The Senate confirmed Tom Nides as U.S. ambassador to Israel on Wednesday, and Israel to recognize fibromyalgia, a chronic muscle pain illness, as a disability and Jerusalem Approves Plans for City’s Tallest Building and Louis Brandeis, Supreme Court justice story and A Century Ago In Baseball By Irwin Cohen and Ilana Goor Museum Jaffa two of Two and Parsha Toldod tomorrow
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.
The Senate confirmed Tom Nides as U.S. ambassador to Israel on Wednesday,
a day after Republican objections blocked the move, Jewish Insider's Marc Rod reports. Nides, the Morgan Stanley vice chairman and former deputy secretary of state for management and resources, is now the sixth Senate-confirmed ambassador nominated by President Joe Biden.
His confirmation is a rare exception to blanket objections on national security and foreign policy nominees being employed by multiple Republican senators, most notably Sens. Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Ted Cruz (R-TX), who are attempting to extract other foreign policy concessions from the administration.
"I am glad the Republican hold on Mr. Nides has been lifted, and that we will have an ambassador in Israel to help maintain and strengthen the U.S.-Israel relationship," Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) told JI on Wednesday evening. "He is exceptionally qualified and will make a fine ambassador." Read the full story here.
Israel's Knesset approved the 2021 state budget on Thursday, in a vote of 61-59, averting another general election and giving Israel its first national budget in more than three years.
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett welcomed the passing of the $194 billion plan in a tweet in Hebrew, calling it a "holiday for the State of Israel! After years of chaos — we have formed a government, we have overcome the Delta [variant], and now, God willing, we have passed a budget for Israel!" Israel's diverse coalition must now pass the accompanying Economic Arrangement Bill, detailing how the financial plan will be put into practice, plus a state budget for 2022.
Jerusalem Approves Plans for City's Tallest Building
The Jerusalem Local Planning and Building Committee has approved a new massive high-rise tower that will be the tallest in the city.
The Marom Tower will have 40 floors, 80,000 square meters of office and commercial space, a hotel and conference facilities. The first 8 floors of the tower will host a cultural center, art galleries and a museum.
The Marom Tower is part of the Sha'ar Ha'Ir – City Gateway project currently under construction at the entrance to Jerusalem where the main highway from Tel Aviv comes to an end. The building will be between the Jerusalem central bus station and Israel's national convention center and right by the city's new train station.
Visitors to the city can see the project underway. For several years now the area around the entrance to Jerusalem has been one big construction site with up to twenty new buildings in the development.
The city expects this new commercial and office zone to help revive Jerusalem's local economy, stop a brain drain of residents moving out, and encourage professionals to move in.
The Three Musketeers at the Kotel
The Portion of Toldot
Abraham and Sarah have passed away and this week's portion of Toldot focusses on the next generation, Isaac and Rebecca.
Rebecca, after many years of not being able to conceive, becomes pregnant. "Two nations are in your womb" (Genesis 25;23) she is told. One will be a "tzadik" (righteous) and the other will be a "tzar" (enemy).
An allusion to this is found in the 2 letters "tzadi" in the word "vayitrotzitzu" (struggled) which are emphasized by the addition of extra crowns on their right sides.
"And the "tzadik" is greater than the "tzar". The tzadik (Jacob) will have the advantage over the "tzar" (Esau), the advantage being Torah. An allusion to this is that the numerical value of v'yeter (is greater) is the same as the word Torah (613).
Having completed a first 40-floor tower near the La Guardia Interchange, Vitania is building two more, as high-rise office, hotel and residential developments spread south.
Everybody approaching Tel Aviv from the La Guardia Interchange on the Ayalon Highway (Road 20) is greeted by a view of impressive high-rise office and residential developments to the north and usually traffic jams clogging the multi-lane highway. The view around La Guardia itself is of neglected, old buildings.
But the La Guardia Interchange area is beginning to change with the first of many high-rise glass towers just completed. Vitania Tower, named for real estate developer Vitania (TASE: VTNA), rises by the southwest corner of the La Guardia Interchange. In the 40-floor tower are the car showrooms of BMW, Mini Cooper, Ford and Mazda on the lower floors. Above then tenants include law firm Gornitzky & Co., which has bought five floors, gaming developer Moon Active and shared workspace company Mindspace have also taken floors and a large company traded on the TASE has taken 13 floors.
Vitania Tower is just the first of many high-rise buildings set to rise around the La Guardia Interchange according to plans already approved by the Tel Aviv District Planning and Building Committee in 2018. These include five 40-floor towers - two alongside the Ayalon Highway and three on Haharash Street. Between the towers will be six-floor buildings bringing the total amount of space in the area to 240,000 square meters of office, commercial and hotel space as well as 200 housing units and 7,000 square meters of public buildings.
Most of the land covering nearly six acres is owned by Vitania and Delek Automotive Systems (TASE: DLEA) with the southern third owned by Adv. Alon Hoter Ishay. Two months ago the Tel Aviv District Planning and Building Committee approved the architectural plans for the continuation of the area's development.
Vitania CEO Ofer Ziv said, "In the next stage, two more towers will be built, one with offices and the other with a hotel and apartments. We originally had rights for 48,000 square meters and we have increased that to 150,000 square meters. We will receive the first building permit this week and I expect this second stage to be ready in another 4.5 years."
Ziv estimates that the two towers in the second stage of the project including parking will cost NIS 1.1 billion to build.
Ziv admits that although the location is central, it has its challenges. "Overall it is only one junction away from the Azrieli Center and in terms of transport it is one of the best places in Tel Aviv, close to a railway station and the central bus station and the light rail Green Line will go over Haganah Bridge. It is 200 meters from the Old Central Bus Station where they are building hundreds of new homes. The Tel Aviv Municipality is planning a pedestrian bridge, like the Yehudit Bridge, which will connect us to Yad Eliyahu. If you have an e-scooter, you can be on Rothschild Boulevard within two minutes.
Architect Avner Yashar also believes in the location. "It's excellent that the beginning of the project includes mixed use. We are planning another project over the road in Harakevet Street. All these projects will link up with the city. You have to think ahead. When you think about urban planning you can't just think two years ahead."
Yashar also thinks that the mix of heights of the buildings will create a bustling atmosphere.
Regarding prices of the offices, Gornitzky & Co. is paying NIS 80 million to buy its five floors and leasing costs NIS 90-110 per square meter for unfurnished offices.
photo Credit: Library of Congress Collection, public domain
Schacht in 1925
One hundred years ago in 1921, Babe Ruth was the greatest player in baseball and rapidly on his way to becoming the most popular man in America. Even without radio and television at the time, the legend of The Babe was taking hold.
Ruth was only 19 years old when he broke into the major leagues in 1914 as a pitcher with the Boston Red Sox. He quickly became one of the best pitchers in the game and a better hitter than most. Management decided that Ruth would be more valuable to the team playing every day and helping the team score runs instead of trying to prevent runs every fourth day as a pitcher.
Ruth became a Red Sox regular outfielder in 1919 and batted .322, and his 29 home runs led the league. Dealt to the New York Yankees before the 1920 season, The Babe quickly became the talk of the town and darling of Gotham's numerous newspaper scribes, on his way to batting .376 with 54 home runs. No player in the major leagues even reached 20 that year.
At the time, the Yankees were tenants of the popular National League's New York Giants and playing their home games in the Giants' ballpark, the Polo Grounds. A hundred years ago in 1921, Ruth even bettered his stats of the previous season as he batted .378 and slugged 59 home runs, far more than any player in the major leagues. Ruth set a major league record of driving in 171 runs that season. His RBI total meant that he knocked in more than one run per game as the season consisted of 154 games at the time.
Fans were flocking to the Polo Grounds to see Babe Ruth. The National league Giants weren't happy that more fans were attending Yankees games, and the Yankees wanted to cash in even more on Ruth. They started construction on their own ballpark, and when Yankee Stadium opened two years later it would be known as The House That Ruth Built.
As newspaper readers were following The Babe's on-field heroics, they were also following his off-the-field exploits. His large appetite, charisma, generosity and hospital visits to children were fodder for even more articles.
Al Schacht (1892-1984)
While Ruth was having his great season, Jewish fans were saying goodbye to popular pitcher Al Schacht. Born and bred in the Bronx where he studied to become a cantor and rabbi, Schacht spent many summer days walking over the Harlem River bridge to the Polo Grounds to watch the New York Giants play, while selling peanuts up and down the aisles. His dream was to be a major league pitcher and he was impressive enough in a tryout watched by big league scouts to be signed to a minor league contract by the Washington Senators.
Schacht was eager to reach the majors as fast as possible and devised a plan. He would pose as a fan and write letters to Senators team owner Clark Griffith, telling him about what a great pitcher he had in the minor leagues. Eventually, Griffith's curiosity got the best of him and he took a train to Jersey City to see Schacht pitch. Schacht's chutzpah paid off as he responded with his 10th shutout of the season and Griffith offered him a major league contract. Al Schacht quickly became a fan favorite with his before-game entertainment imitating the mannerisms of other players.
After a not too impressive major league record of 14 career wins and ten losses with a 4.48 ERA, Schacht accepted Griffith's offer to be a coach and entertainer. Before games he strutted around the foul lines wearing a battered top hat along with a tuxedo and tails over his baseball uniform. Eventually, Al decided he could make more money by booking himself into major and minor league ballparks around the country and logged thousands of miles entertaining the troops during World War II.
After ending his entertainment career, he opened a popular restaurant in Manhattan. Al Schacht died at 92 in 1984 in Waterbury, Connecticut.
-Fabulous story !!!!
Louis Brandeis graduated from Harvard Law School at age 20 with the highest grade-point average in that school's history, a record that stood for decades after. Following numerous other legal and academic triumphs, Brandeis was appointed Supreme Court justice.
While studying law at Harvard, an anti-Semitic professor by the name of Peters always displayed animosity toward him. One day Professor Peters was having lunch at the university dining room when Brandeis came along with his tray and sat next to him.
The professor said, "Mr. Brandeis, you do not understand. A pig and a bird do not sit together to eat."
Brandeis looked at him and calmly replied, "Don't worry, professor. I'll fly away." And he went and sat at another table.
Peters decided to take revenge on the next test paper, but Brandeis responded brilliantly to all questions. Unhappy and frustrated, Peters asked him the following question: "Mr. Brandeis, if you were walking down the street and found a package --- a bag of wisdom and another bag with a lot of money --- which one would you take?"
Without hesitating, Brandeis responded, "The one with the money, of course."
Peters, smiling sarcastically, said, "Just like a Jew. Unlike you, I would have taken the wisdom."
Brandeis shrugged indifferently and responded, "Well, each one takes what he doesn't have."
Professor Peters' disdain for the Jewish student came to a finale when he scribbled on his student's final exam the word "Idiot," and handed it back to him.
A few minutes later, Louis Brandeis got up, went to the professor and said to him in a dignified but sarcastically polite tone, "Professor Peters, you autographed the exam sheet, but you didn't give me a grade ..."
That's what they call a real Yiddishe kop! Sent from myMail for Android
Israel to recognize fibromyalgia, a chronic muscle pain illness, as a disability
Patients once sidelined by skeptical doctors now given right to claim state allowance; decision impacts many in south whose illness is thought to be brought on by Hamas rockets
Israel will recognize fibromyalgia, a once widely dismissed illness that involves chronic muscle pain, as a disability.
People with the condition will be recognized as disabled within a few weeks, and will be able to claim up to 40 percent of a full disability allowance, Welfare and Social Affairs Minister Meir Cohen announced on Tuesday.
The move makes Israel one of the first countries in the world to make such far-reaching provisions for fibromyalgia patients.
A woman suffering from chronic muscle pain (iStock via Getty Images)
Israel will recognize fibromyalgia, a once widely dismissed illness that involves chronic muscle pain, as a disability.
People with the condition will be recognized as disabled within a few weeks, and will be able to claim up to 40 percent of a full disability allowance, Welfare and Social Affairs Minister Meir Cohen announced on Tuesday.
The move makes Israel one of the first countries in the world to make such far-reaching provisions for fibromyalgia patients.
Fibromyalgia is characterized by chronic widespread pain, and in some cases physical exhaustion, cognitive difficulties, and a feeling that sleep does not alleviate tiredness. As such, it prevents many people from following a normal work routine.
Data from the Health Ministry and Asaf, the Israeli fibromyalgia association, suggests that some 4% of Israelis, or 240,000 people, are affected by fibromyalgia and its sibling condition, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
Rockets are launched from the Gaza Strip towards Israel, May 10, 2021. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
Those suffering from fibromyalgia have often voiced frustration that, in the absence of physical symptoms that show up in blood tests or scans, medical professionals don't take their condition seriously and authorities don't support them financially.
Over the last decade, however, the existence of the condition has become more widely accepted among doctors, and now Israel's National Insurance Institute has completed the two-year process of recognizing it as a disability.
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"The reason that there is still no sweeping recognition of the disease is due to the fact that many doctors in the world believe that it is a mental disability," the institute said in a statement
"The National Insurance Institute opposes this determination, and at the end of a professional examination by the institution's doctors, the Legal Bureau and the Pension Division, it was decided that there is cause to add fibromyalgia to the list of conditions that determines social security allowances."
Roni Rothler, director of the disability rights clinic at Bar Ilan University, told The Times of Israel that fibromyalgia patients "have struggled until now to have it recognized by authorities. This development will make people with fibromyalgia automatically recognized for disability stipends, which will enable them to take far better care of themselves," she said.
"This move is also important because it provides clear recognition that what they have is real, because often people doubt this as the symptoms don't show in blood tests and scans."
Public health expert Alex Weinreb, research director at the Taub Center think tank, said that recognition of little-understood conditions is important in eliminating stigmas. "It's good to be public about all sorts of medical conditions because when this doesn't happen, they are stigmatized, which is not good," he told The Times of Israel.
Rothler believes that the new recognition is important in terms of gender politics, as conditions that predominantly affect women are known to often trail in resources compared to conditions that heavily affect men. "What just happened is an important gender statement, as fibromyalgia affects many more women than men," she said.
