Despite it's Muslim Brotherhood government, the US has decided to send 20 more F-16 fighter planes to Egypt, FoxNews reports. Egypt already has 200 planes, and these 20 are part of an order placed by the U.S., for former president Hosni Mubarak 2 years ago, as part of a $1 billion dollar foreign package to […]
Certain activities – such as building, tying, weaving, writing, dyeing and sewing – are not prohibited on Shabbat unless they are made to last. For example, one may tie a knot that is not tied in a professional manner and will be untied within seven days, such as shoelaces or the ribbon around the Torah scroll, on Shabbat afternoon. So too a safety pin may be used on Shabbat since it is not a form of permanent sewing.
An uproar over the appropriation of the burnt remains of Jewish Holocaust victims for use in an artwork has swept the Jewish world and raised questions as to how the ashes remaining at European concentration camps are treated.
Now that the Palestinian Authority has been recognized as a non-member observer state at the United Nations, it will now use its new power to ask the Security Council to force Israel to abandon plans to build in the E-1 area near the Jewish city of Maale Adumim.
IDF soldier Liraz Benvenisti, 20, on Tuesday evening left the base where he is serving, near the town of Gedera, and then disappeared. It is feared that he may have hitched a ride with Arab terrorists. He is 5'7", slim, brown eyes, short, black hair. He was last seen wearing IAF uniform and carrying a […]
Make your website festive for the holidays with some simple graphic enhancements.
Parents of students from the Raqia preschool in the Nofei Yam neighborhood in north Tel Aviv have expressed outrage that their children’s school will also serve as a synagogue on Shabbat and holidays.
"Hi, Levi," said his friend Moshe. "I've got a project to work on for the next two months. By any chance, do you have a spare laptop you're willing to lend for the duration?"
You arrive home after shul on Friday night. All the dishes washed before Shabbat are locked in the dishwasher. You have no other eating utensils and you want to retrieve them for the Friday night meal. In order to take them out you have to unlock the door by turning the lever lock to the left. The action of the lever to unlock the door automatically turns off the panel indicator lights that advise you the dishwashing cycle is complete. So you cannot open the door without turning off the lights. What do you do?
By Adam Levick
For Guardian cartoonist Steve Bell, Israel is a sinister, controlling and manipulative state.
I wonder how many people are able to understand the language spoken by some of the Magidei Shiur.
By dvora
Among the many things we were tested with during Hurricane Sandy was the way in which we can preserve our food in the middle of a disaster.
The link between the laws of Shabbat and the Mishkan not only defines the 39 Melachot but also determines the conditions for liability. One of these conditions is intent. The other is purpose.
The IDF said that Hamas made cynical use of the stadium.
By any measure, our newly reelected president has a great number of issues that will compete for his attention and among which he will have to prioritize. During the presidential campaign we repeatedly voiced concern that Mr. Obama might reprise the full-court press treatment he accorded the Israeli-Palestinian conflict early in his first term, and we can only hope he will focus elsewhere.
In an interview with CNN last night, President Shimon Peres said that if "Gazan mothers want to sleep at night, they must understand that all mothers want to sleep at night" including Israeli mothers.
Dr. Aryeh Bachrach, chairman of the Almagor Bereaved Parents Forum, said: “The terrorism switch may be in the hands of Ismail Haniyeh and Hamas, but Netanyahu and Barak are able to influence them to turn it off. At the very least they should switch off the power to Gaza—immediately. Yet Netanyahu and Barak never do. […]
Did you know that the most important part of a financial planning meeting occurs even before you set foot inside your financial adviser’s office? Before you meet for the first time, you need to do your homework. Even the most professional adviser can’t help you if you haven’t done these three things.
By Moshe Herman
Yishai is joined by Tamir Druz, the CEO of Israel CNG to discuss massive natural gas fields recently discovered in Israel. They talk about the discovery of the fields along with the potential uses for clean natural gas including its use in cars and buses throughout Israel.
Some of the supervised, ‘bug-free,’ leafy vegetable growers are using higher levels of pesticides than allowed by Health Ministry standards.
By Adam Levick
On June 27, Honest Reporting revealed The Independent‘s use of the following photo to illustrate a particularly critical story on the Israeli treatment of Palestinian child detainees.
When saving for retirement, you may feel secure because you’re putting aside earnings into a pension plan. However, what you may not realize is that some of that money is going to be spent even before it reaches your bank account.
The IAF dropped warning brochures onto Gaza, because apparently the locals didn't know there were terrorists acting among them.
The last time you were at the circus did you gasp as the trapeze artist swung through the air? Even though his antics might be scary, there’s a strong safety net catch him in the event of a fall. Hopefully, the trapeze artist won’t ever need to use it. But it is always there – just in case.
Dear Dr. Yael: I am married and have a two and a half year old son. He is a wonderful child, but when he does not get his way, he often has a tantrum. Sometimes, I just give him what he wants because we are in public and his behavior is embarrassing. But I cannot always give in, especially when what he wants is dangerous or unhealthy. It is then that I do not know what to do.
OK. The title is a bit extreme. But at least I have your attention. Last May - one will recall – there was a giant Asifa – a gathering of tens of thousands of Orthodox Jews dealing with the dangers of the internet. Although it was billed as a way to properly use the internet, it was ultimately about trashing it and forbidding its use altogether accept for livelihood purposes. And even then - only with filters and only outside the house.
President Obama and Governor Romney strongly disagree on many issues but the daylight between them is especially great in the imminent matter of Palestinian statehood. For his part, the president still believes in a two-state solution, and in a corollary willingness of the Palestinian side to negotiate fairly. His opponent is unambiguous in a fully contrary insistence that the Palestinians are not interested in peace.
In a Halachic Q&A, Rabbi Efrati of Efrat determined that the designation of "brother" to a goy is incorrect.
With the dramatic stroke of a red marker, the “Bibi Bomb” became an instant sensation. When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stood before world leaders on September 27 at the 67th session of the United Nations General Assembly, he faced a colossal challenge. Despite the vocal skepticism of those who feel the situation is not as dire as he maintains, Netanyahu has been steadfast in his insistence that Iran is well on its way to stockpiling enough enriched uranium to construct a nuclear bomb.
By Sandy Eller
Ah, fall. The magnificent display of changing colors as the trees stage their annual pageant, the indescribable pleasure of leaves crunching beneath your feet, the delightful crispness in the air after endless weeks of heat and humidity; it is hard not to enjoy the magic of autumn. Bummer that fall has to turns into winter.
I watched them tear a building down; A gang of men in a busy town. With a mighty heave and a lusty yell, They swung a boom and a side wall fell. I said to the foreman, "Are these men skilled As the men you'd hire if you had to build?" He gave me a […]
“Your father is finished, we’ve done all that we can,” they would say, adding, “Johnny. Talk to Johnny.”
I am a big believer in math. I studied many complex topics in college, and I think others should, too. But first teach kids practical math in school, and then if they decide to study further, only then start with the abstruse topics.
The holidays are upon us which means lots of food. So, what to do with all those leftovers? Here are some creative ideas.
Eltahawy was arrested Wednesday evening, September 26, in a New York City subway station because she insisted free speech included her right to deface an ad espousing a message with which she disagreed -- Pamela Geller's anti-Jihad ad. She also insisted her free speech right extended to spraying toxic paint on a woman, Pamela Hall, who tried to interfere with Eltahawy's efforts to deface Geller's ad. And then Eltahawy blamed Hall for interfering with her free speech rights and accused the arresting police officers of interfering with her "non-violent" protest, thereby engaging in anti-democratic activity.
By dvora
One year we went out for a meal and instead of bringing along the usual chocolates or wine, I offered the hostess an array of colorful salads. After seeing how muchthey were enjoyed, I thought it would be nice to recreate them. All these salads can be made a day in advance and refrigerated until serving time, making them ideal for a hectic, busy Yom Tov time of year. Besides, it’s always nice to have something different and delicious to serve when extra guests and family come over…
One of the stranger aspects of Israel's ultra-Orthodox, "Chareidi" press, is their determination not to use the word "pig."
Way back then, when we put up our Sukkah for the first time, my father-in-law added a shelf along one of the walls. Right away I was struck by how simple and practical this idea was. Years later, people are still commenting about it. So here are the details for the many who have a wood panel Sukkahs. With simple supplies, and minimal “handy man skills” your candlesticks, seforim, bentchers, flowers, etc can “hang around” the entire Yom Tov, and not be moved and removed countless times from being in the way.
A monastery in Israel is desecrated, almost certainly by nationalist extremists. The desecration was condemned by the prime minister and others in the government. Chief Rabbi Metzger called it a “heinous deed.” The Internal Security minister did not hesitate to use the word “terror” and announced the formation of a special police unit to combat it. Many people traveled to the monastery to personally apologize, including Rabbi Dov Lipman of Beit Shemesh, who took brush in hand to help scrub the offensive words from the walls.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released yesterday a Rosh Hashanah youtube message highlighting his government's achievements throughout the year, displaying one government achievement per month.
The New York Board of Health on Thursday voted 9-0 to require parents to sign a consent form in order for a mohel – ritual circumciser – to use direct oral-genital suction, known as metzitzah b'peh. The form would indicate that parents are aware of the risk of infection. Haredi leaders have resisted calls to […]
An elderly carpenter was eagerly preparing for retirement. When he informed his employer/contractor of his plans, the employer asked him if he could do him a personal favor and build one more house before he left. After so many years of working together the carpenter felt he could not refuse, and so he begrudgingly agreed. It quickly became apparent that the carpenter’s heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and he used inferior quality materials. It was an unfortunate way to end a dedicated career.
By Sandy Eller
Netanel Hershtik wears many hats but perhaps the one he is best known for is a soft, puffy headpiece known as a mitre, traditionally worn by chazzanim.
UNRWA Gaza chief Robert Turner’s “prescription” for saving Gaza’s Palestinians, set out in an article on the Guardian's Comment is Free site, is based on a severe case of historical myopia. For it’s the one word that Mr. Turner neglected to use in his anti-Israel screed that is in fact behind Gaza’s rapidly devolving state: Hamas.
Dear Brocha, Thank you so much for being brave enough to share your story. I am getting chizuk just from reading about your journey. I know my husband and I need to go to a meeting, and we will. Let me tell you my story:
By JTA
Haredi rabbis in New York are accusing the city's Department of Health of "spreading lies" in order to pass a law mandating that parents sign a consent waiver in order to use the circumcision-related rite of metzitzah b'peh. The health department is scheduled to vote next week on the waiver for the use of direct […]
Aryeh Eldad wrote on his Facebook page that from what he knows, the settlement of Migron will be forcibly evacuated by security forces on Sunday morning. He calls on Migron supporters to make their way to Migron to try to prevent the expulsion, and not to use violence against the security forces. Eldad adds that after Migron, […]
While obviously every teacher will have specific items she (or he) wants students to use, we have compiled a general supply list to make your initial shopping trip a little easier.
"No one so far has been able to tell me how much oxygen would be required for, say, 30 or 40 thousand people."
By J. E. Dyer
Prosperity has met its match. Regulation will kill prosperity by stealth unless we the people wake up to what’s going on. We are wildly, insanely overregulated today, and if we don’t attack the idea of the regulatory state on those terms – on the premise that regulation itself is mostly a bad thing, and we need far less of it than we have – then we will never recover.
The State Department wont let the Jerusalem-born children of US parents, to list Jerusalem, ISRAEL on their US passport for fear of upsetting the Arab world, yet you criticize Israel for not allowing Jews freedom of prayer on the Temple Mount?
By Anav Silverman, Tazpit News Agency
Desalination plants for the most part are extremely costly for less-developed nations, as they use enormous amounts of electricity and are location-sensitive. But thanks to a recent Israeli discovery, the desalination system may become much more affordable in areas like Africa and the Middle East.
There are thousands to choose from… which mutual fund is right for you?
As a newly certified makeup artist, I am eager to be able to share all the tips and tricks I’ve learned in beauty school. Truth be told, I’ve been pretty passionate about beauty products since I first laid eyes on a flavored lip-gloss as a preteen. I’ve amassed a sizeable collection of makeup over the years, experimented on many friends, and even earned a Bachelor’s degree in Cosmetics Marketing (as only someone who takes the beauty industry pretty seriously can do!) But despite my years of being involved with beauty products recreationally, training professionally as a makeup artist has taught me certain insider secrets I would have never discovered otherwise.
Recent news of a massive natural gas well have turned eyes on Israel’s struggle to adopt an energy policy in the wake of its first-time gas wealth. Trying to measure the value of energy independence against short-term profits, Israel has shown that its unexpected blessing comes with a price.
The Internet is a medium that has made its way in its short existence all the way to the center of contemporary life. Many of our daily tasks are now tied to it, and will be more so in the future.
A generation of students at the Mir Yeshiva give thanks for the miraculous recovery of their Rosh Yeshiva from ALS, courtesy Israeli technology.
Since you can’t take it with you, why not give it away with a warm hand?
By J. E. Dyer
The Tumultus Post-Americanus is now well underway. There is no initiative on our collective part – we have done nothing but react in the last three years – and possibly even less appreciation of how the world is changing. The forms of international discourse – the processes of the UN, the G-8 and G-20, the IMF – are being adhered to now because they are a convenience, not because they produce anything useful.
Dozens Sherman Oaks residents are complaining that the new Chabad House on Chandler Boulevard is "just too big for the surrounding blocks of single-family homes, some starting at more than $1 million," the LA Times reports. The new building is slated to be 12,000 square feet, on a 9,568-square-foot parcel which is zoned for residential […]
There are two primary forms of measuring when it comes to cooking, and our goal is to wean you away from both of them to the greatest extent possible. (There is also a third form of measuring, but doing without it can be risky and, based on my own disaster-stories, I don’t advise it.)
By JTA
An organization in Israel wants to use unmanned aerial vehicles to check the national eruv in problematic spots. The Shabbat Fund has placed a proposal on the table to purchase the UAVs at a cost of more than $6,000 per drone, the Bechadrei Charedim website reported. The drone could save manpower hours and get to […]
The fourth annual Jerusalem Festival of Light is running through June 14th in the Old City of Jerusalem. This year the festival has grown to include ten international artists displaying the best artistic work in the field alongside dozens of performances, tours, local artists, and sites. Visitors (250,000 last year) perceive the artworks in the […]
By Sandy Eller
Ah, the lazy, hazy days of summer. Long afternoons sitting in a lounge chair, sipping a tall glass of iced lemonade as you enjoy the latest novel, a gentle breeze caressing your face…is there anything like it? No, there most certainly is not.
The escalating atrocities in Syria may trigger a U.S. military intervention, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey told Fox News on Monday. He spoke in the wake of the Hula massacre that left more than 100 dead. Dempsey said that military options are currently in development. "Of course – there is […]
While we share the belief of most Americans that candidates for office should run on a level playing field, we are not naïve enough to believe incumbency doesn't matter. There are perks that come with political office, particularly the highest political office in the land. For example, presidents running for reelection are allowed to use Air For One, with all its attendant trappings of power, when traveling to and from campaign events – though their campaigns are required to reimburse the public treasury for expenses incurred.
By dvora
The sellout crowd that filled Citi Field on Sunday night wore black and white, not the New York Mets’ blue and orange. And instead of jeering the Philadelphia Phillies or Atlanta Braves, they faced a foe that was, intheir view, far more formidable: the World Wide Web.
More than 50,000 ultra-Orthodox Jewish men packed Citi Field in Flushing, Queens, on Sunday, for the Asifa, a gathering decrying the dangers of the Internet. Organizers have also rented the nearby Arthur Ashe Stadium for the overflow crowd. Event spokesman Eytan Kobre said the group wants to teach families how to use technology responsibly.
By JTA
A Toronto Islamic school has lost the right to use a public school building for its classes after anti-Semitic teachings were discovered in its curriculum and posted on its website. The Toronto District School Board announced this week that the East End Madrassah could no longer rent space for its Sunday classes until police finish […]
By Tibbi Singer
Our JBlogs Chief Reviewer Tibbi Singer brings you fresh recommendations on 12 new articles, plus reader mail and words of wisdom about sticking magnets under your skin (you shouldn't).
By Pnina Baim
It’s tough to catch some glam in an otherwise pretty non-glamorous life. In the 21st century, who isn’t overstressed, overwhelmed and overbooked? The roles of today’s women today has multiplied to the point where even the strongest of us has stretched her limits, leaving her without any time or energy for herself. Which woman hasn’t […]
Oplon Pure Science, a Rehovot-based developer of anti-bacterial polymer sheets for packaging, has signed an $8 million contract with the Pepsi Corporation to supply packaging solutions for their products, according to No Camels. The revolutionary Oplon packaging aims to protect foods from the colonization of microbes without the use of chemical preservatives or anti-biotics. The […]
Cpl. May Karen serves as a shooting instructor in the IDF Ground Forces. "I knew I wanted to become an infantry instructor even before enlisting," she says. IDF female shooting instructors go through an extensive course where they learn how to use different weapons and specialize in shooting techniques. They then teach combat infantry soldiers who will use it in battle.
In all my years of teaching kriyah and English reading, I have encountered more boys than girls who struggle with the skill. We are even subconsciously programmed to think of reading as a female endeavor. Picture a reader in a comfy chair, thinking, “Wow, what a great book! I can’t wait to share this with my friends.” Was the reader you imagined male or female? Chances are, you envisioned a female reader. The idea that the majority of readers are female is consistent with reading scores around the nation.
Bosnian immigrant Adis Meunjanin was found guilty on Tuesday of plotting to bomb New York’s subway system as an Al-Qaeda terrorist.
By Anav Silverman, Tazpit News Agency
Nir Barkat: "Google Street View is an important tool to increase the number of tourists to Jerusalem," which received a record amount of more than 3 million tourists in 2010. Still, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) has in the past indicated that it made use of Google Earth technology to fire rockets into Israel.
By DovBear
DovBear Blog: Huge argument are raging right now on Twitter about the next big Internet Asifa scheduled for the end of May in Citi Field. DovBear briefly summarize the positions, and refutes them.
Ever since I’ve started writing “You’re Asking Me?” people have been writing in to ask for advice, like they expect me to have all the answers. Seriously. Don’t these people have any friends? Or anyone else they can ask?
Michael Widlanski grew up on the West Side of Manhattan. He went to Ramaz Yeshiva and then Columbia University, writing for both school newspapers, before landing a job at The New York Times. He also studied Arabic in college, traveling to Cairo to master the language – and learning to chant the Koran while he was at it. Partly motivating him was his desire, as a ba’al keriah, to learn how to properly pronounce the Hebrew letters ayin and chet. “The Arabs do it better,” he said. Presently, Widlanski is a professor at Bar-Ilan University after having taught Middle East politics and communications at Hebrew University for 20 years. Last month, he published his first book, Battle for Our Minds: Western Elites and the Terror Threat.
By Sandy Eller
If you are anything like me, Chol Hamoed can be just the teeniest bit stressful. Okay, maybe very, very stressful. But it doesn’t necessarily have to be that way.
In this week’s parshah the Torah teaches many of the halachos of the korbanos. Each of the korbanos has a limited amount of time when they may be eaten, after which they become nosar and forbidden.
Welcome to Part III – what to do with the cooked chicken. Our job is to rehydrate it, change the way it looks, and, at times, hide it using dough, eggs, mayonnaise, or sauce. I have found that making up fancy names for the dish not only adds flair, but will help your family know what to ask for next time. Unless otherwise stated these recipes serve 4-6 people. (Note: Though we use the word chicken – each recipe works just as well with meat or turkey.)
In January The Marker reported that Elbit Systems Ltd., an Israel-based international defense electronics company had won a contract worth $50 million to supply the unmanned drone Hermes 900 to an unknown state on the American continent. Now Aviation Weekly reveals it must be the Mexican government.
Drew Zahn of World News Daily reports that Rep. Walter B. Jones Jr., R-N.C., has introduced a resolution declaring that the president's use of offensive military force without Congressional authorization would be considered "an impeachable high crime and misdemeanor." Jones cites Obama's authorization of military force in Libya as an example for such unilateral action. […]
This Purim centerpiece is sure to keep all your guests “hanging around” until dessert. It can be put together on any level, from simple backyard branches with plain gingerbread man cookies dangling, to curly willow branches with elaborately decorated royal iced gingerbread man cookies – and everything in between! Before you can say all of Haman’s 10 sons in one breath – the cookies will be gone.
It’s hard to believe it’s already here, but Purim is just a few days away. Amidst the hustle and bustle of the myriads of things we do in the days leading up to it, here are a few cute, simple, and fun ideas sure to bring smiles to everyone’s faces and get them into the Purim spirit!
Batei arei chomah are structures (of at least six to eight square feet) in towns consisting of at least three courtyards with two buildings each, with a predominantly Jewish population – provided that such towns were surrounded by a wall in the time of Joshua even though they may no longer be surrounded by a wall at the time of the sale or buyback.
By J. E. Dyer
The only way to secure a positive outcome in Syria is to use US power, under US strategic direction, to do it. This has never necessarily meant military intervention, but it does necessarily mean acting with purpose and determination, rather than throwing random reconnaissance assets into the fray while handing the political problem over lock, stock, and barrel to the Arab League and the UN.
In the previous two columns, we focused on phonics, sight-reading, comprehension and fluency. While phonics and sight-reading are different approaches to reading instruction, comprehension and fluency measure the level at which a student reads.
Years ago at a Torah Umesorah convention, I heard a presenter state that there is a correlation between derech eretz and the distance one is from New York.
Arab Knesset member "fears nobody".
Mahmoud Abu Rahma authored articles condemning the use of "human shields" by Hamas.
Hamas: Cyber attacks "a new field of resistance against the Occupation."
This column will focus on making cooking easy and simple. We begin with a perennial favorite dish – Chicken Soup.
Israel is weighing options against Iran with the help of Britain's Institute for National Security Studies.