No, Muslim Refugees Are Not Jewish WWII Refugees

From RRW
 
The following Daily Wire article offers 5 reasons why the present Syrian refugees cannot simply be compared to Jewish World War II refugees.

http://www.dailywire.com/news/1217/no-muslim-refugees-are-not-jewish-wwii-refugees-michael-qazvini#.VlBtlNu3FmA.facebook

Help Return the Body of Hadar Goldin‏

From RRW
A message from Rabbi Elchanan Poupko

As you all know, Lt. Hadar Goldin was killed last year during-and because of-the Kerry and Ban Ki Moon orchestrated cease fire. Now, his parents Leah and Simcha Goldin, ask for your help in putting pressure on the UN and US govt to have his body released.
(they can be reached at goldinl@netvision.net.il and ​

sgoldin@post.tau.ac.il

​)​ 

His parents refuse to succumb to the notion of releasing terrorists for his body.

At the same time, they ask for your help to put pressure on Hamas, the UN, and US government, to release his body. The UN and US orchestrated the cease fire, Hamas violated it. Those same bodies should stop all aid to Hamas until Hadar's body is returned. Anything you can do to help raise awareness and apply pressure would be deeply appreciated.

Blog- www.rabbipoupko.com

 

Reticence and Respectability: The RCA of 2015

From RRW

http://www.jewishpress.com/indepth/columns/fuchs-focus/reticence-and-respectability-the-rca-of-2015/2015/11/19/ 

From The Jewish Press
Author is Donny Fuchs
 

From RRW

Play video http://www.answeringmuslims.com Christians can no longer afford to ignore Muhammad's teachings. In this short video, I present three Qur'an verses that every Christian should know. 00:06:06 Added on 05/07/2014 478,860 views

Three Quran Verses Every Christian Should Know

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5Nu6EabQD8&sns=em

‎

United with Israel: …And the Result is Always to Blame the Victims

Is it not somewhat bewildering for the PA to make public pronouncements glorifying terrorists? Are they not thereby presenting themselves in a negative light to the world? The fact is that they see these pronouncements as actually furthering their cause in the eyes of many Westerners. Please see further, my latest UWI blog, at http://unitedwithisrael.org/and-the-result-is-always-to-blame-the-victims/

I am sure this will also be up on the UWI Facebook page in the near future. Please feel free to comment here or on one of the UWI sites.

Rabbi Ben Hecht

Patriots Moment of Silence‏

From RRW
I have many dear friends in Sharon Mass having spent the last 4 or 5 Sedarim there.

Moment of Silence for Ezra Schwartz z"l (23 November, Gillette Stadium)

Play video New England Patriots give moment of silence for Ezra Schwartz z"l (23 November, Gillette Stadium). 00:00:45

 https://youtu.be/LKWh4Yqkctc

Petition the Obama Administration in Regard to Ezra Schwartz

From RRW

We petition the Obama administration to:
publicly acknowledge 

Ezra Schwartz, 

an 18-year old American citizen from Sharon, MA, 

was murdered by a terrorist.

On November 19, 2015, Ezra Schwartz, an 18-year old American citizen from Sharon, MA, was murdered by a terrorist while on his way to do volunteer charity work. The government of the United States of America has failed to publicly acknowledge Ezra's murder and has taken no action to condemn the terror attack that took three lives.
We respectfully request that President Obama publicly acknowledge the senseless killing of Ezra Schwartz, condemn the attack and rebuke the Palestinian Authority for claiming that the third victim of this attack, an Israeli Arab, was killed by Israeli forces, when not a single shot was fired by Israeli military or law enforcement and the terrorist was taken into custody unharmed. Such lies are irresponsible and incite further terrorism.
Published Date: Nov 20, 2015

Go to:  http://wh.gov/iVP0m
or

https://petitions.whitehouse.gov//petition/publicly-acknowledge-ezra-schwartz-18-year-old-american-citizen-sharon-ma-was-murdered-terrorist

The Jewish Week - Women Rabbis

From RRW

The Jewish Week | Connecting the World to Jewish News, Culture, and Opinion

A Letter from Rabbi Avrohom Gordimer

http://www.thejewishweek.com/editorial-opinion/letters/women-rabbis

Solidarity with Israel‏

From RRW

Ahavat Hinnom in action

You are invited to a Wedding in Jerusalem ( and stay for Shabbat)!

As many of you may have read - Sarah-Techiyah Litman and her chattan Ariel Bigel -- have invited the ‘entire Jewish People’ to their wedding next week. Sarah-Techiya lost her father and brother in a brutal terrorist attack last week.

We would like to, as such, open our home in Jerusalem (Baka) to you and would like offer a group from your Shul to be here next Thursday night – and to stay with us, have Shabbat meals with us and provide for your needs (in other words all you need to do is pay for your flight over). Our sole parameter is that we can only host around 10 people. We, though, will arrange everything on this end – just show up.

The wedding is Thursday night November 26^th at Binyanai HaUma in Jerusalem.

Please be in touch if you would like to come – we would love to have you!

Mazel tov and may Hashem bless His people with peace.

The Goldscheider Family

Sen. Cruz Hearing on American Victims of Terrorism - Mr. Miller's Testimony

From RRW

Sen. Cruz Hearing on American Victims of Terrorism - Mr. Miller's Testimony

Play video 00:10:05 Added on 05/11/2015 1,862 views

Sen. Cruz Hearing on American Victims of Terrorism - Mr. Miller's Testimony

http://youtu.be/NXD2BM5L5cI‎

Sweden's FM cites Palestinian despair in discussing cause of Paris attacks

From RRW

Sweden's FM cites Palestinian despair in discussing cause of Paris attacks | The Times of Israel‏

 http://www.timesofisrael.com/paris-attacks-rooted-in-palestinian-plight-sweden-fm-says/

Rise of Anti-Semitism‏

From RRW

Please see

http://www.timesofisrael.com/anti-semitism-now-fashionable-in-the-us-warn-experts/

http://www.religionnews.com/2015/03/31/anti-semitism-us-spikes-decade-decline/

And then daven. A lot

Learning Kitzur S"A

From RRW

On Motz'ei Shabbos - we had a lively discussion re: learning Halachah in general and learning Kitzur S"A in particular. I thought it to be worth sharing

1. KSA covers many topics well. EG I feel KSA  covers a good subset of Aveilus and‎ Niddah

2. Unlike EG Hayyei Adam, it covers elements of Y"D, Even ho'Ezer and Choshen Mishpot

3. Perhaps it is weakest re: Shabbos and Pesach. I suggested supplementing KSA with EG Zichru Toras Moshe or Hayyei Adam for Shabbos,  and with R Shimon Eider's Sefer on Hil. Pesach

4. I saw a letter by R Ganzfried suggesting he used a "Beis Din" of Hayyei Adam, S"A haRav, and the Derech Chaim By R Yaakov miLisa.

5. Kitzur S"A is a popular limmud amongst Hassidim, BUT they don't slavishly follow it l'ma'aseh. Rather, they use it mostly as a Textbook of Halachah.

 

Study: Religious Kids Are Jerks

I invite you to view this article from the Daily Beast,

Study: Religious Kids Are Jerks

at http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/11/06/study-religious-kids-are-jerks.html
and, please, do leave your comments -- and there is much to comment on!

The study was done on religious children in general -- it does not even mention that Jewish kids were included in the focus group -- but its application to our kids is quite possible and should be, in my opinion, considered and evaluated. The question then is how to rectify any such problem within our educational systems.

Rabbi Ben Hecht

New RBH shiur on Koshertube: Universalism within Judaism: The Syrian Refugee Problem

Balancing universalism and Jewish nationalism is a significant issue within Jewish thought. Its importance is, perhaps, somewhat indicated in the placement of Maftir Yonah on Yom Kippur. This issue has also recently become a most practical concern because of the present Syrian Refugee Problem. How are we, as Jews, to respond?

In his latest Koshertube shiur, Nishma's Rabbi Hecht discusses the issue both theoretically and practically. We invite you to view Universalism with Judaism: The Syrian Refugee Problem at http://koshertube.com/videos/index.php?option=com_seyret&Itemid=4&task=videodirectlink&id=21379.

Nishma-Parshah: Hayyei Sarah

Take a look at what's on

NISHMA-PARSHAH

for Parshat Hayyei Sarah

Parsha: Hayyei Sarah, "Sh'nei Hayyei"
http://nishma-parshah.blogspot.ca/2015/11/parsha-hayyei-sarah-shnei-hayyei.html

Parsha: Hayyei Sarah & Toldoth, "Navi vs. Halachah"
http://nishma-parshah.blogspot.ca/2015/11/parsha-hayyei-sarah-toldoth-navi-vs.html

Parsha: Hayyei Sarah, "K'turah"
http://nishma-parshah.blogspot.ca/2015/11/parsha-hayyei-sarah-kturah.html

JVO Blog: The Distinctiveness of Judaism – Sdom: The Mask of Evil

Jewish Values Online (jewishvaluesonline.org) is a website that asks the Jewish view on a variety of issues, some specifically Jewish and some from the world around us -- and then presents answers from each of the denominations of Judaism. Nishmablog's Blogmaster Rabbi Wolpoe and Nishma's Founding Director, Rabbi Hecht, both serve as Orthodox members of their Panel of Scholars. Nishmablog, over the years, has also featured the responses on JVO by one of our two Nishma Scholars who are on this panel. 

Recently, the Jewish Values Online website has offered a new service -- a blog which presents comments on various topics within Judaism and the Jewish world. See
http://www.jewishvaluesonline.org/jvoblog/index?aid=0. 

Rabbi Hecht is now also a blogger on this site and will be developing a series entitled  
The Distinctiveness of Judaism, 

His Third post 

Sdom: The Mask of Evil
is now available at http://jewishvaluescenter.org/jvoblog/sdom-the-mask-of-evil

A link is also up on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JewishValuesOnline?fref=ts

New RBH Series in Toronto

TORAH VALUES AND WESTERN VALUES

Conflicts and Overlaps

at Adath Israel, 37 Southbourne Ave

Sundays at 9:00 a.m.

Second Series: Ethics: The Search for 'The Good'

November 8 - December 13

November 8     What is 'the Good'? Pleasure? Morals?
November 15     Are Ethics About the Other - Love Your Neighbour?
November 22     Are Ethics About the Self - Be The Best You Can Be?
November 29     Ethics as Duties
December 6     Ethics as Rights
December 13     Is the Possible Answer: All of the Above?

The Key Players in the Syria Crisis, Explained

From RRW

* * * * *

See
https://m.facebook.com/notes/ian-bremmer/the-key-players-in-the-syria-crisis-explained/445269492312767/

Nishma Policy - Beyond 'Off the Derech' -- Why is Someone Committed?

NISHMA: Policy is devoted to analyzing policy issues within the world of Torah.

I have just uploaded the latest post, entitled Beyond 'Off the Derech' -- Why is Someone Committed?, which we hope will serve as a beginning of an investigation of this important issue.

I invite you to take a look...and comment.

Rabbi Ben Hecht