at its widest; The split in the fuselage went all the way to the top gunner's turret

Although the tail actually bounced and swayed in the wind And twisted when the plane turned and all the control cables were severed, Except one single elevator cable still worked, and the aircraft miraculously still flew!

The tail gunner was trapped because there was no floor connecting the tail to the rest of the plane. The waist and tail gunners used parts of the German fighter and their own parachute harnesses In an attempt to keep the tail from ripping off and the two sides of the fuselage from splitting apart.

While the crew was trying to keep the bomber from coming apart, The pilot continued on his bomb run and released his bombs over the target

When the bomb bay doors were opened, The wind turbulence was so great that it blew one of the waist gunners into the broken tail section. It took several minutes and four crew members to pass him ropes from parachutes And haul him back into the forward part of the plane. When they tried to do the same for the tail gunner, The tail began flapping so hard that it began to break off. The weight of the gunner was adding some stability to the tail section, so he went back to his position. The turn back toward England had to be very slow to keep the tail from twisting off. They actually covered almost 70 miles to make the turn home. The bomber was so badly damaged that it was losing altitude and speed and was soon alone in the sky.

For a brief time, two more Me-109 German fighters attacked the All American. Despite the extensive damage, all of the machine gunners Were able to respond to these attacks and soon drove off the fighters. The two waist gunners stood up with their heads sticking out through the hole in the top of the fuselage To aim and fire their machine guns. The tail gunner had to shoot in short bursts because the recoil was actually causing the plane to turn

Allied P-51 fighters intercepted the All American as it crossed over the Channel And took one of the pictures shown. They also radioed to the base describing that the appendage was waving like a fish tail And that the plane would not make it and to send out boats to rescue the crew when they bailed out.

The fighters stayed with the Fortress, taking hand signals from Lt. Bragg and relaying them to the base. Lt. Bragg signaled that 5 parachutes and the spare had been "used" So five of the crew could not bail out. He made the decision that if they could not bail out safely, then he would stay with the plane to land it.

Two and a half hours after being hit, the aircraft made its final turn To line up with the runway while it was still over 40 miles away.

It descended into an emergency landing and a normal roll-out on its landing gear.

When the ambulance pulled alongside, it was waved off because not a single member of the crew had Been injured. No one could believe that the aircraft could still fly in such a condition. The Fortress sat placidly until the crew all exited through the door in the fuselage and the tail gunner had climbed down a ladder, at which time the entire rear section of the aircraft collapsed.

This old bird had done its job and brought the entire crew home uninjured.

Please pass this on to someone who will also appreciate this amazing story.

B-17 "All American" (414th Squadron, 97BG) Crew

Pilot- Ken Bragg Jr.

Co-pilot- G. Boyd Jr.

Navigator- Harry C. Nuessle

Bombardier- Ralph Burbridge

Engineer- Joe C. James

Radio Operator- Paul A. Galloway

Ball Turret Gunner- Elton Conda

Waist Gunner- Michael Zuk

Tail Gunner- Sam T. Sarpolus

Ground Crew Chief- Hank Hyland

In 1943 a mid-air collision on February 1, 1943, Between a B-17 and a German fighter over the Tunis dock area, Became the subject of one of the most famous photographs of WW II. An enemy fighter attacking a 97th Bomb Group formation went out of control,

Probably with a wounded pilot, then continued its crashing descent Into the rear of the fuselage of a Flying Fortress named "All American", Piloted by Lt. Kendrick R. Bragg, of the 414th Bomb Squadron.

When it struck, the fighter broke apart, but left some pieces in the B-17. The left horizontal stabilizer of the Fortress and left elevator were completely torn away. The two right engines were out and one on the left had a serious oil pump leak. The vertical fin and the rudder had been damaged, The fuselage had been cut almost completely through Connected only at two small parts of the frame,

And the radios, electrical and oxygen systems were damaged. There was also a hole in the top that was over 16-feet long and 4 feet wide at its widest; The split in the fuselage went all the way to the top gunner's turret.

Although the tail actually bounced and swayed in the wind And twisted when the plane turned and all the control cables were severed, Except one single elevator cable still worked, and the aircraft miraculously still flew!

The tail gunner was trapped because there was no floor connecting the tail to the rest of the plane. The waist and tail gunners used parts of the German fighter and their own parachute harnesses In an attempt to keep the tail from ripping off and the two sides of the fuselage from splitting apart.

While the crew was trying to keep the bomber from coming apart, The pilot continued on his bomb run and released his bombs over the target

When the bomb bay doors were opened, The wind turbulence was so great that it blew one of the waist gunners into the broken tail section. It took several minutes and four crew members to pass him ropes from parachutes And haul him back into the forward part of the plane. When they tried to do the same for the tail gunner, The tail began flapping so hard that it began to break off. The weight of the gunner was adding some stability to the tail section, so he went back to his position. The turn back toward England had to be very slow to keep the tail from twisting off. They actually covered almost 70 miles to make the turn home. The bomber was so badly damaged that it was losing altitude and speed and was soon alone in the sky.

For a brief time, two more Me-109 German fighters attacked the All American. Despite the extensive damage, all of the machine gunners Were able to respond to these attacks and soon drove off the fighters. The two waist gunners stood up with their heads sticking out through the hole in the top of the fuselage To aim and fire their machine guns. The tail gunner had to shoot in short bursts because the recoil was actually causing the plane to turn.

Allied P-51 fighters intercepted the All American as it crossed over the Channel And took one of the pictures shown. They also radioed to the base describing that the appendage was waving like a fish tail And that the plane would not make it and to send out boats to rescue the crew when they bailed out.

The fighters stayed with the Fortress, taking hand signals from Lt. Bragg and relaying them to the base. Lt. Bragg signaled that 5 parachutes and the spare had been "used" So five of the crew could not bail out. He made the decision that if they could not bail out safely, then he would stay with the plane to land it.

Two and a half hours after being hit, the aircraft made its final turn To line up with the runway while it was still over 40 miles away.

It descended into an emergency landing and a normal roll-out on its landing gear

When the ambulance pulled alongside, it was waved off because not a single member of the crew had Been injured. No one could believe that the aircraft could still fly in such a condition. The Fortress sat placidly until the crew all exited through the door in the fuselage and the tail gunner had climbed down a ladder, at which time the entire rear section of the aircraft collapsed.

This old bird had done its job and brought the entire crew home uninjured.

Please pass this on to someone who will also appreciate this amazing story.

Vote for Video of the Day! A BBC journalist in Israel pointed his camera up to the sky and caught something amazing

http://tinyurl.com/hzkahfk
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 1700 YEAR OLD GRAVESTONES OF Unknown Rabbis Uncovered in Northern Israel

More evidence of ancient Jewish presence in the Land of Israel: 1,700-year-old gravestones uncovered.

By: Hana Levi Julian

Published: January 27th, 2016


Aharoni Amitai helps uncover ancient gravestones with Aramaic and Greek inscriptions in the northern Israeli community of Tzipori.

Aharoni Amitai helps uncover ancient gravestones with Aramaic and Greek inscriptions in the northern Israeli community of Tzipori.
Photo Credit: Miki Peleg, courtesy of the Israel Antiquities Authority

Three 1,700-year-old burial inscriptions in Aramaic and Greek have been uncovered in the northern Israeli community of Tzipori.

The discovery came after residents of the moshav found pieces of the stone and called the Kinneret Institute for Galilean Archaeology at Kinneret Academic College.

Researchers from the college excavated the site together with archaeologists from the Israel Antiquities Authority.

The two Aramaic inscriptions mention individuals referred to as "rabbis" who were buried in the western cemetery of Tzipori; their names have not yet been deciphered.

According to Dr. Motti Aviam of the Kinneret Institute for Galilean Archaeology, "The importance of the epitaphs lies in the fact that these reflect the everyday life of the Jews of Tzipori and their cultural world.

"Researchers are uncertain as to the meaning of the term 'rabbi' at the time when Rabbi Yehuda Ha-Nasi resided in Tzipori together with the Tannaim and after him by the Amoraim – the large groups of sages that studied in the city's houses of learning.

"One of the surprises in the newly discovered inscriptions is that one of the deceased was called 'the Tiberian'. This is already the second instance of someone from Tiberias being buried in the cemetery at Tzipori.

"It is quite possible that Jews from various parts of Galilee were brought to Tzipori to be buried in the wake of the important activity carried out there by Rabbi Yehuda Ha-Nasi.

"Another possibility is that the man moved to Tzipori and died there, but wanted to be remembered as someone who originally came from Tiberias," he explained.

In the second Aramaic epitaph the word 'le-olam' (forever) appears for the first time in inscriptions found at Tzipori. The term le-olam is known from burial inscriptions in Beit She'arim and elsewhere. "It means that the deceased's burial place will remain his forever and that no one will take it from him. Both inscriptions end with the Hebrew blessing 'shalom,'" Aviam explained.

Greek inscription on ancient gravestone found in Moshav Tzipori in northern Israel.

Greek inscription on ancient gravestone found in Moshav Tzipori.

"The Greek inscription mentions the name Jose, which was very common amongst Jews living in Israel and abroad."

So far, 17 epitaphs were documented in the Tzipori study, most of them written in Aramaic, which was the everyday language of Jews in Israel at that time.

Contrasting this are the funerary inscriptions found in Tiberias – the second capital of the Galilee – which were mainly written in Greek.

Several of the ancient inhabitants from Tzipori are mentioned in these inscriptions, which include the names of rabbis and often have the names of the professions they were engaged in. Aramaic was the everyday language used by the Jews in the period of the Mishnah and Talmud, but some of them also spoke and read Greek, and thus there are also burial inscriptions in that language.

Tzipori was the first capital of the Galilee from the time of the Hasmonean dynasty until the establishment of Tiberias in the first century CE. The city continued to be central and important later on and was where Rabbi Yehuda Ha-Nasi resided and compiled the Mishnah.

Jewish life in the city was rich and diverse, as indicated by the numerous ritual pools (mikvahs) discovered in the excavation.

At the same time the influence of Roman culture was also quite evident as reflected in the design of the town with its paved streets, colonnaded main roads, theater and bathhouses.

The wealth of inscriptions from the cemeteries attests to the strong Jewish presence and the city's social elite in the Late Roman period.

The inscriptions will be studied by a team of researches consisting of Dr. Motti Aviam, Aharoni Amitai and the historian Dr. Jacob Ashkenazi of the Kinneret Institute for Galilean Archaeology and Miki Peleg, the Lower Galilee District Archaeologist of the Israel Antiquities Authority.

This joint effort is also likely to lead to new discoveries soon, the researchers said.

Upon completion of their research the Israel Antiquities Authority and the Kinneret Academic College have said they will present the inscriptions to the general public.

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