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.
Avraham Elmaleh was injured in a stabbing attack in Jerusalem, December 4, 2021.
An Arab student of special education was convicted this week as part of a plea bargain for stabbing two Haredim who were on their way to the Kotel during Operation Guardian of the Walls last May, Mynet Jerusalem reported Monday (חודשי מאסר נגזרו על מחבל שדקר חרדים במבצע שומר החומות; השופטת: לא נראו מבוהלים). Judge Tamar Bar-Asher said in her ruling: "The manner of the event which was recorded in videos did not indicate any fear of the defendant on the part of the complainants at the scene of the incident. They conducted themselves with great confidence."
One of the victims reacted in astonishment to the judge's light ruling, asking: "What did she want us to do? Stand and do nothing? Go like sheep to the slaughter?"
Advertisement
The State Attorney's Office is considering an appeal of the sentence to the Supreme Court. The judge sentenced the terrorist to 11 months in prison. That's 5.5 months per stabbed Jewish victim.
On April 24, 2121, Oddi Abu Thaya was driving on Derech Schechem in Jerusalem when he spotted two young Jews marching to the Kotel dressed in Haredi attire. According to the indictment, Abu Thaya then decided to attack them. He stopped his car, got out holding a sharp object, and asked them, "Where are you going?" The two answered, "To the Kotel," and he began to beat them in their faces with the sharp object. One of the Jewish men, a reservist in the Duvdevan special force, pulled out his personal weapon and neutralized Abu Thaya while dozens of young Arabs began to gather at the scene and try to free him. A school principal, the reserves officer said that he sustained scars near his left eye from the stabbing, experiences fear every day when he is alone in the dark, has difficulty sleeping and falling asleep, and has flashbacks and restlessness dating back to the day of the attack.
The second victim told Mynet Jerusalem: "I just want to tell the terrorist that to the age of 120 I will never forget the look of murderous lust in his eyes. My feeling of persecution and fear following his sudden onslaught on us never goes away. Since the attack, I have had neither day nor night. As my wife says, there was me before the attack and there is me after the attack."
Abu Thaya explained that he has a hard life, being forced to endure random searches by police in his neighborhood of Silwan.
The judge, who did not compel the defendant to pay compensation to his two victims, appeared repulsed by the fact that the two Jews roughed up their assailant. She wrote as much in her ruling: "The complainants behaved with great confidence. This was reflected in the way in which the accused was beaten, kicked, and stepped on him even though many people were looking on."
"In these circumstances, I did not consider it appropriate to compel the defendant to compensate the complainants," the judge wrote.
In the future, if you want compensation, let your Arab assailant hurt you more seriously, and, for heaven's sake, do not hit back… Like this unfortunate young man:
El Al joins TSA PreCheck expedited screening
The TSA will allow passengers to ease through airport security lines after checking in with EL AL, allowing those who go through checkpoints to keep their shoes, belts and jackets on.
El Al will participate in the TSA PreCheck expedited screening, the airline announced on its website.The
TSA PreCheck is a program administered by the US Transportation
Security Administration that allows members of select frequent flyer programs to receive expedited screening. The TSA PreCheck is now available at over 200 US airports.The program's mission is to "protect the nation's transportation systems to ensure freedom of movement for people and commerce," according to its website. It allows passengers to travel with ease and allows them "to avoid removing shoes, belts, liquids, food items, laptops and light jackets
Therefore,"members of a Department of Homeland Security Trusted Traveler Programmay now enjoy travel with ease when preparing to board EL AL flights,"
the airline stated.The TSA will allow passengers to ease through airport security lines after checking in with EL AL, allowing those who go through checkpoints to keep their shoes, belts and jackets on, as well as keeping electronic and liquid items in bags - but each passenger is limited to one quart-size bag of liquids.However, when making reservations or updating their existing ones, travelers must have their Known Traveler Number (KTN) or PASS ID number with them. Those under the age of 12 are allowed to accompany an eligible traveler with a TSA PreCheck boarding pass.Last month, it was reported that El Al had entered talks with Arkia to examine a possible acquisition of its smaller rival.
Why did the ex-NFL player and his wife convert to Judaism?
Yehuda Lave-adds I was privileged to hear Yosef speak to a small group at the thanksgiving dinner at the Orthodox Union here at the OU Israel center on Thanksgiving!
The touchdown of Yosef and Emunah Murray: From the NFL to Torah.
Judy Simon
ט"ז בשבט תשפ"א 12:57
Yosef and Emunah Murray by Murray Family
Football fans, do you remember Calvin Murray? He was Most Valuable Player for Ohio State Buckeyes, played for the Philadelphia Eagles with the legendary Woody Hayes, and even had a stint with the Chicago Bears. Did you ever wonder what happened to him?
Would you believe that Cal Murray is now Yosef Murray, an Orthodox Jew who was recently honored together with his wife Emunah in their Orthodox synagogue?
It was twelve years into their marriage that the couple was even exposed to Jewish customs and concepts. They had no intention to become Jewish; they were simply searching for the truth. The first thing they did was to remove Christmas from their family traditions, once they learned of its pagan roots. Little by little, as they learned more, they started to realize that the truth was in Torah.
Emunah
shares, "The first time we walked in, the rabbi said, 'Let's play a
game called Try to Stump the Rabbi. Ask anything you want.' It was such a
breath of fresh air for us, because questions were not approved of or
even tolerated in the Christian environment that we came from. To have
an outlet to ask our questions and get satisfying and reasonable answers
was all part of the picture."
When Yosef was a young boy, he set three goals for his future. One was to play for Ohio State. The second goal was to play for his dad's favorite team, the Philadelphia Eagles. The third goal was to work with kids. He worked hard to reach those goals, but with the help of Hashem, he reached every single one.
Yosef explains, "Hashem was training me from the path of football to where I am today. Think about this: we pray three times a day. You have to focus and concentrate. It's the same in football. We have many meetings, we study, we look at film, we do a lot of evaluations. We look at where we are and who we are and where we want to be. We do the same thing in Judaism. I show people that Hashem has been training me already how to be a Jew from being a professional athlete. We study body movements and hand movements, all the details and aspects of the game. I brought all that with me and I try to reach others and also to help myself be better."
Yosef
worked with youth for many years (that's how he met his wife
Emunah),and he still works with kids today. "When I talk to youth, I say
that it's very important that you find out who you are and what your
destiny in life is. The sooner you get on your track, the better your
chance of not making a lot of mistakes. I ask kids, 'What's your
passion? What's the first thing you really want to do when you wake up
in the morning?' We, as Jews, our first thing we do is thank Hashem for
that day, and that's our focus. That puts us on the right track. I wish I
had that information when I was a child."
Tune in as Yosef and Emunah talk about the famous football career, about the movie his hometown almost made of him, of his doctor's surprise that he was able to play at all, and of blended families and how to make them work. They talk about their awesome moms and grandmas, their kids' reactions to their conversion, and of their successful "split Aliyah."
Lilies of the Field - Amen
This is the final scene in the film directed by Ralph Nelson. It's the scene where Homer Smith, played by Sidney Poitier leaves Mother Maria, played by Lilia Skala after building them a chapel. After taking one last look at the chapel he built, Smith, knowing that his work is done, slips into his car and drives quietly off into the night.
In case the clip below doesn't work here is the link!
In response to Muslim attacks on individual Jews praying at the Western Wall, a massive Jewish demonstration was held in Tel Aviv on August 14, 1929, where some 6,000 protestors roared "The Kotel is ours." The next day – which was Tisha B'Av – several hundred youths raised the Zionist flag and sang "Hatikva" at the Wall. Arab leaders, including particularly Haj Amin al-Husseini, the rabid Jew-hating Mufti of Jerusalem, preached incendiary sermons and spread rumors that the Jews had cursed Mohammed and were planning an attack on the al-Aqsa mosque. As a result, an organized mob of 2,000 Muslims descended on the Kotel, killing three Jews, injuring the shamash, and burning sacred Jewish holy books.
The escalation of tensions led to the "Buraq Uprising," Arab rioting from August 23-29, 1929, during which 133 Jews were murdered and over 200 others were injured, in many instances as British police stood by and watched. Rumors that the Jews has massacred Arabs in Jerusalem reached Hebron by August 23, 1929, and, the next day, bloodthirsty Arabs rampaged through the city and murdered 67 Jews (55 Ashkenazi and 12 Sephardi), including 12 women, three children under the age of five, and 24 students from the Slobodka Yeshiva (the "Hebron Yeshiva" was founded in 1925).
They also maimed, raped, tortured, and mutilated at least 50 others; desecrated and plundered synagogues; ransacked a Jewish hospital that had historically treated Arabs; burned a Jewish library holding holy manuscripts of great antiquity; and looted and destroyed homes. This Hebron Massacre, which is also sometimes referred to as "Tarpat" (an acronym for the Hebrew date, 18 Av, 5689), became the single deadliest attack on Jews in Eretz Yisrael during the British Mandate period.
In 1929, only about 700 Jews lived in the majority-Arab city, with about 30 Jews living in the Jewish Quarter deep within Hebron, where they had built several synagogues and the famous Hebron Yeshiva. After centuries of the Jews living in relative harmony with their Arab neighbors, the massacre ended the eons-long Jewish presence in Hebron, the holy site of Mearat Hamachpela (the Cave of the Patriarchs). Jewish title to this region in Hebron dates back to its purchase by Abraham after Sarah's death some 3,800 years ago, which is described by the Torah in uncommonly great detail (see Genesis 23:1-20).
There is considerable evidence that British and Arab municipal leaders had advance warning of an imminent attack against the Jews of Hebron, but they did nothing to prevent it. There is also considerable credible testimony by survivors that British police were actually aiding and abetting the perpetrators of the massacre, including testimony from an Arab who had protected Jews, that British police stood aside and permitted the mob to enter the home, where all the Jewish inhabitants were then butchered.
Raymond Cafferata portrait
Some Jews in Hebron had also received advance notice of the coming assault, including warnings from sympathetic Arabs, but they foolishly trusted that no harm would come to them from their Arab neighbors. A few days before the massacre, the Haganah sent 10-12 fighters to protect the Jews there, but when Police Superintendent Raymond Cafferata, the commander of the Palestine police force in Hebron, learned of their presence, he ordered the Jewish defenders to return to Jerusalem.
According to the testimony of Rav Yaakov Yosef Slonim, the Ashkenazi chief rabbi of Hebron, after receiving a warning from an Arab acquaintance on Friday, August 23, that the Arabs were planning to attack the Hebron Yeshiva, he sought protection from District Officer Abdullah Kardos, who blithely assured him that there was nothing to fear and that the police would maintain peace.
Later that day, after being attacked with knives and stones by Arabs in the street, he sought protection for the Jewish community from Cafferata, but the police chief not only refused to take preventative measures, he advised the Rav to go home, saying "the Jews deserve it, it is the Jews who are to blame in these cases." Witnesses later testified that the wounded rabbi pleaded with a mounted Arab officer to help him, but the officer used his horse to shove him away. R. Slonim returned to the district officer to repeat his request for protection, but he couldn't even get an audience with him.
Only a few hours later, at about 4:00 p.m. that Friday afternoon, Arab mobs pelted Jewish homes with rocks, and when the Hebron Yeshiva was hit and student Shmuel Rosenholtz tried to escape the building, the Arab pack stabbed him to death. After about an hour and a half, the massacre died down, and it was only then that the police fired shots into the air and dispersed the mob. Cafferata tried to enlist the local mukhtars to assume responsibility for enforcing law and order, but they declined, responding that Haj Amin al-Husseini, the mufti of Jerusalem, had ordered them to take action against the "Jews who had slaughtered Arabs in Jerusalem."
Photo of the destroyed Avraham Avinu Synagogue, which had been known for its great beauty.
At about 8:30 a.m. on Shabbat morning, the Hebron Massacre began in force when a horde of Arabs armed with axes and knives marched through the streets to a Jewish home on the main road, murdered two young boys, and entered the home and beat the other occupants to death. Cafferata arrived at the scene, ordered two of his policemen to fire on the crowd, and personally shot several of the attacking Arabs to death, but the mob continued the massacre as they went door to door, slaughtering every Jew they could find. Cafferata would later claim that it was impossible to control the situation because he was the only British officer stationed in Hebron, an overwhelmingly Arab town of 10,000 people, and that the British reinforcements he had requested never arrived, a contention that became the cause of substantial bitter debate. In at least several instances, even a single shot from the police station would have scattered the mob, but none ever came.
Photo of a destroyed Jewish home in Hebron, 1929.
In one particularly notorious episode, 70 Jews sought refuge in the home of Eliezer Dan Slonim, the son of the Rav of Hebron. They thought they were safe because Slonim was the only Jewish member of the city council who, as director of the Anglo-Palestine Bank, had maintained excellent relations with both the British authorities and the local Arabs. When the Arabs arrived at the home, they offered to spare Slonin's family if he turned over all the strangers in the house but, when he refused, declaring that "there are no strangers here, they are all my family," the Arabs murdered him, his wife, and his four-year-old son.
In all, 24 Jews were killed and 13 wounded at the Slonim home, but 30 survived. The only member of his family to survive was his year-old son, who was hidden under his mother's corpse.
Other notable atrocities included the murder and castration of a rabbi; another Rav who was burned alive by his Arab co-worker; and the slaying of yet another Rav, who had survived pogroms in Europe and made aliyah only to have his belly slit open and his organs cut out as he lay dying. A baby was murdered – in a Jewish home adjacent to the police station – when the Arabs decided to entertain themselves by smashing his head against a wall. Ben-Zion Gershon, an elderly cripple who, as pharmacist for the Beit Hadassah Clinic, had served both Jews and Arabs for over 40 years, was murdered – but only after the Arabs first gauged out his eyes in front of his family; his wife's hands were cut off so that she could not attend to her husband (she later died), and his daughter was raped before being murdered.
Shlomo Unger, who apparently didn't look Jewish and was asked if he was Christian, could have escaped death by answering in the affirmative, but he proudly acknowledged his Jewish identity and was repeatedly punctured until his body was little more than a sieve. A yeshiva student who asked his killers only for a few seconds to recite a final "Shema Yisrael" was slaughtered with the holy words yet on his lips. Cafferata later testified that he witnessed an Arab cutting off a child's head with a sword, while behind them stood a Jewish woman smothered in blood, about to be murdered by one of Cafferata's own Arab officers. Sadly, the foregoing is only a small sample of the horrific atrocities perpetrated by Arab fiends against their Jewish neighbors.
After the massacre had run its course, the police commenced gathering the injured Jews, who were brought to the police station but left on the basement floor to fend for themselves. Adding insult to injury, the British initially refused to permit the Jews to bury their dead, insisting that the Arabs could do it, which they did – while singing taunting celebratory songs. Only later did they deign to permit a minyan of Jews to participate in the burials.
The Shaw Commission, a British commission of inquiry broadly charged in late August 1929 with investigating the violent rioting in Eretz Yisrael, described the brutality of the Hebron Massacre and condemned the Arabs who had perpetrated it, but it also lauded Cafferata. More than 200 Arabs (and, insanely, 15 Jews) were tried and convicted for their role in the unrest in 1929, but only three out of 27 Arabs who received death sentences were executed – including two of the four Arabs charged with the murder of Jews in Rav Slonin's home; the remainder had their death sentences commuted to life in prison because they were the beneficiaries of the court's "mercy." [Cue Terry Goodkind: "Pity for the guilty is treason to the innocent"] Sheik Taleb Markah was charged with being one of the principal ringleaders of the Hebron Massacre, but the judge found that he had incited Arabs in Jerusalem to murder, and not in Hebron, and Markah was sentenced to only two years imprisonment.
Arab leaders responded to the hanging of their brethren who had perpetrated terror and mass murder in Hebron by attempting to erect a statue in their memory, but the British authorities banned all celebrations of the Arab butchers. However, the Palestinians later erected a memorial in celebration of the Hebron Massacre, and the Palestinian Authority now holds annual commemoration to honor these "heroes."
British Mandate authorities had instituted a criminal legal system designed to give British officials broad powers to impose collective punishment, including the power to declare any area as a "dangerous state" and to assess collective fines to compensate individuals within such areas who had sustained injury to body or property during the course of disturbance. The Collective Punishments Ordinance of 1926, which solidified the assessment of collective fines against villages and tribal areas, was later amended to include municipal areas, effectively making all of Eretz Yisrael subject to collective punishment – including the Arabs of Hebron.
In its report to the Council of the League of Nations for 1929 on the activities of the British Mandate in Eretz Yisrael, the British Government included a report on the 1929 riots, noting:
For the expeditious hearing of criminal charges arising out of the disturbances, the Commissioner of Lands was appointed a Special District Commissioner to hear cases under the Collective Punishments Ordinance. British officers from various Departments were vested with magisterial powers to undertake the preliminary hearing of charges of crimes committed during the outbreaks. An Ordinance was passed to vest the powers of a District Court in a single British Judge.
It reported that by the end of 1929, seven death sentences had been confirmed by the Court of Appeals. It further reported that the Collective Punishments Ordinances were applied to the towns and villages whose inhabitants were guilty of participation in the concerted attacks on Jews at Hebron and that "heavy fines were inflicted."
I am fortunate to have in my collection an original file of legal leaves and other material relating to lawsuits brought on behalf of the victims of the 1929 Hebron Massacre, and exhibited here are some of those documents.
Acknowledgement of receipt of claim.
First, shown here is a confirmation by A. Abramson, the Commissioner of Lands, acknowledging receipt of a claim by the Zikhron David Cooperative Society, Ltd. pursuant to the Collective Punishment Ordinance, 1926-1929. The Society was a Jewish land holding company that was formed by a group of 160 Orthodox Jews from Mea Shearim. In 1927, a group of Observant Yemenite Jews established Migdal Eder, a small farming community on land purchased by the Society south of Jerusalem but, during the 1929 riots, the Arabs attacked and totally destroyed it. Although the residents of a neighboring village sheltered the farmers, they were unable to return to their land, and the Society filed a damages claim on their behalf.
After the British defeated the Ottoman Arabs and conquered Eretz Yisrael in 1917, Herbert Samuel, the first British high commissioner of Palestine, appointed a three-man commission to assess lands in Eretz Yisrael and to make recommendations for its use. Albert Abramson, a senior British officer, was appointed Commissioner of Lands in 1927.
Original document listing damage claims filed by Shlomo Yedidya.Sample page listing names of Jews injured in the riots and the amount of the lawsuit.
Also exhibited here is the original list of property damages filed by Shlomo Yedidya from HaArazim Valley, which includes a detailed list of movables specifying the monetary value of each item, which is categorized as "robbed," "burned," or "spoiled." (Note that the document is large format and the scans may not align perfectly.) Also shown is a sample page taken from a sheaf of original documents containing the names of Jews injured in the riots and the amount of the lawsuit.
Three days after the massacre, the British forcibly evacuated 484 survivors, including 153 children, to Jerusalem, and the Arabs wasted little time in looting and plundering the now vacant Jewish homes for anything of value that they had not already taken during the attack. Several Jewish families tried to return to Hebron, but the British removed them in 1936 at the start of the Arab revolt. When Israel took control of the area during the 1967 Six-Day War, several massacre survivors tried to reclaim their homes, but Moshe Dayan advised them that they would be arrested if they dared to return. Settlers later moved to Hebron in defiance of the Israeli government, but the original survivors never were able to reclaim their original homes.
The Hebron Massacre became a critical event in the Zionist gestalt and in the psyche of the Yishuv as emblematic of a core belief that Arabs intended to kill Jews and that Jews had to take every step to protect themselves. Some commentators argue that the Hebron Massacre of 1929 constituted a point of no return for Arab-Jewish relations which were, indeed, never the same thereafter.
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.
Israel to Lift COVID Travel Restrictions on Most Countries, but Not U.S., U.K., South Africa
As of Thursday, the list of 'red' countries with high coronavirus infections rates will shrink from 70 to 15, with Mexico to be added to it. Meanwhile, Israel mulls amending quarantine rules
Dec. 27, 2021 7:44 PM
Israel is set to lift its travel ban on most African countries and some destinations in Europe, the Health Ministry said on Monday. The United States and 13 other countries with high coronavirus infection rates will remain on Israel's list of "red" destinations.
A Health Ministry panel said that Mexico will be added to the list on Thursday, effectively barring travel to and from it.
Apart from the United States, travel restrictions will remain in place for the United Kingdom, Canada, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Turkey, France, Switzerland, Hungary, Spain, Portugal, Tanzania and Nigeria.
Travel to and from so-called "red countries" is expressly forbidden, unless permission is granted by a special committee. Those who return from the blacklisted countries must enter a seven-day quarantine.
The latest amendment to the list is pending a formal approval by the Knesset's Constitution, Law and Justice Committee.
All other destinations that are currently on the "red" list will be removed from it. These include Italy, Germany, Ireland, Morocco, Sweden, Denmark and Belgium.
Meanwhile, Israel is mulling amending its quarantine rules. Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz said at a cabinet meeting Monday that his ministry is re-examining regulations for returning travelers.
"When Israel becomes a 'red' country, with thousands of local infections with omicron, there is no reason to fear a person leaving another 'red' country – after all, here he would be exposed with the same likelihood," the committee's report said. It called on the government to prepare for revoking travel restrictions altogether.
Also on Monday, Israel tightened its regulations on public access to shopping and commercial centers and updated its guidelines on COVID booster shots, as infection rates are soaring in the country.
Israel recorded 1,760 new coronavirus cases on Monday, also logging 87 active serious cases. The number marks a slight decline from Sunday's figure, which stood at 96. However, the number of new seriously ill patients has been steadily climbing over the past five days.
The R number, which marks the average number of people a carrier of the virus infects, has been on the rise throughout December and stood at 1.41 on Monday, after hitting a three-month peak on Sunday. The figure reflects Health Ministry data up to 10 days prior.
Court Acquits Jews Who Prayed on Temple Mount Disguised as Muslims
Hozrim La'Har activists pray on the Temple Mount on Shmini Atzeret, Sept. 28, 2021.
The Jerusalem District Court on Sunday night lifted all the police-imposed restrictions on two "Temple Mount Mista'arvim" who had been arrested at their homes Dec. 15 by the Jerusalem Police after starring in a Channel 13 report that put to shame the Jerusalem Police and the discriminatory policy it enforces against Jews at the Temple Mount compound.
Advertisement
One of the accused, Hozrim La'Har Chairman Refael Morris, was shown in the television report preparing a class of Temple Mount activists how to disguise themselves as Muslim worshippers and blend into prayer services on the Temple Mount (Jews Who Prayed on Temple Mount Disguised as Muslims Arraigned Today – Are Israel Police Losing It?). The "Temple Mount Mista'arvim" borrowed their name from the counter-terrorism units of the IDF, Border Police, and Israel Police who operate undercover in Arab cities in Judea and Samaria and the Gaza Strip. These units are specifically trained to assimilate into the local Arab population to gather intelligence and make arrests.
The court's ruling accepted an appeal filed by Honenu legal aid society attorney Nati Rom against the restrictions imposed by the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court on his two clients. The District Court judge rejected the police request to extend their detention and ordered their immediate release and the removal of all the lower court-imposed restrictive conditions.
During the hearing, attorney Rom argued that the claim that Jews are forbidden to ascend through the gates of the Temple Mount intended for Muslims is not true, and in fact, the opposite is true. Rom cited the 1967 Law for the Preservation of Holy Places, proving that the entry of Jews into these places should not be restricted.
The first item of the law reads:
The holy places shall be protected from desecration and any other harm and from anything that may infringe on the freedom of access to the members of the religions to the places that are sacred to them or on their feelings regarding those places.
In light of this, attorney Rom argued that the impediment to narrowing the activists' steps is disproportionate and does not comply with the law. Rom further argued that no offense of misleading a police officer had been committed, nor did the police offer any evidence proving its allegations.
The police have been aware of the Mista'arvim group, which never tried to conceal its activities. Several attempts of the members to pray disguised as Muslims have been thwarted by security forces, but a few have made it and prayed to Hashem the way you're supposed to at the Temple Mount: prostrated before His Holiness, just as the rest of us do on Yom Kippur.
The practical outcome of Sunday's ruling is that Hozrim La'Har is now free to make new attempts to join our fellow monotheists in prayer on God's holy ground. It also means that the cops must be on very high alert in case our fellow monotheists decide to pull out the curved knives in mid-prayer.
In the Channel 13 report, one of the activists was asked what he would do if he's discovered, and his answer was very practical: "I'd beat a heck of a run out of there…"
The Three Musketeers at the Kotel
Second Synagogue from Temple Era Excavated in Migdal near the Kinneret
2000-year-old synagogue from the Second Temple period was recently discovered in Migdal, a large Jewish settlement from that era. Migdal, believed to have been located on the site of the depopulated village of al-Majdal, on a hilltop overlooking the Kinneret, served as the main base for Yosef Ben Matityahu (Flavius Josephus) in his war against the Romans in Galilee during the Great Revolt. This is the first time that two synagogues have been found in a single settlement from the Second Temple period.
"The discovery of a second synagogue in this Galilean settlement casts light on the social and religious lives of the Jews in the area in this period and reflects a need for a dedicated building for Torah reading and study and for social gatherings," commented Dina Avshalom-Gorni, one of the directors of the excavations. "The discovery of a second synagogue casts new light on Jewish communal life in Galilee."
The archaeological excavations at the site are being conducted by Y.G. Contractual Archaeology Ltd., headed by Yehuda Govrin, and under the academic auspices of the Zinman Institute of Archaeology at the University of Haifa. The excavations are being conducted in accordance with a tender issued by the national transport infrastructure Company Netivei Israel, in the form of a salvage excavation as part of the expansion of Route 90 (Migdal intersection).
Situated on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee, Migdal was a large Jewish settlement 2000 years ago. Following the destruction of the Second Temple, it served Flavius Josephus as the main base in his war against the Romans in Galilee.
A 2000-year-old synagogue from the Second Temple period was recently discovered in Migdal, northern Israel. / University of Haifa
The eastern side of Migdal was excavated over a decade ago by the Israel Antiquities Authority. A synagogue discovered at the time was also dated to the Second Temple period. A unique stone was uncovered in the center of the synagogue bearing the relief of a seven-branched candelabra (Menorah); the excavators suggest that the artist who created the relief was replicating the Menorah positioned in the Temple. The stone is currently on display in an exhibition of the Israel Antiquities Authority at Yigal Allon House.
The newly-excavated synagogue is a broad, square-shaped building constructed from basalt and limestone. It comprises a central hall and two additional rooms. The walls of the central hall are coated with white and colored plaster. A stone bench, also coated in plaster, runs along the walls. In a small room on the south side of the hall, a plaster-coated stone shelf was found; the room may have been used to store scrolls.
The building uncovered in the 2009 excavations was the first synagogue from the Second Temple period found in Galilee, and the ninth in the entire country. Now, as noted, a second synagogue has been found in the same settlement.
Prof. Adi Erlich, head of the Zinman Institute of archaeology at the University of Haifa said: "The fact that we have found two synagogues shows that the Jews of the Second Temple period were looking for a place for religious, and perhaps also social, gatherings. The stone bearing the relief of a Menorah from the other synagogue at Migdal, suggests that the local Jews saw Jerusalem as their religious center, and their local activities took place under this centrality. The synagogue we are excavating now is close to the residential street, whereas the one excavated in 2009 was surrounded by an industrial area. Thus the local synagogues were constructed within the social fabric of the settlement."
Shai Klartag of Netivei Israel said: "The safety project we in Netivei Israel are undertaking here at Migdal Intersection will play an important role in saving lives and preventing road accidents. As someone who has been an engineer for many years, I am proud that thanks to the current and future projects of Netivei Israel we are privileged to uncover amazing findings like this from the splendid past of the Land of Israel."
Dr. Yehuda Govrin added that all those involved intend to ensure that the synagogue is preserved on the site and will be accessible to visitors, subject to coordination with the authorities.
A classic story found in the book of Shmuel deals with the sin of King David. According to the simple interpretation of the text, David, peering at a nearby rooftop, sees a beautiful woman bathing. Despite the fact that she is married and her husband is in battle fighting for Israel, David invites her to his castle and has relations with her. The woman, whose name is Bat-Sheva, becomes pregnant. King David, in order to "cover up" his misdeed, recalls Bat-Sheva's husband Uriah from battle. David's plan is to have Uriah renew his relationship with his wife and hopefully hide the fact that the baby that is growing inside Bat-Sheva's womb actually belongs to King David.
However, when Uriah returns home, he refuses to see his wife, advancing the argument that how could he be with her when the soldiers of Israel are in battle? David, after endless prodding and Uriah's constant refusal, sends him back to the front lines with a secret message to his general, Yoav. In this note he instructs Yoav to abandon Uriah in the heat of battle, leaving him on the front lines, alone, facing imminent death.
General Yoav follows David's orders and Uriah is killed. When the news finally reaches King David, he immediately marries Bat-Sheva with the hope that the child that Bat-Sheva was carrying would be attributed to him. However, Natan the prophet rebukes David for his sin, and the child born to Bat-Sheva and King David dies after only a short time.
The Talmud in various places deals with this series of events. At times our sages justify King David's behavior and posit that anyone who believes that King David sinned is wrong. Such a theory obviously goes against the simple meaning of the text. What then was the intention of our sages when making such statements?
Indeed, there are counter-statements claiming that David was punished numerous times for this act – by the raping of Tamar by Amnon, his son, and the rebellion of his son Avshalom and his openly defiling the concubines of King David.
However, the real issue here is whether our leaders can be wrong, or whether we always have an obligation to portray our sages as infallible, almost G-dly? As an extension of this question, if our gedolim express an opinion regarding science or medicine, must they always be right? While with issues of Jewish law we recognize the authority of our religious leaders, do we also extend this to the fields of science, astronomy, or medicine?
There was a great dispute in past years on the publication of the book The Making of a Godol. The argument was centered on the portrayal of a certain gadol when he was young and impetuous before he made his tremendous impact upon the Jewish world. In short, he was described in an unfavorable light. The book was recalled and the original was put into cherem (banned). A new copy was printed deleting the unfavorable depictions of this gadol.
A second book that caused controversy was Mysterious Creatures by Nosson Slifkin. In this book, the author delved into the scientific findings of modern science with relation to creatures that were described in the Talmud, and cited apparent contradictions with modern scientific thought. This text was also placed in cherem, ostensibly because our sages in the Talmud can never be wrong, even when dealing with questions of science or medicine.
In contrast, when I study the experiences of King David or the challenges of our gedolim when they were young, I gain more respect and admiration for them. To me, it is refreshing to learn that even our great leaders had trials in their lives, yet they were able to withstand their inclinations and become the great people that they ultimately became.
The Talmud is replete with stories of sages whose pasts were questionable. The great Rabbi Akiva was described as an unlearned person who had little respect for the Rabbis. The Talmud describes his inability to comprehend even the most elementary aspects of Judaism. Yet he aspired to become a most learned rabbi – a leader of the Jewish people. Joseph, the son of our forefather Jacob, is described in his youth unfavorably. The Talmud narrates to us how Joseph was consumed with his own good looks and appeared arrogant and conceited. Yet he too rose to great heights as viceroy of Egypt, second only to the Pharaoh.
Rabbi Shimon Ben Lakish is described in the Talmud as a thief before he embraced Judaism to become the great personality that he was. Yiftach, who led our people during the time of the Judges, is described in less than favorable terms by our commentators. Yet he became a leader of our people. And the list goes on and on.
Perhaps this is what is so inspirational about our Torah: that even David who was the grandchild of Ruth – a Moabite woman whose ancestor Lot had an incestuous relationship with his daughter to beget the nation of Moab – grew to be the King of Israel. That he committed this hideous sin with Bat-Sheva, but he was able to recognize it and move on. That Akiva the shepherd, who came from such a lowly background, could grow to become the great Rabbi Akiva. That Joseph, the seemingly arrogant youth, could become the dynamic leader that he eventually was.
One does not lose respect for any of our Jewish leaders for quoting the views of science and medicine in their days if those are now proven wrong. Their expertise was never in the sciences but only in the field of Jewish law. Our leaders are not infallible.
In the past years, our rabbis issued a ban on smoking after recent research revealed that smoking can cause cancer and be a danger to one's life. Does this enactment call in question the validity of the teachings of our previous sages, who permitted smoking in the various study halls? Should we continue to allow our students to smoke in the study halls in respect for the decisions of our sages of the past? Do we cast aside all research of modern science and proclaim that our sages were right?
There is one caveat to my view. I believe strongly that our children, especially at the very formative ages, should have their leaders portrayed as heroes. Perhaps this is the intent of our sages in rationalizing King David's behavior. Children need heroes! And our leaders were great tzaddikim, righteous people. But as our children mature, the reality of the humanness of our leaders must be presented, and an appreciation gained for the challenges they faced and how they overcame these to become the great leaders of our people.
Living as Jews requires one to be honest and truthful, yet to maintain a profound respect and admiration for our leaders and our glorious past.
Don't Be Afraid To Declare Yourself A Conservative
I received a phone call on my radio show from a man who said, "Dennis, I'm a gay conservative actor in Hollywood, and it is far easier to come out of the closet as gay than as a conservative."
That call was in the 1980s.
While the current cancel culture – the firing, humiliation, disparagement and smearing – of conservatives is exponentially worse today than 30 years ago, it is not new.
As a result, the great majority of Americans who are conservative – that is, about half the country – hide their true beliefs. They fear saying anything that differs with the Left. This would include such reprehensible sentiments as:
With all its flaws, America is the finest country ever made.
Men do not give birth.
There are only two sexes.
A person's color is the least important thing about them.
The greatest problem in black life is not whites but a lack of fathers.
A man who becomes a woman and then competes in women's sports is cheating.
Posting to social media a video by a renowned epidemiologist, virologist or medical doctor who asserts that ivermectin and/or hydroxychloroquine with zinc, when used early enough, almost always prevents hospitalization for Covid-19.
The list is far longer than this. But if you think even this list overstates the problem, put any of these statements on any mainstream social media platform and see what happens. See if any relatives drop you from Facebook or even from their lives. See what your employer says or does. See what Twitter or Facebook does to your account.
There are valid reasons to fear publicly differing with the Left.
So, then, what arguments can be offered on behalf of coming out of the closet as a conservative?
The first is this: For every person you alienate, you will likely bring at least one new, wonderful person into your life.
Putting aside issues of courage, of standing for what is right, of saving America from those working to destroy it, there is a great selfish reason to come out of the closet: kindred spirits, i.e., good people, will discover you.
In 2020, I received an email from a young woman in her second year at Harvard who told me that my book that explains the Left and America, "Still the Best Hope," had changed her from liberal to conservative. Needless to say, I was intrigued to learn more about her and, as it happened, she lives – as I do – in Los Angeles. So, I invited her to sit in on my radio show.
While speaking to her during commercial breaks, I was impressed enough to ask if she would be willing to describe her political and moral metamorphosis on the radio. I warned her that appearing on "The Dennis Prager Show" and talking about her conservative views would likely lead to some lost friends, angry, if not alienated, relatives, and attacks back at Harvard. I made that case persuasively enough to give her pause and ask, "May I call my mother?"
She stepped out to make the call. When she returned to the studio, she announced, "I'm coming on."
About half a year later, she made another appearance on my show, and I asked her what happened after her initial appearance.
"I went through two weeks of hell," she responded.
As predicted, she lost friends she had had since elementary school, some relatives limited their contact with her, and some students back at Harvard regarded her as an indecipherable sellout.
"Then what happened?" I asked.
"Then I entered heaven," she responded.
She offered two big reasons.
One was that she began to sleep better than she had in years. The other was the number of kindred spirits, all quality people, who reached out to her, some of whom became friends.
Regarding reason one – sleeping better – staying in the closet exacts a serious mental price on a person. One should not think only coming out of the closet exacts a price.
As for the second reason, virtually no price paid for coming out of the closet is comparable to the rewards of doing so. There is little as happiness-inducing as having kindred spirits in your life.
Now, is that worth losing one's job? If you are sure you will lose your job and no other job paying a comparable salary will be available, only you can answer that question. Similarly, if one of your children will stop talking to you because you are not "woke," it is not for me to advise you what to do. But there are no other compelling arguments not to come out of the closet.
And there are at least two other arguments for coming out.
One is that you will respect yourself more. And so will others – including, quite possibly, one or more of your children (and your grandchildren, if you have any).
And two: You will help save this country from tyranny. For some, that should suffice.
