Left Isn’t Letting the Ukraine Crisis Go to Waste By Daniel Greenfield and President Herzog, First Lady, Meet Turkish Jewish Community in Istanbul and with Purim coming up-See Miracles Everywhere and on the second page--events happening in Jerusalem for Purim
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 Three are Rabbi Yehuda Glick, famous temple mount activist, and former Israel Mk, and then Robert Weinger, the world's greatest shofar blower and seller of Shofars, and myself after we had gone to the 12 gates of the Temple Mount in 2020 to blow the shofar to ask G-d to heal the world from the Pandemic. It was a highlight to my experience in living in Israel and I put it on my blog each day to remember.
The articles that I include each day are those that I find interesting, so I feel you will find them interesting as well. I don't always agree with all the points of each article but found them interesting or important to share with you, my readers, and friends. It is cathartic for me to share my thoughts and frustrations with you about life in general and in Israel. As a Rabbi, I try to teach and share the Torah of the G-d of Israel as a modern Orthodox Rabbi. I never intend to offend anyone but sometimes people are offended and I apologize in advance for any mistakes. The most important psychological principle I have learned is that once someone's mind is made up, they don't want to be bothered with the facts, so, like Rabbi Akiva, I drip water (Torah is compared to water) on their made-up minds and hope that some of what I have share sinks in. Love Rabbi Yehuda Lave.
President Herzog, First Lady, Meet Turkish Jewish Community in Istanbul
Photo Credit: Haim Zach (GPO)
President Isaac Herzog and First Lady Michal Herzog visited the Neve Shalom Synagogue in Istanbul, March 10, 2022.
President Isaac Herzog and First Lady Michal Herzog visited the Neve Shalom Synagogue in Istanbul this morning and met representatives of the Turkish Jewish community. During their visit, the President was welcomed into the sanctuary with the ceremonial blowing of shofars. The President paid tribute to the victims murdered in terror attacks at the synagogue in 1986 and 2003 and lit a candle in their memory. Later, the President joined the singing of a Psalm and recited a blessing over the Torah. President Herzog also recited Kaddish for his late mother, former First Lady Aura Herzog, who passed away in January.
The President and the First Lady were accompanied by the Hakham Bashi (Chief Rabbi) Ishak Haleva, the Turkish Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism Ahmet Misbah Demircan, and Turkish Jewish community co-presidents Erol Kohen and Ishak Ibrahimzadeh, Israeli Honorary Consul in İzmir Jak Eskinazi, and Chabad envoy Rabbi Mendy Chitrik. The Neve Shalom Synagogue is the central and largest Sephardic synagogue in Istanbul.
President Isaac Herzog began his remarks by saying: "My brothers and sisters, members of the Jewish community, my wife Michal and I are delighted to meet you and bless you, as one does after seeing a friend after a long time, 'Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has granted us life and sustained us, and allowed us to arrive at this time.'"
"At this special opportunity, I wish, together with you, to say a prayer for the peace of our brothers and sisters in the Jewish community of Ukraine, and to pray that the Holy One, Blessed be He, protect them and save them from trouble and distress."
President Isaac Herzog and First Lady Michal Herzog visited the Neve Shalom Synagogue in Istanbul, March 10, 2022. / Haim Zach (GPO)
The President added: "Both my father and my grandfather recalled, during their historic visits, how Turkey opened its gates and its heart to the daughters and sons of the Jewish People, who found a firm foothold here. The Jews who were expelled from Spain and the older Jewish community in Turkey integrated into Turkish society and played an important role in writing the history of the Jewish People. The author of the Shulchan Aruch Rabbi Yosef Caro, Doña Gracia Nasi, Rabbi Shlomo Alkabetz, the scholar Moses Amon, who was the personal physician of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, and a long line of rabbis, poets, sages, merchants, entrepreneurs, leaders—these all represent only a part of the history of the Jewish People here in this land."
"My brothers and sisters, all Jews are connected by bonds of mutual responsibility and shared fate; and you, members of the Jewish community in Turkey, are a marvelous example of this. You are a symbol of mutual responsibility, of tradition, of community, in the face of all challenges. I know that the Jewish community here in Turkey, including in this synagogue, Neve Shalom, has experienced in the flesh painful terror attacks. Unfortunately, around the world—Jewish schools and synagogues, Jewish stores, and businesses remain in the haters' crosshairs. You have my support, and I welcome the commitment of the authorities to the wellbeing and liberty of Turkish Jewry."
President Herzog continued: "Yesterday I met President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan during a historic visit in Ankara. We had a good, open, and honest conversation. In our meeting, I told him how important the Israel-Turkey relationship is to me. I told him that I believe that all of us, the children of all religions in the Middle East, can and must live in peace. I was pleased to hear from him that he agrees with me and that he too thinks that regional stability is very important and that we must strengthen what unites us, what unites all religions and peoples.
"We understood that both of us believe that in days like these, with the winds of war, and the terrible tragedy in Ukraine, we must walk down the path of the heritage of the Children of Abraham. A heritage of respect, tolerance, and friendship. Of a relentless struggle against racism, antisemitism, and hatred of the other.
"Our world needs more peace and fewer wars, tragedies, and battles. In the words of the prayer: 'May He who makes peace in His heights make peace upon us and upon all Israel; and say, Amen.'"
See Miracles Everywhere
When we breathe, the air is drawn into our lungs, causing our blood to be oxygenated. Our heart pumps the blood around the body, thus delivering oxygen to all our organs. During this process, the blood also carries toxins (waste material generated by the body as a result of living) back to the lungs, and we breathe them out into the atmosphere around us. Amazingly, plants thrive of these toxins (carbon dioxide), and together with sunlight, water, and nutrients, plants grow and in the process emit oxygen that we will then breathe. The light that plants convert into energy through photosynthesis comes from the sun- the closest star to our planet. Its location to earth is perfect, close enough to warm the planet and far enough not to fry it to a crisp. Its very positioning provides earth with an orbit that ensures a gravitational force that keeps things anchored to the planet but not severe enough to make the universe's largest Vomitron ride. This force is needed for the formation of our atmosphere which traps the air, filters the light, and helps maintain the temperatures so that…. We can breathe in.
What precision. The chances of such a reality are so slim that it's safe to say it's a miracle, a constant miracle in action.
Miracles don't need to mean a sea splitting, angels manifesting with a radiant glow, or someone pouring unlimited amounts of wine from a bottle that doesn't seem to finish. Cells becoming conscious human beings is a miracle as is the flight of birds. Just because something can be explained doesn't mean it is not a miracle. Nature is a type of miracle- it is the Divine manifestation of Hashem's energy and consciousness.
And that is why the Purim festival is the celebration of a miracle. We survived potential annihilation 2,500 years ago because a Jewess became the queen of Persia and convinced her husband the king not to follow through with a decree inspired by the wicked vizier Hamman. The book of Esther is named after the heroin Esther whose name means concealment. God's name doesn't appear in the text, Esthers life and name tell us that the story itself is the name of God. Purim is the biblical story that teaches us that Hashem is not some cool guy who can create a world or a bloke with a long beard and a halo who determines who should die for worshiping a golden cow (though those are pretty cool tricks), Purim is the biblical story that teaches us that everything is God's energy and consciousness- people, animals, objects, plants, time, space, concept and every infininte possiblitiy and impossibility. That's why it works the way it does, because everything is one.
Ponder that and while you're at it, check below for Purim guidance.
Your Purim To Do List
Wednesday 16th March: Esther's Fast
From dawn (4:41 am) until Nightfall (6:16 pm) we fast in memory of the troubles we experienced, the changes we made within ourselves, the support we gave Esther, and the risk she took in challenging the king.
Wednesday 16th March: Megillah Reading Thursday the 17th in Jerusalem
After Nightfall the megillah reading should be listened to, as read by a trained Megilah reader who chants it from a scroll.
Thursday 17th March: Purim Festivities Friday the 18th in Jerusalem
During the day we listen to the megillah being read (this is in addition to Wed/Thurs eve).
Share Purim joy by providing two ready-to-eat foods to another person so they can celebrate.
Provide money to two different needy people or organizations that help people in need.
The Biden administration is doing everything possible to exploit the Ukraine crisis without doing anything to actually stop it. Its policies are a laundry list of leftist agendas that cynically betray the people fighting and dying on the ground without doing anything to actually halt the invasion.
An unpopular administration has been gifted a crisis by Putin and is seeing to it that it doesn't go to waste. Biden had been unable to evade the blame for rising gas and food prices, but going forward the skyrocketing price of gas and food, in particular anything with wheat, will be blamed on the Russian invasion. While the invasion will certainly impact energy and food prices, the fundamental force driving the price hikes is still inflation caused by government spending.
Putin's invasion provides a perfect pretext for allowing the Biden administration and its congressional allies to go on printing money and shutting down the economy with regulatory impositions while blaming the resulting economic crisis on the situation in Ukraine.
That is why Biden doesn't want to stop Putin. Our intelligence people had all the necessary information on the invasion plans. We knew everything that was going to happen. Had Biden really wanted to deter the invasion, there were multiple options for heading off the war. Instead Biden made it clear that there would be no intervention, just sanctions he knew would not work.
Bloomberg News reported that the Biden officials who created the sanctions knew they wouldn't work.
"No one expected the sanctions to prevent anything from happening," Biden later admitted.
Indeed the Biden administration fiercely fought against the efforts of Senator Ted Cruz and other Republicans to impose sanctions before the invasion because they wanted Putin to invade.
Only if Putin invaded Ukraine would they have the leverage to maintain a crisis, ransack the economy, consolidate corporate economic responses, and transform our foreign policy.
The sanctions regime, under which we import massive amounts of Russian oil but payment processors are ordered to cut off access, make no sense as a means of stopping Putin. But they are not meant to stop Putin or to do anything to help Ukraine. That's not what this is about.
Anything however can be sold as means of stopping Russia even when it actually helps Russia.
That's why the Biden administration is cutting deals with Russian allies like Iran and Venezuela.
Even as the Biden administration claims to be doing everything possible to sanction Russia, it outsourced the negotiations for a new and even worse nuclear deal with Iran to Russia.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has suggested that the administration is considering buying oil from Iran.
Buying Iranian oil directly finances Islamic terrorism against America, but it, like many other previously unacceptable moves, can be sold as a patriotic response to the invasion of Ukraine.
Biden administration officials are also headed to Venezuela for talks with socialist strongman Maduro, the leader of a murderous drug cartel and an ally of Iran and Russia, to restart relations with his regime and bail it out by buying oil from a narcoterrorist state.
And no one is supposed to ask how helping Russia's allies is supposed to be stopping Russia.
The Biden administration is willing to buy oil from anyone except Americans. While a Republican administration might have used the Ukraine crisis as leverage for restarting domestic drilling, the Biden administration is using it to cut deals with our enemies.
Does the Biden administration actually want oil from Iran and Venezuela? No, it does not.
The green energy agenda means that the Biden administration is thrilled with high oil prices and an international pretext for keeping them high. At the same time it can build relations with Islamist and leftist enemies under the guise of trying to fix the high oil prices even though it has no intention of doing so except during election years when it can claim credit for lowering prices.
What the Ukraine crisis really means is more green energy and more outreach to our enemies.
These are the same Obama administration policies being dusted off and treated like a new response to the crisis. Much as they were the default responses to any crisis that came along.
People often dismiss any military intervention as another case of 'Wag the Dog', but they forget that the movie actually featured a fictional war in which there were no real soldiers involved.
The Biden administration has managed to actually have war fever without a war. There are Ukrainian flags flying and vodka being poured down the drain without a single American soldier being on the battlefield. And, despite what some on both sides think, it's going to stay that way.
In a real case of 'Wag the Dog', an unpopular old incumbent has managed to have a war in an election year without taking any of the political risks of military involvement. The Russians and the Ukranians do the actual fighting while the Biden administration sits back and exploits it.
Whatever happens, Biden is safe because no American soldiers will be killed in the fighting.
He also has a defense against the kitchen table concerns of most Americans. The rising prices which were previously devastating his polling numbers are suddenly no longer his fault.
Americans are being encouraged to "patriotically" accept rising prices as a consequence of the invasion. And some will fall for it and forget that prices were rising long before the invasion.
The unprecedented consolidation of corporate responses won't salvage Ukraine, but it's not meant to. Rather it's another field test for the growing socialization of the American economy with corporations being coordinated to act in unison and cut off access when they're told.
After running through the farce of looking for oil in Iran and Venezuela, and any other terror state that has any for sale, the Biden administration will double down on green energy. We will be told that the Ukraine crisis is more evidence that we need to invest all our money into windmills and solar panels. Even though the entire crisis only happened because the Europeans decided to invest in wind and solar which made them dependent on Russia and Ukraine.
In the name of stopping Russia, America will also become increasingly dependent on Russia.
Tethering America's energy market to unstable players like Russia and Ukraine, or Iran and Venezuela, or Saudi Arabia and the Muslim world, forces us into bad binary choices like war or appeasement. Instead of breaking the cycle of dependency by embracing the potential of our own oil, gas, nuclear, and future energy capabilities, we're trapped in the same dead end maze.
The green energy investors who fund the Democrats win and so do America's enemies.
Biden isn't trying to stop Russia's invasion of Ukraine, he is trying to stop America's economy while deftly avoiding the blame for the economic misery resulting from his domestic policies.
The sudden embrace of Ukrainian patriotism isn't about helping that country, but consolidating unquestioning support behind the leftist agendas that are being carried out in Ukraine's name.
When the crisis has been fully exploited, the blue and yellow flags will be tossed into the trash, along with the red, white and blue ones, and Biden will shake hands with Putin again.
Especially if both men have managed to get what they really wanted with each other's help.
Purim is the most colorful Jewish holiday, and it is a great occasion for numerous events of all sizes. The joy of the holiday is felt all around the city, from the vivacious Adloyada procession to the Purim activities held anywhere in the city. Special shows, plays, circus performances, and crafts in the spirit of the holiday – these are only some of the attractions you'll find here in the wake of the occasion. Jerusalem offers countless Purim activities, and of course – unforgettable parties for grown-ups.
So if you've made up your mind regarding your costume, some make-up, or a wig, this is the time to take to the jubilant streets and celebrate the most fun holiday of the year. And to make it easier and clearer, we gathered some of the main events that will take place in Jerusalem this year. See them down below.
In 2022, Purim is celebrated on March 17-18.
SPECIAL DEALS FOR ACCOMMODATION IN JERUSALEM
When planning your visit to the city and the attendance at the variety of local events, check out our special deals for leisure and accommodation – here you'll find a vast selection of hotels and vacation apartments with special holiday discounts!
PURIM 2022 EVENTS IN JERUSALEM
SHUSHAN PURIM AT SAFRA SQUARE
Celebrating Purim in Jerusalem
Join the main Purim event in the center of Jerusalem. The area will be dressed up in costume as well, turning into a place of numerous festive events, including:
A Stage with appearances of Fireman Sam and the famous young singer Agan Buhbut
Street Circus performances
Street Theater
A huge street gigs in the holiday spirit
And much more!
Where? March 18th, 11 AM – 2 PM
When? Safra Square, Ben Yehuda Pedestrian Street and Nahalat Shiva.
The entrance is free of charge!
STREET PARTIES AND PARADES IN VARIOUS JERUSALEM NEIGHBORHOODS
The festive event will not only take place in the center. Many neighborhoods will be joining the celebrations this year with street parades, DJ sets, street performers, juggling and circus shows, and more.
The partying neighborhoods are:
Bruria Garden, Ben Gamla Street
Ruthi Baram Promenade, Arnona Ha'tzeira
Ha'horsha Garden, Arnona
Gideon Baka Garden
Ben Tabai Gonenim
Moradot Gila
Yom Tov Assis Pisgat Ze'ev
Warburg Land Kiryat Yuval
Zisman Aharon HaCohen Har Homa intersection
Holyland
When? March 18th, 10 AM – 2 PM
The entrance is free of charge!
PURIM CARNIVAL AT THE BIBLICAL ZOO
The Biblical Zoo. Photo: Mia Kalkabani
The Biblical Zoo in collaboration with the Ginogli Visual Arts Center invites parents and children to a festive Purim carnival with costumes that will take place at the zoo.
Join us this Purim! During the celebration you'll enjoy:
Join the Purim celebration at the Museum of Israel, a unique experience for the whole family, with numerous festive activities. So what can you expect to see and do in the museum?
Crafts workshops
Musical looper show with the active participation of the crowd
Photobooth
Teddy Code: Family Activity Kit
And much more!
When? March 17h 10 AM – 3 PM
Where? The Museum of Israel
Kids enter for free! Some of the activities are fee-based.
The city of David on the intersection with the Western Wall – a family tour with an exclusive glimpse into the Jerusalem of Herod and the Second Temple Period!
The Jerusalem Cinematheque hosts many events to honor the most colorful holiday of the year. Keep it up with our schedule:
March 12 – Shakshuka – a collaboration with Educational TV (Chinoochit), two episodes from the new season, and a talk with the creators. More details >>
A celebratory happening for kids with a green screen, magnets photographer, songs, and more.
March 13, 11 AM – a screening of the Jungle Book (1967, USA). Details >>
March 13, 11:15 AM – Purim and potions with Dr. Molecular. Details >>
March 17 – A marathon of disguises and impersonations, about characters who take on other characters, Midnight, Tootsie, Working Girl. Details >>
March 19 – The Rocky Horror Picture Show: an interactive screening with a cast and audience participation. It's great to show up in costumes! Details >>
Where?
11 Hebron Road, Jerusalem
THE TECHNODROM RETURNS TO THE TOWER OF DAVID MUSEUM
PR Tower of David Museum
Tower of David Museum will once again host the Technodrom event – an amazing experience that calls us to get out, dance, and open up.
Join a special night journey that blurs the boundaries between reality and imagination. During the event, you'll enjoy two specially designated areas and a world of wandering in augmented reality.
Surprising and humorous works of art were created in the museum's workshops.
A wonderful courtyard in the style of Arab Khan with symbols of mysterious British Loyalty.
A room filled with original Armenian 90 years old ceramics.
The jewelry creation process as it was 2,000 years ago versus now.
An observation spot from the roof of the building provides a new, intriguing view over the Old City Walls and Yemin Moshe neighborhood, accompanied by an enthralling history and unfamiliar legends.
Join the traditional Purim celebrations at the Cocoa Forest Chocolate Boutique: during this holiday you'll enjoy a special Mishloach Manot, pralines with alcoholic fillings, and chocolate bars with poppy filling and even black garlic!
Visit the Cacao Forest and find the best solutions for fine and kosher Mishloach Manot.
You can even make your own pralines that anyone would be happy to enjoy during Purim. Reserve your spot now!
Enjoy some real family time at the Bible Lands Museum with a meal for the whole family in the spirit of Purim and a guided tour during which we'll get to know interesting works of art and find out the materials they are made of.
Additionally, you can participate in an independent activity for all ages – "an invitation to dig". Get an in-depth observation kit at the "Art-excavations then and now", including a map, guiding cards, and items that will lead you to explore the hidden layers behind the works of art.
The entrance to the museum is free for the kids. Some of the activities require paying a fee.
When? March 19, 10 AM – 2 PM.
Where? Shmuel Stefan Wise 21, Museum City, Jerusalem
During the week (March 13-19) a special greeting will be presented at the museum to honor the reading of the Book of Esther, marked with a special family symbol.
The Nocturno Live complex will host one of the best Purim parties in the city.
Join an enormous party all around the complex and enjoy two dancing floors, varied drinks, 20% off on all the bars until 10:30 PM, amazing DJ'ing, and hilarious shows.
DELICIOUS PURIM TOUR AT THE MAHANE YEHUDA MARKET WITH DORIT GRAVER
D-Guide
The Mahane Yehuda market is probably the liveliest and most joyful place in all of Jerusalem, especially during Purim. D-Guide invites you to taste the beloved market with the local expert – Dorit Graber, at your own time and pace, using the application for independent touring. It's just you and your smartphone, walking around the Mahane Yehuda market, meeting colorful people, and tasting interesting foods.
Please note:
Few people can take this walk using one device and enjoy the tour through a speaker or headphones.
The tour takes about two hours, but you can take it at your own time and pace. The tour will be available for 14 days from the moment of purchase. You can buy it and use it whenever you want.
We suggest you come wearing comfortable shoes and with a fully charged battery on your phone.
It is recommended to visit the market on Sundays-Thursdays, from 9 AM to 9 PM, and on Fridays – from 9 AM to 3 PM.
The Yvel Design Center is the headquarters of the international luxurious jewelry brand. The designs combine rare natural components from all around the world, and on this Purim you may enjoy again this unique tour of the compound. Prior arrangement is required.
During the tour, you'll explore the new creations of the brands' artists, see them in action and see the wonder of the creation of these amazing pieces of art. Additionally, there are a few other entertainment ideas:
A tour of the Gemstone Garden: Take a walk in the garden of the compound with its wonderful flowing streams and rocks hewn from hidden mines.
A guided tour at the MEGEMERIA school: the tour is dedicated to the heritage of the Ethiopian community in Israel and its connection to YVEL.
Short film: a screening of a short film about the story of YVEL's pearls and the cooperation with MEGEMERIA school.
Tour at the production plant: witness the complex processes of inlaying the diamonds, the craft of goldsmith, pearl threading, and more.
Workshops for children: Thinking games for kids with different raw materials and pearl threading games.
Wine Cellar Tasting: The wine cellar of the company was established in the 19th century and functioned as a special treat for guests ever since.
