Experts Suggest 6 Firearms That Will Fit in your Tallit Bag By Tony Katz and Israel Is Not the Solution to Global Antisemitism by Shmuley Boteach and two Shalom Pollock tours coming up

Can't see images? Click here... Yehuda Lave, Spiritual Advisor and Counselor Yehuda Lave is an author, journalist, psychologist, rabbi, spiritual teacher and coach, with degrees in business, psychology and Jewish Law. He works  with people from all walks of life and helps them in their search for greater happiness, meaning, business advice on saving money,  and spiritual engagement Two Shalom Pollack tours coming up -------------------- Two great tours coming up; Wednesday, Jan. 15A walking tour atop the ramparts of the old city, including the newly opened section from Damascus Gate to Lions Gate. This affords hitherto unseen areas into the old city and temple Mount. We will then walk through the "Valley of the Kings" and see the monumental tombs of old. We will meet at Jaffa Gate at 9:00cost: 130 shekels Wednesday, Feb 5 We will visit Hadera. When was the last time you were there? We will learn about this beautiful city and its origins in the pioneering days of the "First Aliyah"Quaint, off the beaten track museums and nature reserves will enlighten us and delight us as we are guided by local guides. Depart 8:30 from the Inbal hotel 250 shekels. Experts Suggest 6 Firearms That Will Fit in your Tallit Bag By Tony Katz After the most recent attack on Jews, this time while they were celebrating Hanukkah, I realized that as a radio host and vocal proponent of Jews being armed that I had made a terrible mistake. The attack at a synagogue in Monsey, NY left five people injured. The attacker, a 39 year-old black man, snuck in to the synagogue where the Rabbi, who also lived there, was celebrating the Festival of Lights with friends and family. The attacker then pulled out a machete. Two of those injured were the Rabbi's children. The attacker is being charged with five counts of attempted murder and one count of burglary. This comes just a few weeks after the planned attack in Jersey City, New Jersey where gunmen, after killing a Jersey City cop, drove to a Kosher supermarket and opened fire. Watch the surveillance video: People were running in every direction, but the gunmen didn't take their eyes off their target. They start shooting and walked only towards the supermarket. Three people were killed in that market, all Jews. Any Jew who says that other Jews should not be allowed to arm themselves is wrong. I have long discussed the need for Jews to be armed in their place of worship. I have argued vigorously that your place of worship is a vulnerable target, often called a soft target. Jews gathered for prayer on a Friday night or Saturday morning are a target for those who hate them, and Jews who disagree with that reality are wrong. Yes. They are wrong. We will all agree that it would be great if you didn't have to bring a weapon to synagogue, but honesty with ourselves and with our families and with our rabbis dictates that we must. That you shouldn't HAVE to bring a firearm to synagogue is different than whether you MUST bring a firearm to synagogue. My mistake, however, was that while I have argued the need for being armed, I have never given any advice on what to be armed with. So I reached out to some experts on firearms for advice. I gave them parameters: Must hold at least 8 rounds, must be 9mm, must have a safety and must be small enough to fit inside a Tallit bag (a small carrying case for a prayer shawl, called a tallit.) I chose these parameters not because I have any issue with other calibers or revolvers ( a .38 snub nose is a great carry weapon!) but rather I wanted a selection that was readily available, where ammunition was affordable and plentiful and a form factor that was compact. (Note – The experts mostly balked at the idea of having a safety as one of the parameters, and many of their selections reflect that. For the record, my carry weapon has no safety, and I carry it on my hip, not in my tallit bag.) Here is the list:  Sig Sauer P365 Glock 17 Glock 19 Glock 43 Smith and Wesson M&P Springfield XD The experts: Guy Relford – 2nd Amendment Attorney / radio host / certified firearms instructor A good holster that protects the trigger is much more important than a manual safety, IMO.  There are several handguns on the market today that meet the requirements for concealed carry in a house of worship. For example, the P365 9mm pistol from Sig Sauer is small, lightweight and offers standard ten-round magazines – with an option of twelve or fifteen-round magazines. The P365 also comes with standard night sights. Buyers can choose between models with or without a manual safety and several excellent holsters are available. Dana Loesch – nationally syndicated radio host / Author, "Hands Off My Gun" Glock (Glock has three safety mechanisms, one within the trigger itself). It is my go to, what I've trained with the most. Simple, easy, reliable. I'd recommend a Glock 17 or 19, or M&P (Shield). People of faith are being targeted and they deserve protection.  Kurt Schlichter – retired, US Army / trial lawyer / columnist / author I'd always go with a Glock 19. It's super simple, concealable, holds 16 rounds, is accurate and reliable. It does not have a traditional safety though. Simple, accurate, reliable. Those are the key. Cam Edwards – editor, Bearing Arms / Host, Cam and Company There is no one-size-fits-all policy that every synagogue should specifically adopt, but generally speaking faith leaders need to work with their congregation to ensure that any attack in their house of worship is met with an armed response. That may mean simply allowing concealed carry holders to carry while they're worshipping, or the establishment of a church security team consisting of congregants who've received additional training, and who may have a military, law enforcement, or security background. I can't recommend a certain make or model. I don't even think it needs to be standardized. You need a handgun with stopping power, and I would say every person carrying for defense of the synagogue needs at least two magazines. Stephen Gutkowski – firearms policy reporter for Washington Free Beacon / firearms safety instructor There are a ton of great options for 9mm handguns designed for carry. If you're limited to 8 rounds, sub-compact single stack handguns. The Springfield XDs, Sig Sauer P365, Smith & Wesson M&P Shield, and Glock 43. Most of those firearms can be bought with manual safeties. Anti-Semitism on the Rise: Anti-Semitism is on an upward trend, and no, it's not President Trump's fault. It wasn't Trump's fault when someone chemically burned swastikas into my lawn some 30 years ago. It wasn't his fault in the years before nor the years since. Anti-Semitism has always existed, and right now it is on an upswing. Jews must be armed in synagogue, and they should be armed at all times outside of the synagogue. If some Jews don't want to arm themselves, that's their right. But any Jew who says that other Jews should not be allowed to arm themselves is wrong. Yes. They are wrong. And that includes your Rabbi. Any Rabbi who says you can not be armed in synagogue should no longer be your Rabbi. Any Rabbi who fails to recognize that the most important thing a Jew can do when coming to pray is live to go home to their families when they're done, fails their congregation, and humanity. Any Rabbi who says congregants can not be armed should be fired, or those congregants should find a new synagogue. Ultimately, Jews should train, and should carry in synagogue regardless of what their Rabbi says. Going home alive is the priority, and being able to protect and defend one's self, and the ones you love, is paramount. Begin the debate here: How do you live the life God wants you to live if you are not alive, and don't do everything in your power to stay alive? [Editor's Note: Proper use of a firearm, particularly in a high-stress emergency situation, requires a lot training, otherwise you endanger yourself and those around you. Never leave a firearm unattended or in an easily accessible location.] Jordan River and the Kinneret 122419 All changes saved. On the second day of Chanukah, the Piz Gat Zev gang heads for the Kinneret with a first stop on the beautiful Jordan River which we had to ourselves Israel Is Not the Solution to Global Antisemitism by Shmuley Boteach Had Israel existed in 1939, there would not have been a Holocaust. Of that I am fairly certain. The policy of Hitler and the Nazis was not yet extermination but expulsion. But no one wanted to take the Jews so they had nowhere to flee. Had the Jewish state existed just six years before the Holocaust's end, we might have saved six million Jewish lives. But for all that, those who argue that the solution to the shocking new wave of global antisemitism — including in the United States — is for all Jews to move to Israel are making a big mistake. By doing so they are letting governments around the world off the hook from protecting their Jewish citizens. They are essentially telling them that Jews should not be living in their countries in the first place. And even if all Jews in the world moved to Israel — which right now is pretty unrealistic — what would happen when they have to travel abroad for vacation or business? Would they have to hide the fact that they are Jews? Would we tell them to take off their yarmulkes and put away their Stars of David before they visited a judenrein France? And then there is the question of Judaism as a global religion with global influence. Saying that no Jews should live anywhere outside of Israel because they might be attacked minimizes the huge impact that Jewish values are meant to have on the world. And furthermore, do we really want to raise a generation of young Jews who are mentally scarred into believing that being Jewish means you're always a victim? That when you come under attack, rather than organizing and fighting back, you should flee? The New York Times has published an "Editors' Note," inaccurately accusing the newspaper's own star columnist, Bret Stephens, of committing... These are just some of the things I'd like to respectfully share with former Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, who said after the Monsey machete attack, "It is important to know that the main solution to such phenomena is immigration to Israel." Israel is itself a miracle. And though living in Israel for a Jew is a virtue in its own right, it cannot be a place to which we Jews flee to because we are not protected by our host countries. No. America, Britain, France, Belgium, Australia, and every other country has to protect its Jewish citizens and fight the scourge of antisemitism head on. As of this writing, one of the five Hasidic Jews stabbed in Monsey is in critical condition and the fact that there were no fatalities after a man rampaged through a home with a 12-inch blade is "The Monsey Miracle." But it might easily have been "The Monsey Massacre," so common are such attacks becoming in the United States, and we continue to pray for the victim who is fighting for his life. Only a Hanukkah miracle prevented the stabbings in Monsey from turning into an outright slaughter. My daughter Shaina spent the Sabbath at the home of her in-laws with her husband Moshe, whose parents live just three doors from the Rabbi's home where the attacker struck. At about 10 pm, a man frantically knocked on their door, ghostly pale, begging to be admitted. He said he was next door at the Rabbi's house when an attacker burst in wielding what he called "a sword" and began stabbing everyone in sight. The man actually apologized for intruding on my wife's family as they locked the doors and turned off all the lights, because the attacker was still at large and they all feared for their lives. The victim fleeing the orgy of violence explained that he saw Moshe's parents' Hanukkah menorah through their front window, jumped off a balcony, and fled to them for safety. Had the menorah not been in the front window, he might not have been saved. It was quite literally Hanukkah that saved him. Still, we Jews should not have to rely on miracles to remain alive. The outbreak of violence against Jews, especially in the United States, is foul, deplorable, and utterly outrageous. It must be stopped by every legal means necessary. My daughter described on my Facebook page to approximately 100,000 viewers what she and her family had been through in Monsey. She said, "I heard nearly every day for the past year about attacks on Jews. But it wasn't until this happened tonight — where a victim fled a potential massacre and we saved his life — that I understood just how real the threat is." The United States is quickly becoming like Europe. Jews are now afraid to wear kippot, even in New York. They are afraid to wear Stars of David and other overtly Jewish symbols. So many of the attacks have been on those who look undeniably Jewish, like the "ultra-Orthodox" shootings in Jersey City, the endless attacks against religious Jews in Brooklyn, and now Monsey. Jews with beards and peyyot (sidecurls) have no way to escape from looking Jewish. They are sitting ducks. But even if they could hide their identities, would that be an acceptable solution? To be afraid of looking Jewish? Will religious liberty just die in America because we don't know how to adequately combat antisemitism? And let's remember that antisemitism is becoming a truly universal phenomenon. After the Tree of Life attack in Pittsburgh and the attack on Chabad of Poway, the Trump haters came out and said the president is responsible because the assailants were white supremacists. Amazingly, I heard Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York say the same thing on Fox News about the attack in Monsey, although the suspect was African-American and was arrested by police in Harlem, not an area where the president is said to have much influence. And surely no one is going to say that President Trump inspired the Black Hebrews to attack a kosher store in Jersey City? And then there is the simple fact that President Trump had a Jewish daughter and grandchildren and is arguably the most pro-Israel president in American history. Rather, we are seeing Jews being murdered by white nationalists and black nationalists. Neo-Nazis and Islamic terrorists. People on the extreme right and people on the extreme left. It's open season on the Jews and it's coming from every corner. What needs to be done? Before anything else, I believe New York, which has seen so many attacks, needs to declare a day in January where all citizens are called on to wear to wear a kippa for the day. And why just New York? Let's make it "National Kippa Day." Show solidarity with the Jewish community by stating publicly around the US that you stand with the Jewish community who are open and visible targets. Instead of asking Jews to be less visible, show that Jewish symbols are universally respected and embraced. It was a call made in Germany last May by Anti-Semitism Commissioner Felix Klein, who called upon all Germans to wear kippot ahead of an annual anti-Israel protest on Al Quds Day. The call came after the Central Council of Jews warned about the dangers of Jews wearing the kippa in public. If Germany, which 75 years ago murdered six million Jews, can today call on its citizens to show solidarity with the Jews by wearing a kippa, surely America that stopped the Holocaust and defeated Hitler, and is the freest and noblest country in the world, can do the same. Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, whom The Washington Post calls "the most famous Rabbi in America," is the international best-selling author of 33 books, including the upcoming Holocaust Holiday: One Family's Descent into Genocide Memory Hell. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @RabbiShmuley.   Supporting President Trump--Shalom Pollock and I There are some debates that can never be resolved even with the most patient, logic dialogue including with some of my own family members. I get it;  President Trump has annoying personal character flaws. Maybe very annoying to some. I  too cringed at the childish name-calling and bullying behavior during the Republican debates. Like most, I did not believe that he had a chance. How could a boor like him win a national election and then go on to be a good president? Against all odds and as opposed to all the most trusted commentators' assurances - he won. He made a lot of bombastic promises during his campaign as fo all politicians Surely he was all bluster.  He has carried them all out and then some. America has never been doing better since. Every category is red hot; the economy, foreign and returning US business investment, the war on drugs, illegal immigration, the VA, the military, energy independence. the lowest unemployment ever, across the board. The best trade deals ever with Japan, Korea, Canada, Mexico and now China. Standing up to China! Reversing the appeasement policy towards Iran NATO finally paying their share.Trump's calling out the world's worst villains and his determination to stand up to them with renewed unmatched milThere are some debates that can never be resolved even with the most patient, logic dialogue including with some of my own family members. I get it;  President Trump has annoying personal character flaws. Maybe very annoying to some. I  too cringed at the childish name-calling and bullying behavior during the Republican debates. Like most, I did not believe that he had a chance. How could a boor like him win a national election and then go on to be a good president? Against all odds and as opposed to all the most trusted commentators' assurances - he won. He made a lot of bombastic promises during his campaign as fo all politicians Surely he was all bluster. He has carried them all out and then some. America has never been doing better since.itary potential and with biting economic measures.We are now hearing  a focused  voice that was  lost in the demoralizing  years of apologizing for America  This clear distinction between good and evil, friend and foe, has not been heard since President Reagan's assertion that the Soviets were the "evil empire" and they must tear down that wall! Who would think? Not me. Not almost everyone. A self-indulging narcissist billionaire playboy(President Clinton was so much more refined) is actually making America great again! If there are one people and one country that has benefited most from this president it has been the Jewish people and the Jewish state.He shut down the PLO terror offices in Washington. He cut all aid to them citing the "pay for slay" abomination that is the pride of the PA.Same for UNRWA, the UN agency that fuels generations of "Palestinian"  Jew-hate in their schools. He made it very  clear to the UN hypocrites /Israel haters that Israel is not alone The Jerusalem embassy, Golan recognition,  Acceptance of Jewish settlement in the heartland.  The appointing of the most pro-Israel ambassador to the UN and to Israel ever. Deny funding to campuses that tolerate and facilitate anti-Israel and anti-Jewish hate  activity I have two questions;Why then do so many Americans then hate Trump's presidency and the man so?What negative things has he done or said that some other presidents have not? Is he not doing a great job (and not taking a salary)? My next question is even a bigger one;My fellow Jews both in the US and in Israel; what is your problem?? With all that he has done for Jews and Israel, you exhibit a deep loathing and hate for a man who has done only great things for us.When a white person shoots up a synagogue, the Jewish Trump-haters instinctively know that it is a  direct result of that evilest of men.However, as we experience an ongoing wave of attacks upon Jews in the NY area, even the Trump haters are not pointing fingers at the president. (as far as I have heard so far )In their world, it makes total sense to blame Trump for assaults on Jews by White antisemites.Who can they blame when the current wave of attackers are Blacks -  and probably not wearing Mega hats? I know that none of the above will make Trump haters think twice, but isn't "Hakarat Hatov" - appreciation the most fundamental Jewish value.  What happened See you tomorrow bli neder Love Yehuda Lave Rabbi Yehuda Lave PO Box 7335, Rehavia Jerusalem 9107202 LIKE TWEET FORWARD You received this email because you signed up on our website or made purchase from us. Unsubscribe