Podcasts about Kotel

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The story is told that on one Erev Rosh Hashanah, Rav Bunim of Peshischa came to his Rebbe, the Chozeh of Lublin, to receive a berachah. However, he noticed that the Chozeh was hesitant. At the time, Rav Bunim had a successful business, but the Chozeh revealed to him that he had seen a decree in Heaven that during the coming year, Rav Bunim would lose all of his parnassah. On Yom Kippur, Rav Bunim poured out his heart in tefillah, with sincere tears and deep emotion. Though his business later faced serious challenges and was nearly shut down, not only was it saved — his parnassah actually doubled. When Rav Bunim returned to the Chozeh on Erev Pesach, the Rebbe greeted him warmly and told him he knew with certainty that Rav Bunim's tefillah on Yom Kippur had shaken the heavens and changed the decree from hardship to great blessing. This story reminds us that our tefillot can do wonders, but only if we truly believe in their power. The Nefesh Shimshon explains that when Avraham Avinu established the tefillah of Shacharit, he didn't merely create a morning prayer; he infused it with his own spiritual energy and power. Every time we pray Shacharit, we do so with the merit and spiritual momentum of Avraham Avinu behind us. The same is true for Yitzchak Avinu, who established Minchah, and Yaakov Avinu, who established Arbit. These tefillot were not only composed — they were charged with the deepest essence of the Avot, and that strength continues to support our prayers today. Similarly, every time a person opens a Tehillim, they are not just reading words on a page — they are connecting to the neshama of David HaMelech. Each word of Tehillim is imbued with his spiritual strength, his longing, his struggles, and his closeness to Hashem. Hashem is already close to us, waiting to hear our every word. But now we understand that our tefillot are not coming from us alone — they are carried by the koach of those who established them. Chazal teach us that there is special power in a tefillah that comes with kavanah and tears. When we realize just how valuable our prayers are and how much they can accomplish, we gain new strength and motivation to pray with deeper emotion and sincerity. One woman shared her personal experience: she had been struggling with shidduchim for years. The suggestions that came her way were few and far between, and none of them seemed right. Still, she prayed daily to Hashem to send her the right zivug. What kept her emotionally afloat was the fact that she had good friends that she was close to, and then one day out of nowhere, one of her closest friends who had gotten married told her she would no longer be able to continue their relationship. This news was devastating to her. She spoke to this friend every day. She was her lifeline of support. Shortly afterward, she traveled to Eretz Yisrael. Before returning home, she went to the Kotel to pray. Instead of complaining and bemoaning her fate, she decided to channel all of her pain and emotion into the most heartfelt tefillah. She cried to Hashem for her zivug and in her words, it was the most powerful tefillah she had ever made. The very next day, upon returning home, she received a call from a shadchan with a new suggestion — the man she would soon marry. These stories illustrate that tefillah has the power to change everything. It is up to us to believe that Hashem is listening, and that every word we say matters. We are never alone. When we pray with heart and connect genuinely to Hashem, we can draw down brachot that are far beyond anything we could expect. As the pasuk says: קָרוֹב ה' לְכָל־קֹרְאָיו לְכֹל אֲשֶׁר יִקְרָאֻהוּ בֶאֱמֶת (Tehillim 145:18) Let us strengthen ourselves to approach tefillah not as a routine, but as a living bridge to the Ribbono Shel Olam — a moment to pour out our soul, to draw from the merit of the Avot and tzaddikim, and to unlock the gates of blessing with every sincere word we say.

A man said he has done a certain segula in the hope that he would be married within a year. However, the year has passed, and he is still in the same position. He feels let down and is in need of chizuk . This sentiment is shared by many others who have had the same types of letdowns. A woman once told me she took upon herself to be careful in the area of modesty in the hope that she would have righteous children. However, when she did not see her children acting in the way she hoped, in her words, she became disenchanted with tziniut . What chizuk can we give people in situations where they have followed the advice of our Rabbis and grown spiritually in the hope of being granted something they need, but have not gotten what they have expected? The Mishnah says in Pirkeh Avot , שכר מצוה מצוה – the reward for doing a mitzvah is that Hashem will give the person an opportunity to do another mitzvah. Although we love to see immediate benefits from our actions, Hashem wants us to have the ultimate benefit, eternal bliss. There is nothing in this world that could compare to the pleasure we will receive in the Next World for our mitzvot. The greatest gift that Hashem could give a person is something that is going to make him happy for eternity, not just for the moment. Being that in many instances, we do see side benefits in this world for our performance of mitzvot, when those side benefits do not come about, it presents us with a wondrous opportunity to earn infinite rewards for our avodat Hashem. This is because it is then that we can display our emunah and tell Hashem, we know You are appreciating what we are doing, we know You are trustworthy to reward us the way You know is best, so we are going to continue growing and continue to serve You to the best of our ability. If someone has taken something upon himself as a zechut and he didn't see the side benefit he was expecting, if he would continue doing that avodat Hashem, every moment of it would become infinitely greater. That itself may very well be the immediate reward that Hashem is giving him, the opportunity to soar to the greatest heights. Yosef HaTzaddik was presented with one of the most difficult tests in all of history. With superhuman strength, he overcame that test. We can only imagine Yosef's tefilot every day, stuck in Mitzrayim as a slave to Potifar, he must have been begging Hashem to go back home and be reunited with his father, where he could once again be surrounded by kedusha . He must have thought that in the zechut of overcoming that enormous test, Hashem would bring him out of Egypt. But instead, he was thrown into a prison for 12 years. Yosef could have easily said, "That's what I get for being a tzaddik ? Why should I continue?" Yet, the Toldot Adam in parashat Vayeshev writes that the pasuk testified, Yosef maintained all of his levels of righteousness throughout the entire time he was in prison, as it says, ויהי שם בבית הסוהר – and the word שם means the same as he was before. This opportunity for Yosef to remain righteous despite that letdown, is precisely what made him into the great tzaddik that he became. That episode of being thrown into prison was part of the reward that Yosef received for his tzidkut , being given the chance to become Yosef HaTzaddik that we are still learning from today. A man told that he went to the Kotel for 40 consecutive days to pray for a shidduch . When the 40 days were up, he waited with anticipation of his long-awaited salvation, but nothing came. However, rather than turn the other way, he decided to double his efforts. He went to pray by the Kotel for the next 80 consecutive days. Some time after that, he did get engaged. But that was not his ultimate reward. The fact that he got that opportunity to show his emunah in Hashem(when the salvation didn't come) and used it to pray even harder for a longer period of time was his greatest gain, and it is going to last him for all eternity. We love to see the benefits in this world as well, and we hope that we will see them, but in the meantime, if the efforts we have been putting forth did not yet produce the results we were hoping for, we should utilize the time to earn the ultimate reward, serving Hashem with steadfast emunah.

V novém díle Z Letné a Strahova jsme rozebrali ostudnou porážku 1:3 s Jabloncem. Diskutovali jsme o nefunkční taktice, výkonech jednotlivců a blížícím se derby se Slavií. Zhodnotili jsme také pozici trenéra Larse Friise a sportovního ředitele Tomáše Rosického. Řešili jsme kotel a (ne)komunikaci klubu. Hlavní témata:Zápas s Jabloncem:• Jak hodnotíme celkovou taktiku Sparty v zápase?• Byla reakce trenéra Friise na vývoj zápasu dostatečná?• Který hráč podle nás nejvíce zklamal?• Jak hodnotíme návrat Preciada po zranění?• Jaký vliv má současná atmosféra na stadionu na výkony na hřišti?Derby se Slavií• Co od derby očekáváme? Může Sparta překvapit, nebo hrozí historický debakl?• Jaká by měla být strategie Sparty?• Jaký vliv může mít výsledek derby na budoucnost trenéra Friise?Zbytek sezony• Je pro nás 3. místo reálné, nebo se máme bát i o to 4.?• Jaké změny by měly nastat v kádru a realizačním týmu po sezóně?Lars Friis a Tomáš Rosický• Měl by Friis pokračovat do konce sezony, nebo je prostor pro okamžitou změnu?• Je Tomáš Rosický stále pravým sportovním ředitelem pro Spartu?• Jak hodnotíme komunikaci klubu směrem k fanouškům?Kotel a fanouškovská témata• Jak vnímáme aktuální situaci v kotli?• Jaký vliv má podpora fanoušků na výkony týmu?• Jaký je stav současného kádru? • Proč Rrahmani nehraje? To a mnohem víc v nové epizodě #podcastSN.

On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched the deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust, calling it Operation Al Aqsa. For journalist Yardena Schwartz, the massacre was a chilling echo of the 1929 Hebron Massacre—the brutal slaughter of nearly 70 Jews, incited by propaganda that Jews sought to seize the Al Aqsa Mosque. At the time, she was deep into writing her first book, Ghosts of a Holy War: The 1929 Massacre in Palestine That Ignited the Arab-Israeli Conflict. In this episode, Yardena shares how history repeated itself, how the October 7 attack reshaped her book, and why understanding the past is essential to making sense of the present. ___ Read:  Ghosts of a Holy War: The 1929 Massacre in Palestine That Ignited the Arab Israeli Conflict Listen – AJC Podcasts: The Forgotten Exodus: Untold stories of Jews who left or were driven from Arab nations and Iran Social media influencer Hen Mazzig on leaving Tunisia Chef Einat Admony on leaving Iran Playwright Oren Safdie on leaving Syria Cartoonist Carol Isaacs on leaving Iraq Novelist Andre Aciman on leaving Egypt People of the Pod:  Latest Episode: Higher Education in Turmoil: Balancing Academic Freedom and the Fight Against Antisemitism Held Hostage in Gaza: A Mother's Fight for Freedom and Justice Yossi Klein Halevi on the Convergence of Politics and Religion at Jerusalem's Temple Mount Follow People of the Pod on your favorite podcast app, and learn more at AJC.org/PeopleofthePod You can reach us at: peopleofthepod@ajc.org If you've appreciated this episode, please be sure to tell your friends, and rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. __ Transcript of Interview with Yardena Schwartz: Manya Brachear Pashman: Hello, and welcome to People of the Pod, brought to you by American Jewish Committee. Each week, we take you beyond the headlines to help you understand what they all mean for America, Israel and the Jewish people. I'm your host Manya Brachear Pashman:. In October 2023 journalist Yardena Schwartz was in the middle of writing her first book exploring the rarely talked about 1929 Hebron massacre, in which nearly 70 Jews were murdered, dozens more injured by their Muslim neighbors during riots incited by the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, who spread lies that Jews wanted to take over the Al Aqsa Mosque. When she heard reports of the October 7 terror attacks by Hamas dubbed Operation Al Aqsa, she realized just how relevant and prescient her book would be, and began drafting some new chapters. Yardena is with us now to discuss that book titled Ghosts of a Holy War: The 1929 Massacre in Palestine that ignited the Arab Israeli conflict. Yardena, welcome to People of the Pod.  Yardena Schwartz: Great to be here, Manya. Manya Brachear Pashman: So full disclosure to you and our audience. You attended Columbia Journalism School 10 years after I did, and you took Professor Ari Goldman's class on covering religions 10 years after I did that, class had always traveled to Israel, and I had hoped it would be my ticket to go to Israel for the first time, but the Second Intifada prevented that, and we went to Russia and Ukraine. Instead, your class did go to Israel, and that was your first visit to Hebron, correct?  Yardena Schwartz: So it was in 2011 and we went to Hebron for one day out of our 10 day trip to Israel, and it was my first time there. I was the only Jewish student in our class. It was about 15 of us, and I was the only one who had been to Israel. I had been all over Israel, but I had never been to Chevron. And our tour was with Breaking the Silence, an organization of former Israeli soldiers who had served in Hebron or in other parts of the West Bank and wanted Israelis to know what was happening in Hebron and how Palestinians were living there, and the various restrictions that were put in place as a result of terrorist attacks. But nevertheless, you know, those restrictions were extremely disturbing, and that brief visit in 2011 made me really never want to go back to Hebron. And when I moved to Israel two years later to become a freelance journalist there, and, you know, to move to Israel because I loved Israel, and still obviously love Israel, I didn't really go back to Chevron because I, you know, was really troubled by what I saw there. But this book took me, of course, back to Chevron hundreds of times, spending hundreds of hours there. And it came to be, you know, my expertise in this conflict, in my reporting. And you know, of course, Heron is kind of the main character in this book, Manya Brachear Pashman: Tell us how you came to find out about this massacre. Was it mentioned during that class visit in 2011 or was it later that you learned about it? Yardena Schwartz: So that was one of the most interesting things about my early adventure into writing this book, was that I had of course been to have Ron, and yet, during that day that we spent there learning so much about the history of this place, this deeply holy place to so many people, there was no mention of the massacre of 1929, so, you know, I knew that Chevron is, you know, the second holiest city in Judaism, the burial place of Abraham And the matrix and patriarchs of the Jewish people. And you know the first place where King David established his kingdom before Jerusalem. So it was holy before Jerusalem. And yet I had no idea that this ancient Jewish community in Hebron had been decimated in 1929 in one of the worst pogroms ever perpetrated. We all know about the kishineff pogrom of 1904 and yet the pogrom in 1929 in Hebron, perpetrated by the Muslim residents of Hebron, against their Jewish neighbors, was more deadly and more gruesome than the kishineff pogrom, and it effectively ended 1000s of years of Jewish presence in this holy city. And so when I was told by my mentor, Yossi Klein Halevi, the amazing writer, that there was a family in Memphis, Tennessee that had discovered a box of letters in their attic written by a young American man from. Memphis, who had traveled to Chevron in 1928 to study at the Hebron yeshiva, which was at the time, the most prestigious yeshiva in the land of Israel in what was then, of course, British Mandate Palestine. And that this young man had been killed in that massacre. Yet his letters, you know, painted this vivid portrait of what Chevron was before the massacre that took his life. I was immediately fascinated. And I, you know, wanted to meet this family, read these letters and see how I could bring the story to life. And I was introduced to them by, yes, in 2019 so that's when I began working on my book. And you know, as you mentioned, I was still writing the book in 2023 on October 7, and this book I had been writing about this massacre nearly a century ago immediately became more relevant than I ever hoped it would be.  Manya Brachear Pashman: The young American man from Memphis. His name was David Schoenberg. Give our listeners a history lesson. Tell us about this 1929 massacre. So Yardena Schwartz: On August 24 1929 also a Shabbat morning in crevorone, every Jewish family had locked their doors and windows. They were cowering in fear as 1000s of Muslim men rioted outside their homes, throwing rocks at their windows, breaking down their doors and essentially hunting down Jews, much like they did on October 7, families were slaughtered. Women and teenage girls were raped by their neighbors in front of their family members. Infants were murdered in their mother's arms. Children watched as their parents were butchered by their neighbors, rabbis, yeshiva students were castrated and Arabic speaking Jews, you know, Sephardi, Mizrahi, Jews, who composed about half of the Jewish population in Hebron at the time, and were very friendly with their Arab neighbors. You know, they went to each other's weddings and holidays, went to each other's shops, and these people were also slaughtered. It wasn't just the yeshiva students who had come from Europe or from America to study there, or, you know, the Ashkenazi Jewish families. It was, you know, Arabic speaking Jews whose families had been there for generations and had lived side by side in peace with their Muslim neighbors for centuries. They too were slaughtered. Manya Brachear Pashman: Why did their Muslim neighbors turn on them so suddenly and violently? The Yardena Schwartz: rioters that day were shouting Allahu Akbar. They claimed to be defending Islam and Al Aqsa from this supposed Jewish plot to destroy Al Aqsa in order to rebuild the Third Temple. This is what they had been told by their leaders and by Imams and their mosques and in Hebron, that Lai had also extended to the tomb of the patriarchs and matriarchs, which is known in Arabic as the Ibrahimi mosque. Imams there had told Muslims in Hebron that the Jews of Hebron were planning to conquer Ibrahimi mosque in order to turn it into a synagogue. So this incitement and this disinformation that continues to drive the conflict today. Really began in 1929 the rumors about this supposed Jewish plot to destroy Al Aqsa that began in 1928 around the same time that David Schoenberg arrived in Palestine to study at the yeshiva. Manya Brachear Pashman: So in addition to the letters that David Schoenberg wrote to his family back in Tennessee. How else did you piece together this history? How did you go about reporting and researching it? Who kept records?  Yardena Schwartz: So it's really interesting, because I was so surprised by the lack of literature on this really dramatic moment in history, in the history of Israel, the history of this conflict. And yet, despite the fact there are really no books in English, at least, about the massacre and about these riots and what led to them, there were mountains of, you know, testimony from victims and survivors. The British carried out this commission after the riots that produced this 400 page report filled with testimony of British officials, Arab officials, Jewish officials, survivors. So there was just so much material to work with. Also, survivors ended up writing books about their experiences in Hebron, very similar to David's letters, in a way, because they wrote not only about the riots and the massacre itself, but also what they experienced in Hebron before they too, wrote about, you know, the relatively peaceful relations between the city's Jewish minority and the Arab majority. And I also relied on archival newspaper reports so the. Riots really occupied the front pages of American newspapers for about a week, because it took about a week for the British to quell the riots, and they did so with an air, land and sea campaign. They sent warships and war planes from across the British Empire and sent troops from other parts of the British Empire. Because one of the reasons the riots were so effective, in a way, you know, were so deadly, especially in kharag, was because there was just no military force in Palestine. At the time, the British did not have a Palestine military force, and it was only after the 1929 riots that they did have troops in Palestine. Until then, they had the Palestine police force, and that police force was mostly Arabs. In Hebron, for example, there were about 40 policemen under the stewardship of one British police chief, and all but one of those policemen were Arabs, and many of them participated in the massacre or stood by outside of Jewish homes and allowed the mobs to enter the homes and carry out their slaughter. And Manya Brachear Pashman: I'm curious. There was a lot of newspaper coverage, but what about the international community's response beyond the British Empire? Yardena Schwartz: So there were actually protests around the world against the massacre in New York. 35,000 people marched through the streets of Manhattan to protest the British failure to protect their Jewish subjects from these riots. Most of the marchers were Jewish, but nevertheless, I mean 35,000 people. We didn't see anything like that after October 7. Of course, we saw the opposite people marching through the streets of New York and cities around the world supporting the mass of October 7. You know, I mentioned this March in New York, but similar protests were held around the world, mostly in Jewish communities. So in Poland, Warsaw and in England, there were protests against the British failure to protect Jews in Palestine from these riots. And the American government was livid with the British and they sent statements put out, statements to the press, criticizing the British inaction, the British failure to protect the Jewish subjects and the American citizens who were in Palestine at the time, there were eight Americans killed in Hebron on August 24 1929. Out of the 67 Jewish men, women and children who were killed, and all of them were unarmed. The Haganah at the time, you know, the underground Jewish Defense Force that would later become the nucleus of the IDF, the Haganah was active then, mostly in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, there were no Haganah members in Hebron. The Hebron Jewish community was very traditional, very religious, and when Haganah came to Hebron two days before the riots erupted, they because they knew that these riots were going to happen. There had been calls from Arab officials to riot, to attack Jewish communities across Palestine. And so the Haganah came to Hebron to warn Jewish leaders of Hebron that they could either come there to protect them or evacuate them to Jerusalem to safety until the riots subsided and the Jewish leaders of Hebron were unanimous in their opposition. They said, No, you know, we're friends with our Arab neighbors. They'll never hurt us. We trust them. If anything happens elsewhere, it won't happen here. And they believed that because, not only because they had such a good relationship with their Arab neighbors and friends, but also because in previous outbursts of violence in other years, like in 1920 1921 when they were much smaller riots and much less deadly riots. When those riots reached other parts of Palestine, they didn't reach Hebron because of those relations and because they weren't fueled by incitement and disinformation, which was what led the riots of 1929 to be so massive and so deadly, and what led them to be embraced by previously peaceful neighbors. Manya Brachear Pashman: How did that disinformation travel in 1929 How did it reach those neighbors in Hebron? Yardena Schwartz: When we talk about disinformation and misinformation today, we think of it as this, you know, modern plague of, you know, the social media era, or, you know our fractured media landscape. But back in 1929 disinformation was rampant, and it also traveled through Arabic newspapers. They were publishing these statements by Arab officials, mostly the Grand Mufti Hajime Husseini, who was the leader of Palestinian Muslims under British rule, he began this rumor that the Jews of Palestine were plotting to conquer Al Aqsa mosque to rebuild their ancient temple. Of course, Al Aqsa is built upon the ruins of the ancient temples. Temple Mount is the holiest place for Jews in the world. And in 1929, Jews were forbidden from accessing the Temple Mount because it was considered, you know, a solely holy Muslim site. But the closest place they could pray was the Western Wall, the Kotel. And Jews who were demanding British protection to pray in peace at the Western Wall without being attacked by Muslims as a result of this disinformation campaign were then painted by the Arabic press as working to conquer the Western Wall, turn it into a synagogue, and then from there, take Al Aqsa Mosque.  So this disinformation traveled from the very highest of Muslim officials. So the imams in mosques across Palestine, specifically in Al Aqsa and in Hebron, were repeating these rumors, these lies about this supposed Jewish plot. Those lies were then being published in flyers that were put in city squares. Jewish officials were warning the British and telling, you know, they should have known and they should have done more to end this campaign of disinformation, not only to achieve peace in this land that they were ruling over, but also because they were responsible for installing hajamina Husseini, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, into his position they had chosen him for that position, that all powerful position. And so they were responsible, in a way, for all of these lies that he was spreading. And yet they took no responsibility.  And even in the commission that they sent to Palestine from London to investigate the causes of the riots, despite the fact that, you know, if you read these, you know, 400 pages, I don't recommend it. It's a tough reading. But, you know, I did that for this book. And it's so clear from all of these hearings that this disinformation campaign was very obvious, very clear and very clearly to blame for the riots. And yet, because saying so would have made the British responsible for so much death, their conclusions in this commission was that it was Jewish immigration to Palestine and Jewish land purchases at the time that had sparked the riots, and that it was this Jewish demonstration, peaceful demonstration at the Western Wall on to Shabaab in August of 1929 that had sparked these riots.  So there's just, you know, this absolute lack of accountability, not only for the Mufti, who retained his position and became even more powerful and more popular as a leader after these riots, but also for the British and instead, you know, the Jewish victims were blamed for their suffering. At the time, Jews were just 20% of the Palestinian population, which was just 1 million people. Of course, today, Israel is home to more than 10 million people. So you know, clearly there was room for everyone. And the Jews at the time were very peaceful. The Haganah was a very, you know, weak, decentralized force, and after these riots, it became much stronger, and Sephardi Jews and Mizrahi Jews, more traditional Jews who had not joined the Haganah before 1929 had not really embraced Zionism before 1929 now agreed that if Jews were going to be safe in our homeland, then we would need our own army. Manya Brachear Pashman: Can we talk a little bit about the turn toward radicalization and extremism during this time, and what role that has played in the years since? Yardena Schwartz: you know, the Zionist leadership was very adamant that Jews in Palestine should not be carrying out attacks against Arabs in Palestine. You know, it should be really about defending Jews, preventing attacks, but not carrying out retaliatory attacks. But as we've seen throughout the century, of this conflict. You know, extremism begets extremism. And you know, when violence is being used by one side, it is going to be used by the other side as well. And so the rise of a more militant form of Zionism was a direct result of 1929 and this feeling of just helplessness and this feeling of relying on this foreign power, the British, to protect them, and realizing that no foreign power was going to protect the Jews of Palestine and that Jews would have to protect themselves, and the radicalism and the extremism within the Muslim population, particularly the Muslim leadership of Palestine, really just accelerated after the massacre, because they saw that it succeeded. I mean, the British punished the Jewish population of Palestine for the riots by vastly limiting Jewish immigration, vastly limiting Jewish land purchases. Notice, I use the word land purchases because, contrary to a lot of the disinformation we hear. Much today, none of this land was being stolen. It was being purchased by Jews from Muslim land owners. Many of them were absentee landowners. Many of them were from the wealthiest families in Palestine. And many of them were members of, you know, this anti Zionist, pro Mufti circle, who were then telling their own people that Jews are stealing your land and evicting you from your land, when, in fact, it was these wealthy Arab landowners who were selling their land to Jews at exorbitant prices. Manya Brachear Pashman: Did you establish a motive for the Mufti and what were his intentions spreading this disinformation? Yardena Schwartz: Great question. So it was very clear. I mean, he never admitted this, but it was very clear what his motives were, and that was to counter the criticism and accusations of corruption that had dogged him for years, until he began this campaign of propaganda which led much of that criticism and much of those stories of his corruption within the Arabic press and among his Arab rivals to essentially disappear, because now they had a much more threatening enemy, and that enemy was the Jewish community of Palestine, who was plotting to destroy Al Aqsa, conquer Al Aqsa, rebuild their temple, take over Palestine and his campaign worked. You know, after that propaganda campaign became so successful, there were very few people willing to stand up to him and to criticize him, because after 1929 when he became so much more powerful, he began a campaign of assassinations and intimidation and violence used against not only his political rivals and dissidents, but also just Anyone who favored cooperation between Arabs and Jews in Palestine. So there were various mayors of Arab cities who wanted to work together with the Jewish community of those cities or with other Jewish leaders to bring about various economic initiatives, for instance. And some of those mayors were assassinated by the muftis henchmen, or they were just intimidated into silence and into kind of embracing his platform, which was that Palestine is and has always been and should always be, a purely Muslim land, and that there is no place for any kind of Jewish sovereignty or Jewish power in that land.  So, you know, the Mufti, in 1936 he ended up leading a violent rebellion against the British. And the British at that point, had gotten tired of ruling Palestine. They realized it was much more work than they were interested in doing, and they were interested in leaving Palestine, handing over governance to the local population to the Jews and Arabs of Palestine, and they had been interested in figuring out what could be done. Could there be a binational state with equal representation, or representative governance? If Jews are 40% of the population and Arabs are 60% then there could be some kind of governance on those ratios, all of those solutions, including a two state solution, which was presented in 1937 all of those solutions were rejected by the grand mufti, and his platform was embraced by the other Arab officials within Palestine, because if it wasn't, they could face death or violence. And he even rejected the idea of Jews remaining in Palestine under Arab rule. You know when the British said to him, okay, so what will be done with the 400,000 Jews who are in Palestine right now? He said they can't stay. So he didn't only reject the two state solution. He rejected, you know, this bi national, equal utopian society that we hear proposed by so many in pro Palestine movement today. You know, all of these solutions have been on the table for a century and always. They have been rejected by Palestinian leaders, whether it was the Grand Mufti or his apprentice, his young cousin, yas Arafat. Manya Brachear Pashman: Ah, okay, so what happened to Grand Mufti Husseini? Did he stick around? So The Mufti was eventually, finally wanted for arrest by the British after his rebellion claimed the life of a British official. Until then, it had only claimed the lives of Jews and Arabs, but once a British official was killed, then the British had decided that they'd had enough of the Mufti, and they ordered his arrest. He fled Palestine. He ended up in Iraq, where he was involved in riots there the far hood in which many Jews were massacred, perhaps hundreds, if not over 1000 Jews were slaughtered in Baghdad, which was at the time home to about. 100,000 Jews. He then fled Iraq and ended up in Berlin, where he lived from 1941 to 1945 in a Nazi financed mansion, and he led the Arab branch of Joseph Goebbels Ministry of Propaganda. He was the Nazi's leading voice in the Arab world, he spread Nazi propaganda throughout the Muslim world and recruited 10s of 1000s of Muslims to fight for the Nazis, including in the Waffen SS and when the war ended, when world war two ended, and the UN wanted him for Nazi war crimes, he was wanted for Nazi war crimes, placed on the UN's list of Nazi war criminals. Once again, he fled, first to France, then to Cairo, eventually settling in Beirut, where he continued to lead his people's jihad against the Jews of Palestine. So when, in 1947, when the UN voted to partition British Mandate Palestine into an Arab state and a Jewish state so that the British could finally leave Palestine. He declared jihad, and he rejected the Partition Plan, along with every other Arab state which also rejected it. Of course, the Jews of Palestine embraced it, celebrated it, and the very next day after the UN vote, riots erupted throughout Palestine, and he helped. He was kind of pulling the strings of that Jihad taking place in Palestine. And in fact, 1000 Muslim men who he had recruited for the Waffen. SS joined that holy war in Palestine. The Mufti helped create the army of the holy war. Yasser Arafat, who was also in Beirut at the time, also assisted the army of the holy war. He actually fought in the war that began in 1947 alongside the Muslim Brotherhood. So, you know the legacy that the Mufti had? You know, it doesn't end there. It continued to his dying day in 1974 and Arafat took over his mantle as the leader of the Palestinian people. And you know, we see how the disinformation and incitement and rejection of Jewish sovereignty in any part of the ancient land of Israel has continued to be a prominent force in Palestinian politics no matter who was in charge. You know, the Fatah, Mahmoud, Abbas and Hamas, of course, perpetuate the same lies about Al Aqsa. They perpetuate the same denial of a Jewish right to live in peace in our homeland, deny the history of Jewish presence in Israel. So, you know, it's really astounding to me how little is known about the Grand Mufti and how little is known about his impact on this conflict, and particularly in the very beginnings, the ground zero of this conflict in 1929 Manya Brachear Pashman: It's so interesting. We talk so much about Hitler, right? And his antisemitism, but we don't talk about Husseini. Yardena Schwartz: Yeah, and they were good friends. I mean, they met in 1941 shortly after the Mufti arrived, he had a private chauffeur. He was lavishly paid by the Nazis, and he was good friends with Himmler. He toured concentration camps. He knew very well about the final solution. Hitler himself considered the Mufti an honorary Aryan. I mean, the Mufti had blue eyes, fair skin, light hair. Hitler believed that Husseini had Roman blood, and he saw him as someone who could lead the Nazi forces once they arrived in the Middle East. He saw him as, you know, a great ally of the Nazis. He didn't just participate in the Nazis quest to eradicate the Jewish population of Europe and eventually arrive in Palestine, but he also the Mufti worked to convince various European leaders not to allow Jewish refugees from fleeing Europe and not allowing them to come to Palestine. He told them, send them to Poland, and he knew very well what was happening in Poland. Manya Brachear Pashman: So I want to go back to this family in Tennessee, the genesis of this story, and I'm curious. David Schoenberg's niece said that at one point in the book, she said they're Southern, so they sweep ugly under the rug in the south. And so they just didn't talk about that. And when I read that, I thought, actually, that's kind of a Jewish approach, not a southern approach, except we wouldn't say we sweep things under the rug. We move on, right? We treasure our resilience, and we move on from that pain and we build anew. But is moving on really in the Jewish community's best interest? Is that how we end up forgetting and letting this history and this very important history fade?. Yardena Schwartz: Yeah, absolutely. You know, I think it is possible to do both. It is possible to take great pride in our resilience and in our strength and our ability to experience so much devastation and suffering, and yet every time emerge stronger.  I mean, think about the Holocaust. First of all, for many years, we did sweep that under the rug. Survivors were discouraged from speaking about what they went through. They were seen as, you know, especially in Israel, they were seen as, you know, people who went like sheep to the slaughter. It wasn't something to talk about. It was something to move on from. And yet now we are able to hold both in both hands. You know. We're able to honor and commemorate the memory and speak about the atrocities that millions of Jews suffered during the Holocaust, while also celebrating where we went after the Holocaust. I mean, three years after the Holocaust, Israel was born. You know, that's just, on its own, you know, a remarkable symbol of our resilience and our strength as a people. But I think the way we commemorate the Holocaust is a really great example of how we do both how we honor the memory and use that as a lesson so that it never happens again.  And yet, I think that when it comes to the conflict and the various forces that have led us to where we are today, there is this tendency to kind of try to move on and not really speak about how we got here. And it's really a shame, because I think that this is the only way we'll ever find a way out of this tragic cycle of violence, is if we learn how we got here, the forces that continue to drive this conflict after a century, and you know, the people who brought us here. Not only the Grand Mufti, but also, you know, the leaders today who are very much capitalizing on fear and religion, exploiting religion for their own, their own interests, and utilizing disinformation to remain in power. And I think that, you know, we can't afford not to speak about these things and not to know about our own history. It's really telling that, you know, even in Jewish communities, where people know so much about Israel and about this conflict, there is just a complete lack of knowledge of, you know, the very bedrock of this conflict. And I think without that knowledge, we'll never get out of this mess. Manya Brachear Pashman: Yardena, thank you so much. This is such a wonderful book, and congratulations on writing it.  Yardena Schwartz: Thank you so much.  Manya Brachear Pashman: If you missed last week's episode, be sure to tune in for my conversation with Dr Laura Shaw Frank, Director of AJC Center for Education Advocacy. We discussed the delicate balance between combating antisemitism, safeguarding free speech, and ensuring campuses remain safe for all students.  Thank you for listening. This episode is brought to you by AJC. Our producer is Atara Lakritz. Our sound engineer is TK Broderick. You can subscribe to People of the Pod on Apple podcasts, Spotify or Google podcasts, or learn more at ajc.org/PeopleofthePod. The views and opinions of our guests don't necessarily reflect the positions of AJC. We'd love to hear your views and opinions or your questions. You can reach us at PeopleofthePod@ajc.org. If you've enjoyed this episode, please be sure to tell your friends. Tag us on social media with hashtag People of the Pod and hop on to Apple podcasts to rate us and write a review to help more listeners find us. Tune in next week for another episode of People of the Pod.

Living Emunah 2738 Parashat Pekudei: No Matter What In the beginning of parashat Pekudei, the Torah calls the Mishkan, the Mishkan of testimony. One of the things it testified to was Hashem's great love for us. The Mefarshim are bothered why the Torah repeats so much about the Mishkan in parashiyot Vayakhel and Pekudei, after they were already mentioned in Terumah Tetzaveh. Some explain the Jewish people were commanded to build a house for Hashem before they did the Chet Haegel. After they committed that grievous sin, they felt so distanced from Hashem and feared they would never be able to bring His presence down to dwell amongst them. However, after they made Teshuva, Hashem told Moshe to tell the Jewish people that He wants the exact same Mishkan built with every detail and that He was going to dwell with them. And that is why the details are repeated after the Chet Haegel. We see from here that no matter what a Jew does, Hashem always wants him back. We should never feel that because of our sins that Hashem doesn't want us. All we have to do is say that we are sorry and Hashem will be waiting with open arms, kavyachol, to bring us closer. Rabbi Snir Gueta told a story about a young woman named Shlomit. After years of waiting for a child, her parents were blessed with her birth. Tragically, a few years later, her mother fell ill and passed away, leaving her father to raise her alone. He tried his best to connect to his daughter and give her all the love and attention that he could. As she grew during her teenage years, she began drifting from the religious path that he was trying so hard to keep her on. As she got older, she drifted further until she was constantly arguing with her father about religion. She told him outright she was not interested in being religious. Her father kept telling her that he promised her mother that he would raise her to be a true Bat Yisrael, but she wouldn't change. One day she told her father she was leaving home and moving to India. Her father yelled at her, saying that she was being so insensitive, ignoring his request and leaving him all alone. She apologized for leaving him, but said she was going no matter what. Her father, in a moment of desperation, said to her, "If you leave, you are not welcome back. I will never forgive you for this." Her friends were waiting outside, and she left. She was in India for three years. At that time, one of her friends from Israel traveled there, and when she saw her, she hugged her, telling her how much she missed her. And then she gave her her condolences over the death of her father. Shlomit couldn't believe what she was hearing. She had no idea that her father passed away. She began crying uncontrollably, regretting the nonsense that she had been involved in over the past three years, completely abandoning her father and Hashem. She took the next flight back to Israel, and went straight to the cemetery, searching for her father's grave. When she finally found it, she sat there, crying, begging for him to forgive her. She said, "Please, Abba, I made the worst mistake. I will come back to Hashem now. All I want is for you to forgive me." She then went to the Kotel. She stood right by the mechitza between the men and women, and pulled out a piece of paper and wrote a note to Hashem, asking Him to please show her if her father forgave her for what she did. She put the note in the wall, and it immediately fell out. There was no room in any hole there for her note. She saw by the edge of the mechitza, in the men's section, an opening, and she put it there. When she put it down, another note fell out. She picked it up, and saw the name Shlomit bat Chana. She opened it, and began to read, and started to tremble. It said, "Borei olam, my daughter is in India, please bring her back to Teshuva. Her name is Shlomit Bat Chana. If I could talk to her right now, I would tell her that I forgive her for everything. All I want is for her to come back to You, Hashem." Shlomit broke out in tears, and thanked Hashem, and fully came back to Torah and Mitzvot. A human father is willing to take his daughter back, no matter what she does. All the more so, Hakadosh Baruch Hu wants every one of His children back, no matter what they have done. Hashem loves and wants every Jew close to Him. All we have to do is be sincere. Shabbat Shalom.

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The sefer Ki Ata Imadi writes, a man came over to him one year a few days after Purim with a complaint. He said he had some issues with one of his children and after he learned all about the segulot of the day of Purim, he spent hours in heartfelt tefila , both on Ta'anit Esther and on Purim. He shed tears and begged Hashem to fix the problems with his child. Now, a few days later, he didn't see any change. "If Hashem answers everyone who asks Him on Purim, why wasn't I answered?" he asked. The rabbi thought about it and then told him, "You used the day of Purim properly. You prayed the way you are supposed to. You believed Hashem was going to help. There is no question that you were helped, but that doesn't mean you will necessarily see the results immediately." The rabbi gave him a mashal . When a child tells his father on the night of the Seder, "I'll give you the afikoman for a bicycle," and the father agrees, that doesn't mean the child is going to have a bicycle the next day. The father might feel that waiting a few months until the summer would be more beneficial for his child to have the bike then. The child accomplished on the night of the Seder, but it doesn't necessarily mean he's going to see the immediate results of that accomplishment. So, too, a person's tefillah on Purim for sure accomplished, but that doesn't mean that he'll necessarily see those results right away. The wheels might be in motion, things are happening behind the scenes, we're just not able to see them. There are so many things which happen that we can't see. Whenever we do a mitzvah or learn a word of Torah, so much goes on in the spiritual realms. Our souls become purified and blessings come down from Shamayim . We don't know which blessings stem from which mitzvah. We don't see when those blessings are being produced, but we know mitzvot produce goodness. We trust that Hashem knows how to apply them the way He sees fit. There are individuals with so much emunah. They know when they act l'shem Shamayim Hashem is proud of them and brings blessing to their efforts. They are so confident about it that they are even willing to act upon that emunah. Rabbi Noach Weinberg, z"l , the founder of Aish HaTorah, once met a Jew at the Kotel who was very distanced from Torah and mitzvot. He spoke to him for a while and then he invited him to his home to eat. The young man was very impressed with what the Rabbi was saying and he actually agreed to come learn in his yeshiva for some time. The boy was very smart and quickly advanced in his learning. After two solid weeks there, he told the Rabbi, "Thank you very much, butI have to leave now." The Rabbi asked why, since he was doing so well. The young man said, "I'm a master chess player and I have to go to play in the World Chess Championship that is being held in America." The Rabbi knew once this boy left he was never returning. He felt bad for him, for his neshama , not to mention that he had so much potential. At that moment, Rabbi Weinberg made a tefila to Hashem to please put the words in his mouth that could convince this boy to stay. Then the Rabbi got an idea. He told the boy, "Before you go, let me make you a deal. I will play you one game of chess. If you win the game, I'll pay for your flight to America. But if I win, then you agree to stay here and learn more." The boy happily agreed and shook the Rabbi's hand on it. They sat and played and, astonishingly, the Rabbi beat this world expert in chess. The boy had no choice but to stay and, baruch Hashem, he eventually grew to become a true ben Torah . Some months after that, the boy asked the Rabbi a question. He said, "I agreed to the chess game because I was confident I would beat you, but please tell me, what were you thinking? How could you make a deal like that, knowing how good I was?" The Rabbi replied, "I wanted more than anything for you to continue your growth in Torah and mitzvot and get closer to Hashem. I had no ulterior motives. I was pure. So I prayed to Hashem to help me and I believe that He put that thought in my brain to offer you the chess match. I knew when someone is l'shem Shamayim , Hashem gives them extraordinary help. That having been said, I relied on Hashem to move my fingers and tell me where to put the pieces so I could defeat you. And that's what happened." Hashem helps us all the time. We are not always able to see it clearly. We should never second guess our emunah. Things are happening behind the scenes. Hashem is answering our tefilot and He is leading us in the directions that we need to go in.

Cours Halakha Time du Mardi 11 Mars 2025 (durée : 5 minutes) donné par Rav Emmanuel BENSIMON.

Cours Halakha Time du Mardi 11 Mars 2025 (durée : 5 minutes) donné par Rav Emmanuel BENSIMON.

The Gemara in Sanhedrin tells us that David HaMelech asked Hashem why, in the Amidah , we say אלוקי אברהם, אלוקי יצחק, ואלוקי יעקב . Hashem responded that it is because the Avot were tested and passed their tests. We see from here that tests make a person great in this world. The Midrash in Tehillim says that Hashem does not elevate a person to a high position until He first tests him. The pasuk states that Hashem tested the Jewish people in the desert " להטיבך באחריתך " The Sforno explains that Hashem wanted to elevate Bnei Yisrael to become even greater than the angels who serve Him, and that is why He tested them. Many times, Hashem has gifts waiting for a person, and by passing a test, they become worthy of receiving them. A well-known story illustrates this concept: Rashi's father, Rabbi Yitzchak, once found a rare diamond and went to sell it to a local jeweler. The jeweler didn't have enough money to purchase such a valuable stone and suggested that the bishop buy it instead. The bishop had been searching for such a diamond to place on his cross. He offered an enormous sum of money for it. When Rabbi Yitzchak heard the purpose of the purchase, he refused to sell the diamond. However, he realized that if he didn't sell it, it would likely be taken from him by force. So, instead, he threw it into the ocean. That night, he was told in a dream that because of this great sacrifice, he would be blessed with a son whose light would outshine all the precious stones in the world, and whose Torah would illuminate generations to come. The following year, he had a son, whom he named Shlomo. He grew to become the towering sage known as Rashi. A man told me a personal story that took place more than 30 years ago: After high school, he traveled to Israel, where he became religious. He returned for a second year and planned to go back for a third. That summer, he was in his hometown making the final arrangements for his return. On the last day before his flight, on the way to the airport, he stopped at a convenience store to buy a drink and some snacks. While in the store, he remembered that he had purchased a lottery ticket and decided to check the numbers on the store's machine. As soon as he inserted the ticket, red sirens went off across the store. Startled, he asked what was happening. The store manager told him, "That means you won. You matched at least five numbers—possibly six." Shocked, he asked how much he had won. The manager replied, "It could be anywhere from $500,000 to several million dollars." He was stunned. For a moment, he paused to take it all in. But then, fear set in. If he had won millions, would he still go back to yeshiva ? Would this change his life in ways he didn't want? He made a firm decision: instead of checking the numbers immediately, he would first board his flight to Israel. Once he was settled back in yeshiva , he would check the ticket and see how much he had won. Early the next morning, he arrived in Israel and went straight to the yeshiva building. He placed his jacket in the same spot where he had always hung it for the past two years and then went to the Kotel to pray Shacharit . When he returned, his jacket was gone. His lottery ticket was in the zipper pocket. He had not told anyone about the ticket. He searched the entire yeshiva , but the jacket was never found. To this day, he has no idea how much he would have won. Instead of millions of dollars, Hashem gave him something far greater—he remained in yeshiva for several more years, married a bat talmid chacham , and raised a family of outstanding talmidei chachamim with sterling Midot. It is clear that the money was not meant for him, but the test most certainly was. Hashem had given him an extraordinary nisayon . And heroically, he chose to return to Israel, fearing that the money would steer him away from the path he had chosen. Hashem blessed him in ways far beyond anything money could buy. Life's tests can be challenging, but they are designed to lift us up and make us great.

We continue with our series on humility. Rav Wolbe, his sefer Aleh Shor (vol 1 page 134) talks about the concept of ladders of self-improvement. We find this, he says, in sefer Mesilat Yesharim , where Rav Moshe Chaim Luzzato cites a Gemara in Avoda Zara 20B that says, Torah brings to one being careful and being careful brings you to alacrity and so on. The Hovot Halevavot has ten gates which are also a ladder of sorts. Another of the ladders Rav Wolbe cites is the letter of the Ramban, the famous Igeret HaRamban , which is also a ladder. He tells us that the ladder starts with talking softly. Talking softly brings you to staying away from anger, staying away from anger brings you to humility, humility brings you to fear of God. And Fear of God brings you to be happy in your lot. From there, you come to the Shechina dwelling on a person. Wonderful ladder of the Igeret HaRamban. Many might not appreciate Rav Wolbe's outlook of this as ladder of the Ramban. As we said, the ladder really starts from humility. So this is a beautiful concept, how humility is the first step. And of course, you can't jump right into humility, so we'll go through it more in depth. The first thing the Ramban says, in beautiful words, is to תִּתְנַהֵג תָּמִיד לְדַבֵּר כָּל דְּבָרֶיךָ בְּנַחַת, לְכָל אָדָם וּבְכָל עֵת Accustom yourself to speak gently. All your words, to all people, and at all times. There are lot of alls in there. I once learned that the Ramban is trying to tell us, There are no exceptions here. All your words means every single word you say, to all people, even that nudgy guy, at all times. So even if I'm on my way to my daughter's wedding and I'm a little hassled, or I'm on the way to the airplane, slow it down. All people, all time, all your words. What is that going to do for you? וּבַזֶּה תִּנָּצֵל מִן הַכַּעַס, And this will protect you from anger, which is a most serious character flaw, which causes one to sin. Ok so let's say you got there. You spoke softly. Then, if you speak softly, you don't get angry. Rabbi Ades says, We see from here that your outside impacts your inside. Look how simple this. You're not angry yet, and you got yourself to use that low tone, which in itself is soothing and will protect you from getting angry. And once we are protected from getting angry, what happens next ? He uses beautiful words: Once you've distanced yourself from anger, תַּעֲלֶה עַל לִבְּךָ מִדַּת הָעֲנָוָה, The quality of humility will enter your heart. He says, humility is the best possible trait there is. The Ramban is telling us something very, very powerful: Anger, which stems from arrogance ( you only get angry because things don't go your way) is the antithesis of humility. Anger and humility can not coexist. It's like fire and water. When you take away the water, the fire will burn. When you take away the fire, the water will move. It's interesting that anger is compared to fire . The Zohar says, don't burn any fire in any of your dwellings on Shabbat - and the first fire is the fire of anger. And Humility is compared to water. It says, just like water travels downwards, humility is about going down. Fascinating! Fire and Water, anger and humility. Another interesting point is that the numerical value of מקוה Mikveh is one more than כעס /anger, because going to the mikveh absolves one of the trait of anger; it purifies. That means it's almost a natural reaction. He doesn't say, Remove the anger and then work on you're anava. His words are, וְכַאֲשֶׁר תִּנָּצֵל מִן הַכַּעַס, תַּעֲלֶה עַל לִבְּךָ מִדַּת הָעֲנָוָה When you distance (or save ) yourself from anger, humility will go up on your heart. Naturally , humility will into your heart. And now that you're humble, תַּעֲלֶה עַל לִבְּךָ מִדַּת הַיִּרְאָה, The Middah of Fear of Hashem will come into your heart. What was stopping you from fearing Hashem was Ga'ava ( Hey I'm in charge) which is the opposite of Yirat Hashem. Taaleh , you are elevated . This is not a regular ladder. This is an escalator . You put your foot on one step, and it moves you up to the next one. So your humility will cause your fear to go up. Why? Because now that you're no longer arrogant, you start paying attention. Where'd I come from? Where am I going? I am רִמָּה וְתוֹלֵעָה as frail as a maggot or a worm when alive, even more so in death. He continues, And who's going to judge you? When you start thinking about all these things, you'll be afraid of your Creator. You'll protect yourself from sin, and you'll be always happy with your lot because somebody who is arrogant always wants more. And then he says, When you continue to act with this trait of Anava, and you stand meekly in front of men and you're fearful from Hashem and from sin, אָז תִּשְׁרֶה עָלֶיךָ רוּחַ הַשְּׁכִינָה, וְזִיו כְּבוֹדָהּ, וְחַיֵּי עוֹלָם הַבָּא. The spirit of Hashem's presence will rest upon you and you'll live the life of the World to Come (I'll add in this world ) Unbelievable. The man that has humility is living in Gan Eden on earth. It's fascinating that the Ramban ends with the words, Read this letter once a week and neglect none of it. He says , Every day that you read this letter, Hashem will answer your heart's desires . People think this is some kind of magical segula : Read the letter of the Ramban and Hashem will answer your prayers. No. It says, as we've mentioned many times, that when a person is humble, Hashem answers his prayers. When a person is arrogant, Hashem doesn't answer his prayers. More than that, when the Shechina is in front of you, your prayers are answered easily. When you go to the Kotel, Hashem's Shechina is there. One that becomes humble, says the Ramban, the Shechina is on top of him, so of course his prayers are answered. This is not some kind of magical segula . This is the reality of becoming humble. That's the beautiful ladder of the Ramban, that starts from humility and ends with God's Shechina dwelling on you. What a powerful, powerful concept, to understand and appreciate what we're doing in our work on Anava .

This episode of Not Your Typical Podcast is a heartwarming and hilarious look into family life with the Charlene's three sons: Jacob, Zachary, and Yosef. They share personal stories about growing up in a "no-rules household," parenting, Jewish values, and family dynamics. From midnight snack adventures, hilarious sibling moments, and crazy family traditions to Jacob's three-day squirrel chase and Zachary's skydiving plans, this episode is packed with funny, emotional, and inspiring moments. With candid conversations about faith, Torah, responsibility, parenting styles, Israel, music, brotherhood, and personal growth, this episode is a must-watch for anyone who loves authentic and heartfelt storytelling.► Wissotzky: The best things in life are sharedA touch of warmth, a hug in a cup. Experience a stirring brand short from Wissotzky that's steeped in tradition, joy, and the moments that bring us closer. After all, the best things in life are shared. → https://wtea.com ✬ IN MEMORY OF ✬This episode is in memory of:• Miriam Sarah bas Yaakov MosheChaptered Time Stamps:00:31 - Meet the Sons – Introduction to Jacob, Zachary, and Yosef, their personalities, and birth stories.02:04 - Jacob's Birth After Five Miscarriages – The touching story of Jacob's birth and his unique role in the family.04:06 - Zachary's 18th Birthday Lottery Ticket – Zachary shares the hilarious moment of buying his first lottery ticket at midnight.07:18 - The Great Organ Rescue – Zachary and friends rescue an abandoned organ off the street, despite Dad saying “no.”09:18 - The No-Rules Household – The family explains their “few rules” approach to parenting, emphasizing love over restrictions.11:20 - Midnight Snacks & No Curfews – The boys reveal how they often stay up until 3 AM having donuts and milkshakes.18:38 - The Squirrel Saga – Jacob hilariously recalls chasing a squirrel around the house for three days.27:28 - Zachary's Skydiving Plans – Zachary casually announces he's going skydiving in Israel and won't tell his mom until after.28:30 - Jacob's Experience in Israel on October 7th – A powerful account of being in Israel during the attacks and the emotional impact.42:01 - The SAT Bet & Tesla Prize – Jacob scores high on the SATs, wins a car from his dad, and chooses a Tesla for self-study mode.44:37 - Zachary's Dream Album Concept – He shares his vision for an album based on “letters to the Kotel.”49:18 - What Can Bring Mashiach? – The family discusses how “dropping the drama” could bring Mashiach faster.51:52 - Jacob's Future Wife Criteria – He outlines his vision for a wife, emphasizing gratitude and spirituality.54:38 - The Story of Ultimate Trust – Zachary shares an incredible story about Rabbi Akiva Eiger's perspective on trust and judgment.57:04 - Emotional Closing & Blessings – A heartfelt blessing for the family and audience.Our free call-in-to-listen feature is here:• USA: (605) 477-2100• UK: 0333-366-0154• ISRAEL: 079-579-5088Have a specific question? email us hi@livinglchaim.comWhatsApp us feedback and get first access to episodes:914-222-5513Lchaim.

What are the Seven Noahide Laws? Is there an obligation to teach them to non-Jews? And what happened on the way to the Kotel?Rabbanit Shira Marili Mirvis and Rabbanit Hamutal Shoval discuss the Mitzvot of Non-Jews in this week's episode of A Daf of Their Own- Hadran's weekly vlog.Join the conversation!#DafYomi #MasechetSanhedrin #ADafOfTheirOwnLearn more on Hadran.org.il

Fluent Fiction - Hebrew: Finding Answers at the Wall: A Leap of Faith in Jerusalem Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/he/episode/2025-02-03-23-34-02-he Story Transcript:He: הכותל המערבי יושב במרכז ירושלים.En: The HaKotel HaMa'aravi sits at the center of Jerusalem.He: קרני השמש החורפיות נוגעות באבנים העתיקות, זוהרות ברכות.En: The winter sunbeams touch the ancient stones, glowing softly.He: אנשים מכל רחבי הארץ והעולם נאספו במקום הקדוש.En: People from all over the country and the world have gathered at this holy place.He: צלילים שקטים של תפילה מתערבבים בקולות השמחה של חג הט"ו בשבט.En: Quiet sounds of prayer mix with the joyful noises of the holiday Tu Bishvat.He: עצים קטנים מעטרים את הכיכר, וכולם חוגגים את האילנות.En: Small trees adorn the square, and everyone celebrates the trees.He: אריאל עמד מול החומה העצומה, ליבו כבד עם מחשבות ודאגות.En: Ariel stood before the massive wall, his heart heavy with thoughts and worries.He: הוא התלבט אם להישאר בעבודתו הנוכחית או לקחת הזדמנות חדשה בחו"ל.En: He was debating whether to stay in his current job or take a new opportunity abroad.He: הייתה זו הזדמנות שקשה לסרב לה, אך גם מפחידה.En: It was a hard-to-refuse opportunity, but also frightening.He: יעל, חברתו הטובה של אריאל, עמדה לצידו.En: Yael, Ariel's close friend, stood by his side.He: "אריאל, אתה תמיד יכול להקשיב ללב שלך," היא אמרה בעדינות.En: "Ariel, you can always listen to your heart," she said gently.He: "אולי פה תמצא את התשובות שאתה מחפש.En: "Maybe here you'll find the answers you're looking for."He: "בעוד שהם מדברים, אדם בשם נועם ניגש אליהם.En: While they were talking, a man named Noam approached them.He: הוא הופיע במקום מדי פעם, חיפש את התשובות שלו.En: He appeared in the place from time to time, seeking his own answers.He: הוא שמע חלק משיחתם וחש את מצוקתו של אריאל.En: He overheard part of their conversation and sensed Ariel's distress.He: "היי, אני נועם," הוא הציג את עצמו בחיוך חמים.En: "Hi, I'm Noam," he introduced himself with a warm smile.He: "אני יודע איך זה מרגיש כשעומדים מול החלטה קשה.En: "I know how it feels to face a tough decision.He: מה מביא אותך לכאן היום?En: What brings you here today?"He: "אריאל סיפר לו בקצרה על הדילמה שלו.En: Ariel briefly told him about his dilemma.He: נועם הקשיב בתשומת לב, ואז אמר, "לפעמים הדרך בטוחה היא לא בהכרח הנכונה.En: Noam listened attentively, then said, "Sometimes the safe path is not necessarily the right one.He: ואם תעשה את מה שאתה אוהב, אתה תמצא שם את ביטחונך.En: And if you do what you love, you'll find your confidence there."He: "הם המשיכו לשוחח, ונועם תיאר את המסעות האישיים שלו.En: They continued to talk, and Noam described his personal journeys.He: דבריו פתחו דלת חדשה במחשבותיו של אריאל, והלב שלו הרגיש קצת יותר קל.En: His words opened a new door in Ariel's thoughts, and his heart felt a bit lighter.He: לאחר זמן מה, אריאל עמד מול הכותל, עיניו עצומות.En: After some time, Ariel stood in front of the Kotel, his eyes closed.He: הוא חש רוגע חדשים.En: He felt a new sense of calm.He: לפתע, הוא הבין את התשובה שחיפש.En: Suddenly, he realized the answer he was searching for.He: הוא החליט לקחת את ההזדמנות ולהגשים את חלומותיו.En: He decided to seize the opportunity and fulfill his dreams.He: "אני יודע מה אני צריך לעשות," אמר אריאל ליעל.En: "I know what I need to do," Ariel told Yael.He: "אני אקח את ההזדמנות.En: "I'm going to take the opportunity.He: אנסה, כי אני מאמין שזה מה שנכון לי.En: I'll try because I believe it's the right thing for me."He: "יעל חייכה אליו בחמה.En: Yael smiled warmly at him.He: "אני יודעת שאתה תמצא את דרכך, אריאל.En: "I know you will find your way, Ariel."He: "הקור נתן למקום תחושת טוהר מיוחדת, והחגים העניקו לו אור מיוחד.En: The cold gave the place a unique sense of purity, and the holidays bestowed it with a special light.He: אריאל, מלא אומץ חדש, חזר בבטחון לחייו, מוכן לכל מה שיבוא.En: Ariel, filled with new courage, returned confidently to his life, ready for whatever may come.He: החלטתו לצאת למסע החדש פתחה לו דלתות חדשות של תקווה והגשמה.En: His decision to embark on the new journey opened new doors of hope and fulfillment for him. Vocabulary Words:winter: חורפיותsunbeams: קרני השמשancient: עתיקותgathered: נאספוsquare: כיכרadorn: מעטריםmassive: עצומהdebating: התלבטopportunity: הזדמנותfrightening: מפחידהgently: בעדינותdistress: מצוקהattentively: בתשומת לבconfidence: ביטחוןjourneys: מסעותfulfill: להגשיםcourage: אומץpurity: טוהרbestowed: העניקוembark: לצאתholidays: חגיםglowing: זוהרותunique: מיוחדתdilemma: דילמהheavily: כבדsafe: בטוחהrealize: הביןpath: דרךseize: לקחתfulfillment: הגשמהBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fluent-fiction-hebrew--5818690/support.

Parashat Bo begins with Hashem commanding Moshe to return to Pharoah to warn him about the eighth plague, the plague of locusts. Moshe, as we know, had already been to Pharaoh many times, warning about the plagues that would befall him if he continued refusing to let Beneh Yisrael leave. Pharaoh repeatedly agreed to let the people leave, but then changed his mind each time after the plague ended. The commentaries note something unusual about the command in the beginning of our parashah : בא אל פרעה . Literally, this means, "Come to Pharaoh." Naturally, we would expect Hashem to tell Moshe to go to Pharaoh. What is the meaning of the command בא אל פרעה – " Come to Pharaoh"? The Rabbis give a very powerful, and relevant, answer to this question. Moshe was now about the begin the final stage of the process of Yetziat Mitzrayim (the Exodus from Egypt). He was going to warn of the final three plagues, which were the most devastating: the locusts, which destroyed all the remaining food; darkness, which prevented the Egyptians from even just moving about; and the plague of the firstborn, whereby every single family in Egypt suffered a casualty. Moshe was, understandably, reluctant. He felt intimidated, having to confront Pharaoh and warn of nationwide catastrophes. Hashem therefore told Moshe not to go to Pharaoh, but rather to come with Him to Pharaoh. This pasuk should be read to mean, "Come with Me, Moshe… You're not going alone. I'm coming with you. I'll be there the whole time. Don't be afraid." Many of us have likely considered undertaking some bold, ambitious project, but decided that it was too difficult. Perhaps it was a personal learning project, like joining Daf Yomi. Perhaps it was launching a new hesed initiative, or a meaningful community event or program. Perhaps it was a decision to enhance something at home within the family. When we feel intimidated, or fear that we might not be capable, we need to hear Hashem calling us and saying, בא – to come with Him. We need to remember that we are not doing this alone – He will be there helping us at every step of the way. Later in the Humash, we read about the spies whom Moshe sent to survey the Land of Israel, and who came back with a frightening report. They told the people about the large, powerful armies of the land's inhabitants, and the people were very scared. They felt they could not possibly capture the land, and so they thought they should return to Egypt. At that point, one of the two dissenting spies, Kalev, stood up and said, עלה נעלה וירשנו אותה, כי יכול נוכל לה – "Let us go up and take possession of it, because we can surely take it!" (Bamidbar 13:30). Rashi explains that Kalev was telling the people, "Even if Moshe tells us to climb to the heavens, and to make ladders to get there – we will do it!" Sometimes it seems that our goals and aspirations are in the "heavens," they're just too much for us, beyond our reach. Rashi here teaches us to just get started, to go ahead and bring the first ladder, and the next, and then the next – and let Hashem figure out the rest. One of the most fascinating Rabbis in Israel today is Rav Yitzchak Grossman. He grew up in the Meah Shearim neighborhood of Yerushalayim, and after Israel's astounding victory in 1967, during which the Israeli army captured Yerushalayim's Old City, he went to pray at the Kotel for the first time. He was a young yeshiva boy, and he was overcome by joy and excitement over the great gift Hashem had just given the Jewish People. He decided as he was there that he needed to give something back, to do something for Hashem in gratitude for this victory. He had the idea of opening a yeshiva in a place that needed it the most, an area plagued by poverty, crime, drugs and alcohol. He left Meah Shearim and went to a poor town in northern Israel called Migdal Ha'eimek. When he arrived, he was told that the local youth spend their evenings in the disco. So this young Rabbi, who grew up in what is probably the most sheltered religious Jewish neighborhood on earth, who never learned anything about outreach, went to the disco fully dressed in his Rabbinic garb. The only skill he had was his heart, his genuine desire to reach out and inspire Jewish youth. He would eventually be given the nickname "the Disco Rabbi," and some 40,000 students have learned in his yeshiva and emerged as Torah-committed adults. Rav Grossman at the time had no idea how he would do this. But he had a plan, and he brought the "ladders" to put the plan into action. Hashem did the rest, and made his project wildly successful. Whenever we feel that we can't, we need to remember that this would be true only if we were going at it alone – which we aren't. We are working together with Hashem, and He is helping us succeed. We need to just get started, and He'll then step in to make it work.

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Fluent Fiction - Hebrew: Renewing Family Bonds at the Western Wall Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/he/episode/2025-01-27-23-34-02-he Story Transcript:He: יום חורפי קריר בירושלים.En: A cool winter day in Yerushalayim.He: השמיים אפורים והאוויר צלול.En: The skies are gray, and the air is clear.He: נעם, יעל ואריאל מתקרבים אל הכותל המערבי, מקום שבו הזמן עומד מלכת.En: Noam, Yael, and Ariel approach the the Western Wall, a place where time stands still.He: נעם חש את המרחק בינו לבין אחיו ואחותו.En: Noam feels the distance between him and his brother and sister.He: "החיים משתנים," הוא חושב לעצמו.En: "Life changes," he thinks to himself.He: כל אחד עסוק בענייניו, והקשר שהחזיק אותם קרובים בעבר כבר לא כמו שהיה.En: Each is busy with their own affairs, and the bond that kept them close in the past is not what it used to be.He: בין אבני הכותל, נעם חשב על רעיון.En: Between the stones of the Kotel, Noam thought of an idea.He: חג ט"ו בשבט מתקרב, חג שמסמל צמיחה והתחדשות.En: The Tu BiShvat holiday is approaching, a holiday symbolizing growth and renewal.He: נעם הציע: "בואו נשתול עץ יחד, סימן לקשר שלנו."En: Noam suggested: "Let's plant a tree together, a sign of our connection."He: הכותל המערבי, מקום של תפילה ורוחניות, מתאים לשינוי הזה.En: The Western Wall, a place of prayer and spirituality, suits this change.He: המקום הומה אנשים, אך יש בו שקט מיוחד שמזמין לעומק ולחשיבה.En: The place is crowded with people, yet it has a special silence that invites depth and reflection.He: נעם, יעל ואריאל התאספו ליד קטע פתוח קרוב לכותל, עם שתיל צעיר בידם.En: Noam, Yael, and Ariel gathered near an open section close to the wall, with a young sapling in their hands.He: האוויר היה קר, אך עוטף.En: The air was cold but embracing.He: נעם התחיל לדבר: "אני מרגיש שאנחנו מתרחקים.En: Noam began to speak: "I feel that we are drifting apart.He: רוצה לחזור להיות קרובים."En: I want to go back to being close."He: יעל הסתכלה בנעם, עיניה רכות.En: Yael looked at Noam, her eyes soft.He: "גם אני מרגישה כך," היא ענתה בקול שקט.En: "I feel that way too," she answered in a quiet voice.He: "פשוט החיים... לוקחים אותנו לכל מיני כיוונים."En: "It's just that life... takes us in different directions."He: אריאל, בדרך כלל שקט, לפתע דיבר: "אני מתגעגע.En: Ariel, usually quiet, suddenly spoke: "I miss it.He: לא ידעתי איך להגיד את זה."En: I didn't know how to say it."He: נעם חייך. "בואו נתחיל מחדש, כמו העץ הזה."En: Noam smiled. "Let's start anew, like this tree."He: הם חפרו יחד בבוץ הקר, ידיהם לחות ואדמה על הידיים.En: Together they dug in the cold mud, their hands damp with soil.He: כל אחד צחק קצת, שיתף רגשות, דמעות וחיוכים.En: Each laughed a bit, shared feelings, tears, and smiles.He: הייתה תחושת פורקן באוויר.En: There was a sense of release in the air.He: כשסיימו, הסתכלו על העץ.En: When they finished, they looked at the tree.He: הוא קטן, כחוש, אבל מלא פוטנציאל.En: It was small, frail, but full of potential.He: כמו הקשר המחודש שלהם.En: Like their renewed bond.He: אחרי החיבוק החם, נעם ידע שזהו רק ההתחלה.En: After the warm hug, Noam knew this was only the beginning.He: יש עוד מה לעשות, צריך לטפח את הקשר.En: There is more to do, the relationship needs nurturing.He: אך הייתה תקווה חדשה בליבו.En: But there was new hope in his heart.He: החיבור ביניהם לא נעלם, רק זקוק לתשומת לב.En: Their connection hadn't disappeared, it just needed attention.He: הם השאירו את העץ הצעיר מאחוריהם, עומד זקוף ליד הכותל, לזכר התחדשותם כמשפחה.En: They left the young tree behind, standing tall by the Kotel, in memory of their renewal as a family. Vocabulary Words:approach: מתקרביםdistance: מרחקbond: קשרsuggested: הציעsapling: שתילreflection: חשיבהembracing: עוטףdrifting: מתרחקיםdirections: כיווניםrelease: פורקןfrail: כחושnurturing: לטפחpotential: פוטנציאלsilence: שקטspirituality: רוחניותprayer: תפילהrenewed: מחודשmemory: זכרattention: תשומת לבreflect: לעומקtears: דמעותsmiles: חיוכיםrenewal: התחדשותaffairs: ענייניםquiet: שקטunite: לאחדdepth: עומקsuggest: להציעgathered: התאספוhorizon: אופקBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fluent-fiction-hebrew--5818690/support.

Send us a textChaim Meisels, 29, is the great-grandson of the Satmar Rebbe, R' Beirach Moshe. About eight years ago, Chaim chose to immigrate to Israel and enlist in the IDF. Chaim left everything behind, enlisted in the IDF combat unit, and was sworn in at the Kotel. Chaim served as a commanding officer in the Egoz program, a special forces unit and then was in Golani. Now he is devoting his life to the organization Nevut, which helps lone soldiers after they leave the army. http://Nevut.orghttps://charidy.com/nevut/ChaimMeisels?utm_source=c_whatsapphttps://www.instagram.com/chaimmeisels?igsh=bXJhMndodmppb2o5&utm_source=qrhttps://www.instagram.com/nevutils?igsh=NnVydnBlb3VvdG54For more Brainstorm go to...Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2aPCiuzsIoNKYt5jjv7RFT?si=67dfa56d4e764ee0Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/brainstorm-with-sony-perlman/id1596925257Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@brainstormwithsonyInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/brainstormwithsony

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Pavla a Jan Tylečkovi z Ostravy-Staré Bělé s povodněmi bojovali už v roce 1997. Dům znovu opravili, načež je loni v září povodně postihly znovu ve velkém. Podzimní slunce jim s vysoušením zdí nemohlo pomoct, voda jim zaplavila také kotelnu. Provizorium je dohnalo chodit se oblékat na půdu. „Tam máme všechny věci pověšené, v krabicích, v koši, v lavorech – kde se dalo, tam se to uložilo,“ provázejí manželé Tylečkovi úklidem reportérku, která k nim zavítala na konci října.

Pavla a Jan Tylečkovi z Ostravy-Staré Bělé s povodněmi bojovali už v roce 1997. Dům znovu opravili, načež je loni v září povodně postihly znovu ve velkém. Podzimní slunce jim s vysoušením zdí nemohlo pomoct, voda jim zaplavila také kotelnu. Provizorium je dohnalo chodit se oblékat na půdu. „Tam máme všechny věci pověšené, v krabicích, v koši, v lavorech – kde se dalo, tam se to uložilo,“ provázejí manželé Tylečkovi úklidem reportérku, která k nim zavítala na konci října.Všechny díly podcastu Seriál Radiožurnálu můžete pohodlně poslouchat v mobilní aplikaci mujRozhlas pro Android a iOS nebo na webu mujRozhlas.cz.

Cours vidéo de 7 minutes donné par Rav Yossef BENTATA.

Fluent Fiction - Hebrew: Rekindling Family Bonds: A Hanukkah Tale of Reunion Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/he/episode/2024-12-08-23-34-01-he Story Transcript:He: ירושלים.En: Yerushalayim.He: העיר העתיקה.En: The Old City.He: הרחבה מול הכותל המערבי מתמלאת באנשים מכל העולם.En: The plaza in front of the Western Wall fills with people from all over the world.He: הם באים להתפלל, להדליק נרות ולחגוג את חג החנוכה.En: They come to pray, light candles, and celebrate the holiday of Hanukkah.He: שמחה ואורות מנרות החנוכייה מאירים את הלילה הקר.En: Joy and lights from the Hanukkah menorah brighten the cold night.He: רוחות של חורף זורמים ברחבה, אבל החום של האווירה חודר ללבבות.En: Winter breezes flow through the plaza, but the warmth of the atmosphere penetrates hearts.He: שירה עומדת בין המון האנשים, מביטה אל האבנים העתיקות.En: Shira stands among the crowd, gazing at the ancient stones.He: החגיגה אמורה להיות שמחה, אך בליבה הקור והמתח.En: The celebration is supposed to be joyful, but in her heart, there's coldness and tension.He: היא מחפשת את אחיה, איתן.En: She is searching for her brother, Eitan.He: הקשר ביניהם ניתק לפני זמן רב.En: Their connection was severed a long time ago.He: צעדי העבר הלא מובנים השאירו קטעים שצריך לחבר מחדש.En: The incomprehensible steps of the past left pieces that need to be reconnected.He: איתן נמצא בצדו האחר של הרחבה, מביט בחוסר נוחות.En: Eitan is on the other side of the plaza, watching with discomfort.He: הוא מרגיש זר במשפחתו, לא מתקבל ולא מובן.En: He feels like a stranger in his family, unaccepted and misunderstood.He: הכאב הפרטי שלו מסתיר אותו מהחגיגות שמסביב.En: His personal pain isolates him from the festivities around him.He: הקרבה של אנשים לא מעניקה לו נחמה, אלא רק מזכירה לו על המרחק שבינו לבין משפחתו.En: The closeness of people doesn't bring him comfort; it only reminds him of the distance between him and his family.He: נעם, בן הדוד שלהם, עומד ליד שירה ומחייך.En: Noam, their cousin, stands next to Shira and smiles.He: הוא תמיד היה הפשרן במשפחה, ומאמין שהחג הזה יוכל להיות הזדמנות להדליק מחדש את הקשר בין האחים.En: He has always been the mediator in the family and believes this holiday could be an opportunity to rekindle the bond between the siblings.He: "בואי, שירה," אומר נעם, "זה הזמן לנסות.En: "Come on, Shira," Noam says, "this is the time to try.He: החנוכה הוא חג של אור, של תקווה.En: Hanukkah is a holiday of light, of hope."He: "שירה נושמת עמוק, צעד משמעותי קדימה.En: Shira takes a deep breath, a significant step forward.He: היא רוצה לפגוש את איתן, לשים את הכבוד האבוד בצד וליצור קשר חדש ומלא תקווה.En: She wants to meet Eitan, to set aside lost pride and create a new, hopeful connection.He: היא ניגשת אליו, ועיניה מלאות ברצון טוב ובזיכרונות.En: She approaches him, her eyes filled with goodwill and memories.He: "הי, איתן," היא אומרת בעדינות, "אתה זוכר איך היינו מדליקים את החנוכייה במרפסת של סבא?En: "Hey, Eitan," she says gently, "do you remember how we used to light the Hanukkah menorah on Grandpa's porch?"He: "איתן מתבונן בה רגע, המילים המוכרות מחזירות אותו לאחור.En: Eitan looks at her for a moment, the familiar words taking him back.He: היא ממשיכה, "אני מתגעגעת לזה.En: She continues, "I miss that.He: לחגיגה שלנו יחד.En: Our celebration together."He: "קול התפילות והשירים מסביב ממלאים את השקט ביניהם.En: The sound of prayers and songs around them fills the silence between them.He: איתן לאט לאט משחרר את שריריו, מתחיל לדבר על מה שהכביד עליו, על התחושות שהרחיקו אותו.En: Slowly, Eitan relaxes his muscles and begins to talk about what troubled him, about the feelings that drove him away.He: בעודם עומדים מול הכותל המרשים, שירה ואיתן מתחילים לשוחח, לשתף ולספר, להתקרב אחד לשני דרך זיכרונות וחלומות לעתיד.En: As they stand before the impressive Kotel, Shira and Eitan start to converse, share, and recount, growing closer through memories and dreams for the future.He: הכותל מקשיב, כמו עטוף בסיפורים שכבר שמע במשך הדורות.En: The wall listens, wrapped in stories it's heard through the generations.He: לבסוף, האחים מתחבקים.En: Finally, the siblings embrace.He: האהבה נשפכת מחדש ביניהם, והסדקים הפנימיים מתחילים להתמלא.En: Love flows again between them, and the internal cracks start to fill.He: נעם מצטרף אליהם, ובשלשתם מדליקים את נרות החנוכייה האישיים ברחבה.En: Noam joins them, and the three of them light their personal Hanukkah menorah candles in the plaza.He: כל נר מסמל הבטחה חדשה, איחוד מחדש, אור חדש בחייהם.En: Each candle symbolizes a new promise, a reunification, a new light in their lives.He: החום של הנרות מאיר את פניהם, והחגיגה שבחוץ עכשיו היא גם חגיגה פנימית עבורם.En: The warmth of the candles illuminates their faces, and the celebration outside is now also an inner celebration for them.He: השינוי מתחיל להתחולל ביניהם, ואיתן מרגיש פחות לבד.En: Change begins to take root between them, and Eitan feels less alone.He: שירה לומדת להקשיב, להבין ולקבל.En: Shira learns to listen, understand, and accept.He: האורות מהרחבה שולחים קרני אור, מקשרים את כולם בחג החנוכה הזה, חג של תקווה וחיבור.En: The lights from the plaza send out beams, connecting everyone in this Hanukkah, a holiday of hope and connection. Vocabulary Words:plaza: רחבהcandles: נרותbreezes: רוחותatmosphere: אווירהpenetrates: חודרgazing: מביטהancient: עתיקותtension: מתחsevered: ניתקincomprehensible: לא מובניםdiscomfort: חוסר נוחותunaccepted: לא מתקבלisolate: מסתירmediator: פשרןrekindle: הדליק מחדשbond: קשרsignificant: משמעותיgoodwill: רצון טובmemories: זיכרונותimpressive: מרשיםconverse: לשוחחrecount: לספרembrace: מתחבקיםilluminates: מאירsymbolizes: מסמלreunification: איחוד מחדשinternal: פנימייםcracks: סדקיםbeam: קרני אורcommemorate: להנציחBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fluent-fiction-hebrew--5818690/support.

Chaim Meisels, 29, is the great-grandson of the Satmar Rebbe, R' Beirach Moshe. About eight years ago, Chaim chose to immigrate to Israel and enlist in the IDF. Chaim left everything behind, enlisted in the IDF combat unit, and was sworn in at the Kotel. Chaim served as a commanding officer in the Egoz program, a special forces unit and then was in Golani.   ►Colel Chabad Pushka App   The easiest way to give Tzedaka download the Pushka app today    https://pushka.cc/meaningful   Get Tickets to Nafshi Here!   https://colelchabad.events/?src=meaningful   ________________________________________   ►Town Appliance   Visit https://www.townappliance.com    Message Town Appliance on WhatsApp:    https://bit.ly/Townappliance_whatsapp __________________________________   ►Toveedo     The Jewish videos your kids will love all in one happy place!      Stream unlimited videos on your phone, tablet, laptop, desktop, and smart TV.    From new releases, to your favorite classics, and exclusive originals, there's always something new to discover.   Use MM10 for 10% off     See our full library on  https://toveedo.com   __________________________________________   ► A Time Trip To Israel raffle   6 Round Trip Ticket and 6 Night Stay in 5 Star Hotel!   Tickets to Enter the Raffle Are Just $54!   Enter Today! http://www.atimeisraeltrip.com   https://www.atimeforisraeltrip.com         Subscribe to our Podcast      Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2WALuE2      Spotify: https://spoti.fi/39bNGnO      Or wherever Podcasts are available!     Editor: Sruly Saftlas

The pasuk says in this week's parasha, Lech Lecha , ויוצא אותו החוצה . Avraham Avinu, who knew how to read the stars, told Hashem that he saw he was not going to have children. Hashem told him to go outside of his astrology, because אין מזל לישראל . It doesn't matter what the stars say, because we are above the stars, and things can always change. These words have given so much hope to people who have been told throughout the generations that in the natural way of the world they would be unable to have children, or unable to accomplish something they hoped to accomplish. Our tefillot and our emunah can transcend nature. Sometimes people get their hopes up and pray hard, but then they get let down, and they want to give up. The emunah that a person portrays after a letdown is such a great zechut. It could be that the entire letdown was created just for the person to have emunah at that time, because that emunah can be the catalyst for his ultimate yeshua. We never know which tefila or which avoda will change a mazal. Every one of them is valuable, and we should never underestimate any of them. A young man who learns in kollel told me he had been married for two years without children and things were not looking good for them. Last year before Sukkot, they felt uneasy about spending time with their families, with all of their other siblings already having children, and perhaps pitying them for not having. They had wanted to go for a long time to Eretz Yisrael, to pray by the kotel, and pray by kivrei tzaddikim and get berachot from gedolim. They decided this would be the perfect time to go. It was expensive, and they didn't have that much money, but they knew they needed a lot of רחמי שמים , and heartfelt tefilot in מקומות הקדושים was a great way of getting it. The first couple of days there, they went to the Kotel, kever Rachel, Ma'arat Hamachpela, and prayed for a long time at each place. They went to a couple of more places during chol ha-moed, and they had their main full schedule planned for after the holiday. But then came Shemini Atzeret, October 7th, and the tragic news began to spread. Their prayers changed from focusing on themselves to focusing on Klal Yisrael. Their plans were canceled. They spent the rest of the time there, indoors, including a few bomb shelters. Of course, their hearts were with all of those people who were suffering so much, but they couldn't help but also feel that their chance of having children was also getting ruined. This was their one chance in Eretz Yisrael to get the yeshua they had been desperately seeking. They decided to strengthen their emunah and accept that now Hashem wanted them to pray for others rather than themselves. They fully accepted the situation Hashem put them in and were happy with it. The very next night, at the house of the people they were staying by, their child who has Down syndrome turned to this couple and said, "You're going to have a baby." They were awestruck. Baruch Hashem, just two weeks later, they discovered that they were indeed expecting a child. There were many scares during the pregnancy, but Baruch Hashem, she gave birth to a healthy baby girl. Things don't always happen the way we want or plan or hope, but our job is to always embrace the will of Hashem and do the job that He wants us to do. We never know what Avodah will bring our yeshua, but we do know that no matter what, we can always be helped, and we need to hope and pray with that attitude. Shabbat Shalom.

I když je po dřevu a uhlí topení plynem podstatně dražší, má tu výhodu, že se neumažeme a nenadřeme se skládáním paliv. Kotel si můžeme naprogramovat nebo řídit podle mobilní aplikace v pracovních nebo volných dnech a doma budeme mít po příchodu teplíčko. Jednou za rok by ho ale měl zkontrolovat a seřídit plynový servisní technik. Proč?

I když je po dřevu a uhlí topení plynem podstatně dražší, má tu výhodu, že se neumažeme a nenadřeme se skládáním paliv. Kotel si můžeme naprogramovat nebo řídit podle mobilní aplikace v pracovních nebo volných dnech a doma budeme mít po příchodu teplíčko. Jednou za rok by ho ale měl zkontrolovat a seřídit plynový servisní technik. Proč?

I když je po dřevu a uhlí topení plynem podstatně dražší, má tu výhodu, že se neumažeme a nenadřeme se skládáním paliv. Kotel si můžeme naprogramovat nebo řídit podle mobilní aplikace v pracovních nebo volných dnech a doma budeme mít po příchodu teplíčko. Jednou za rok by ho ale měl zkontrolovat a seřídit plynový servisní technik. Proč?

Pracovníci Azylového domu v Jeseníku bojují před blížící se zimou o čas. Nedávná povodeň poškodila nejen noclehárnu a další zázemí pro lidi bez domova, ale taky kotelnu. V budově se tak nedá pořádně topit. Před blížící se zimou se proto vedení azylového domu snaží sehnat peníze na nový kotel.

In this episode of People of the Pod, Ambassador Michael Oren dives into Israel's escalating conflict with Hezbollah, which has turned Israel's northern border into a war zone and caused 60,000 to remain displaced from their homes. Oren emphasizes Israel's need to defend itself on multiple fronts, including threats from Hamas, the Houthis, and Iran, warning of the risk of all-out war. He also discusses the formation of the Israel Advocacy Group (IAG) to bolster Israel's media and diplomatic efforts and shares how his vision for Israel's future, as outlined in 2048: The Rejuvenated State, remains critical post-conflict. Listen – AJC Podcasts: The Forgotten Exodus:  Explore the untold stories of Jews from Tunisia, Syria, Yemen, and more. People of the Pod:  Paris 2024: 2 Proud Jewish Paralympians on How Sports Unites Athletes Amid Antisemitism The DNC with AJC: What You Need to Know about the Democratic Party's Israel Platform Follow People of the Pod on your favorite podcast app, and learn more at AJC.org/PeopleofthePod You can reach us at: peopleofthepod@ajc.org If you've appreciated this episode, please be sure to tell your friends, and rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. __ Transcript of Interview with Michael Oren: Manya Brachear Pashman:  Michael Oren served as Israel's ambassador to the United States between 2009 and 2013. As ambassador, he was instrumental in securing US support for Israel's defense and upholding Israel's right to security. His current role isn't all that much different.  After October 7, he launched the Israel Advocacy Group (IAG), which has worked to strengthen diplomatic relations for the Jewish state and support Israelis during wartime. Ambassador Oren is with us now to explain the challenge Israelis are now facing. Ambassador Oren, welcome to People of the Pod. Michael Oren:  Good to be with you, Manya. Manya Brachear Pashman:  Ambassador, you are touring the US with residents of Northern Israel who've been displaced by near daily attacks from Hezbollah terrorists across the border with Lebanon. As we speak, Israel is conducting a military operation in Beirut. Can you tell us what is happening and why? Michael Oren:  Okay, let me begin by saying that Israel has not taken credit from the pager and walkie talkie attacks Has not. And so we want to avoid that type of symmetry, because on one hand, Hezbollah is very proud of the fact that they're firing hundreds of rockets and hundreds of explosive drones at civilians in Israel. Literally. Israel's not taking that credit. Okay.  So let's begin with this. October 8, a day after the horrendous Hamas assault on southern Israel. Hezbollah, out of a vowed desire to show solidarity with Hamas, opened fire on Northern Israel. To date, about 10,000 rockets, explosive domes, have been fired at Galilee. It began along the immediate border, some 18 communities along the immediate border, but it creeped downward. Creeped downward now where rockets are falling along the Sea of Galilee, which is in southern Galilee, and moving its way toward Haifa, nd the suburbs of Haifa, moving westward.  100,000 Israelis have been rendered homeless. 10s of 1000s of acres of farmland, forest land have been incinerated. 1000s of houses have been destroyed, and dozens of people have been wounded and killed, as well. Civilians, as well as military. The entire North has been transformed into a war zone. Cities that you know, like Kiryat Shmona, Metula, are ghost towns today.  One of the members of our delegation, Her home was rocketed in Metula yesterday. Is the 215th home destroyed by Hezbollah in that once beautiful, beautiful town of Metula. So that's the objective situation. Is it an utterly, utterly unprovoked attack on the land and the people of Israel. And Israel, of course, has to defend itself.  The great complaint among the people of the north, it is that the state has not done enough to defend the people of the north. And so any actions now taken, including last night, where Israeli warplanes were attacking Hezbollah emplacements and targets, not just in southern Lebanon, but throughout Lebanon, is very much welcomed by the people of the north. So they have yet to see how the state intends to return them and store them to their homes.  I'll just add one more point that is widely misunderstood in this country. There's a notion that somehow, if a ceasefire is attained with Hamas in Gaza, which is highly, highly unlikely, but if it is attained, then Hassan Nasrallah, the head of Hezbollah, said, he too will accept a ceasefire, but a ceasefire will restore the status quo of October 6. And Israelis simply won't go back to their homes if the situation that obtained on October 6 where Hezbollah was exactly on the opposite side of the fence, no one's going back to communities that are opposite side of the fence, because now we know what terrorists can do to Israelis on the other side of that fence, our side of the fence. So there is really no alternative but to drive Hezbollah back. It's to drive them back beyond the Litani River, which meanders opposite our northern border, between 13 and 20 kilometers. There's a diplomatic initiative by American Special Envoy Amos Hochstein to try to convince Hezbollah to retroactively implement Resolution 1701, of the Security Council. It's from 200. They called on his Hezbollah to withdraw north of the Litani River. Hezbollah never accepted it. Hezbollah violates it daily, flagrantly. I wish Mr. Hochstein all the best of luck. I don't know what leverage he can bring to bear to convince Hezbollah to implement 1701 but barring that, Israel will have absolutely no choice to push Hezbollah back physically from that fence.   Manya Brachear Pashman:  In fact, returning residents home, to their homes in northern Israel has become a war goal. The cabinet has just announced this week, right?  Michael Oren:  Well, it's about time. It's about 11 months too late. Manya Brachear Pashman:  So I guess, what does that mean? Does that mean that this conflict with Hezbollah or Lebanon could escalate? Michael Oren:  Oh, I would expect it would escalate. Yes, and that we have to prepare it for any scenario, including an all out war. Now, an all out war is no small thing. It's a war that's many times more severe than that, with Hamas in the South. First of all, Hezbollah is one of the largest military forces anywhere, not just in the Middle East. It's got upwards of 170,000 rockets hidden under villages, under hundreds of villages. It has a fighting force of terrorists that's three, four times that of Hamas. It has cyber capabilities. And it's not just Hezbollah. It's the Shiite militias that are backed by Iran and in Iraq and Syria, the Huthi rebels in Yemen. We know that they can fire Israel well. And there's Iran itself. Iran, which, on April 14, launched 315 rockets at Israel.  So the IDF estimate for rocket fire per day in any war with Hezbollah could reach as much as 10,000 rockets a day. And that will overwhelm our multi-tiered anti-missile system. We will require assistance from the United States, and even then, it will be quite a challenge. Manya Brachear Pashman:  As you mentioned, this is all happening simultaneously with the war against Hamas in Gaza. Yes, Houthis also are firing rockets, one of which, I think at least one reached, or almost reached, central Israel just this past week. And I mean, how many fronts is Israel fighting on right now? And could this escalate? Could, though, that number of fronts grow even more?  Michael Oren:  Well, right now we're at about seven fronts, according to the defense Minister's calculation. So what is it? It the North. It is the south. It is the Huthis, very much to the south, but are capable of firing into Tel Aviv. It is the Judean Samaria, the West Bank front, which is very severe indeed.  So that's just sort of the bottom line of the fronts we're firing. We're also fighting a front against Iran, more distantly, against the Shiite and militias in Iraq and Syria. So a multi, multiple front war. And make no mistake about it, this is an existential struggle for the State of Israel. Manya Brachear Pashman:  And you said that returning to October 6 or what the status was on October 6 is now not acceptable. I mean, was there a short window of time where that was, what the wish and the hope was? And that has shifted.? Michael Oren:  I think it was lost on October 7. So if you were to go to Metula on October 6, you could stick your hand through the fence, and I wouldn't recommend you do this. You could stick your hand through the fence, and you would touch Hezbollah. They're right there. And the people of Matula and other communities along that border simply won't go back under those circumstances. And you can understand why.  I don't know if you have young children, I don't think you put your children in a house that's looking at Hezbollah across from a fence. Now we know what terrorists can do to Israeli families, civilians, women, babies, who are on the other side of the fence. And a fence is no guarantee against any assault.  The people from the north also believe that there are still tunnels under that fence that we haven't discovered all of the Hezbollah tunnels. There are people in our delegation from the north who believe that Hezbollah still has tunnels that have not been detected under that fence, because Hamas digs tunnels in sand, Hezbollah digs tunnels in rock, and they're deeper and harder to detect. Manya Brachear Pashman:  You said that you wondered, if I have small children, I do. I have two small children. We go to well, they're not. They're getting less small by the day. But it made me think of a column that you wrote back in March for The Forward about how Jews are cursed to be a lonely people. And I actually gave a speech to our synagogue congregation just last week, talking about how I was so grateful to be part of a congregation on October 6, celebrating Simchat Torah when I woke up on October 7, because otherwise I would have felt and my children would have felt so alone. And I am curious where you were on October 7, and how you have combated that loneliness, that lonely feeling. Michael Oren:  Hm. Well, I had an unusual experience. On October 5, I was giving a speech in Dallas, Texas, and the speech was interesting, because at the end of my remarks, I told the audience that I believe that Israel would soon be going to war. And everyone gasped, and I'd actually been briefing foreign diplomatic personnel about this for about two weeks.  And the reason I thought Israel was going to war was because of the divisions within Israeli society, the divisions within American societies, that Iranians were following very, very closely. But the most important point was that the United States was trying to broker a peace agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia, and as part of that deal, Saudi Arabia was going to get nuclear power. And my line was that if anybody thought that the Iranians would sit quietly while the Saudis got nuclear power, they were kidding themselves, and the Iranians would start a war. All right, I had other information, but that was the major thrust. So two days later, I was coming back to Israel. I was stopping off at my mother's house in New Jersey, woke up to the messages you never want to receive on your cell phone, which is, are you okay? Are you okay? Are you okay? And learned about this. Now for many years through the generosity of the Singer Foundation. Whenever there's a national emergency, I'm immediately put on television. So starting on the morning of October 7, I was on CNN, MSNBC throughout the day, called some friends in ElAl and got myself on the first flight out of Newark that night, and landed in a war zone the next morning and went immediately to work.  So around a small kitchen table in my house, a group of volunteers together formed an emergency NGO called the Israel Advocacy Group, because what can I say, the state wasn't doing a particularly excellent job in defending itself in the media and other forums. And what began as a small sort of a ma and pa operation around the kitchen table has now become the Israel advocacy group, IAG, dealing with international media, mainstream, non mainstream, and with track two diplomacy.  So track two diplomacy is what we're doing in Washington now by bringing the delegations to the hill. We've had meetings on the hill with both parties, both houses, and today we're in the White House. So we've gone to the White House twice with these delegations. That's tracked two diplomacy and so it's a big undertaking.  So my way of dealing with the loneliness is certainly joining with other people, especially young people, who are committed to defending Israel in every possible form. I'm very blessed because I'm a member of a community in Jaffa, a kehilla, which is just wonderful and, of course, the family, the family, the family. Tammy, my, my beloved and children and grandchildren, 6.5 and counting.  Manya Brachear Pashman:  You are heading up this Israel advocacy group that's post October 7. But before October 7, you had started a think tank. I don't know if you would call it an advocacy group. I've been calling it a think tank. Called Israel 2048. You also wrote a book titled 2048: The Rejuvenated State.  It was published in one single volume in English, Hebrew and Arabic, very, very symbolically. And I'm curious if this vision that you laid out for the next century of the Jewish state, is it stalled by all of this? Michael Oren:  So first of all, 2048 it was a project that grew out of my time in Knesset, and I was the deputy in the prime minister's office, and sort of realizing that Israel is so bogged down in its daily crises, little do we know what a daily crisis was, that we never really think about our future. And the goal was to envision the Jewish state on its 100th birthday. Our 100th birthday would be 2048, and how can we assure a second successful century? What changes had to be made in the State of Israel? And they're pretty big, far reaching changes.  And it began as a discussion group online. We had a 2048 seminar at the Hartman Institute with Natan Sharansky for about a year, then covid hit and retreated to the room and wrote this book. It's an 80 page manifesto that covers 22 aspects of Israeli society. Its educational policy, social policy, health policy, foreign policy, America-Israel diaspora relations, of course, the US relations and the peace process. Certainly the largest section on the peace process and our relationship with Israeli Arabs, the Haredi issue, the ultra orthodox issue, the Bedouin issue. It's all in 80 quick pages. And the idea of the book was to sort of to spur conversation, especially among young people within Israel and in the United States elsewhere in the diaspora. In the way Zionist thinkers used to think about the future Jewish state, starting in the 1880s up to the 1940s. Huge literature on what this Jewish state was going to look like. And we seem to have lost the ability to have that sort of broad discussion about our future. And it was going very, very well, the discussion.  It was not a think tank. It was actually an anti think tank. I didn't want to produce any papers. I just wanted to have discussions. When the war broke out. Looking back at this book now, it is actually a better seller now than it was before the war, because many of the problems that were revealed by the war were anticipated by the book. And it's actually more crucial now than ever before.  You know, Manya, I'm often asked, What wars does this war most resemble? Is it the 67 war where we were surrounded by enemies, the 73 war, when we were surprised by our enemies? But truly, the war that most resembles this one is the War of Independence, where we are fighting on multiple fronts, in our neighborhoods, in our communities, and everybody's in the army. And the tremendous, tremendous cost.  So really, we're in a second Israel war of independence. And that's the bad news. The good news is we get to rebuild afterward the way we rebuilt post 1948. I don't know any other manifesto that sets out the goals that we have to strive if we're going to have a successful Second War of Independence. Certainly, we have to address the Haredi issue. That's not sustainable.  We have to address the Bedouin issue, you know, the IDF secured the release of one of the hostages several weeks ago, a Bedouin gentleman. It was an extraordinary event, definitely praiseworthy, but that Bedouin had two wives, and had settled illegally on state land, and that sort of it was indicative of the type of problems we face with a Bedouin that no one's addressing.  But it's also our education system. How can we proceed and a road to some type of better relationship with the Palestinians? How can we maintain unity within Israel, within the Jewish world? Everything from the Kotel to teaching math on a high school level in a Haredi school. Manya Brachear Pashman:  How dismaying that there are so many wars to choose from for comparison. But I, but I appreciate the one that you the analogy that you've made and the hope that that carries with it. So, Ambassador Oren, thank you so much for joining us. Thank you. Michael Oren:  Thank you. Let me say Shana Tova.  Manya Brachear Pashman:  Shana Tova.  Michael Oren:  I also want to give a special thank you to the American Jewish Committee. Yesterday morning, we through the office under the aegis of the the AJC, our delegation of displaced northerners met with about 20 representatives of the diplomatic community here in Washington, including the German ambassador, the Czech ambassador, the Slovakian ambassador, diplomats from Spain, Italy, and for the first time, this diplomatic community was able to hear firsthand what it is to live under daily Hezbollah rocket and drone fire, to be displaced from their homes, and it was extremely important. We're very, very grateful to AJC. Manya Brachear Pashman:  Ambassador Oren, thank you so much for joining us. Michael Oren:  Thank you. Manya Brachear Pashman:  If you missed last week's episode, be sure to tune in for my conversation with two proud Jewish Paralympians on how sports can unite athletes amid antisemitism, which surfaced during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Source material: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LLDJRYud1SezYM7DQ6d7Pwlz0nepbpmN/view?usp=drive_link

Shapell's 9 Days Yom Iyun 5784 - Rabbi Kwass - Sandblasting The Kotel HaMaaravi by Shapell's Rabbeim

Aviva Klompas has long been a fierce advocate for Israel and is no stranger to the forces that try to delegitimize the Jewish state. Klompas, cofounder of Boundless Israel, a think tank dedicated to strengthening education about Israel while also keeping an eye on the surge of antisemitism in the U.S., joins us to discuss how she's working to combat antisemitism and shape the conversation, both online and off.  Listen to this candid conversation, recorded on the sidelines of AJC Global Forum 2024 in Washington, D.C.  Episode Lineup:  (0:40) Jason Isaacson, Ken Weinstein, Kirsten Fontenrose, Rich Goldberg Show Notes: Watch: Voices of Truth: Advocating for Israel on Social Media with Aviva Klompas and Michael Rapaport Listen – People of the Pod: On the Ground at the Republican National Convention: What's at Stake for Israel and the Middle East? Follow People of the Pod on your favorite podcast app, and learn more at AJC.org/PeopleofthePod You can reach us at: peopleofthepod@ajc.org If you've appreciated this episode, please be sure to tell your friends, and rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Transcript of Interview with Aviva Klompas: Manya Brachear Pashman:   Aviva Klompas has long been a fierce advocate for Israel and is no stranger to the forces that try to delegitimize the Jewish state. After leading Birthright trips, she became the speechwriter for Israel's Mission at the United Nations where she was always looking for ways to give voice to Israel's side of the story, amid a cacophony of anti-Israel sentiments.  After working for Combined Jewish Philanthropies, she co-founded Boundless Israel, a think tank dedicated to strengthening education about Israel while also keeping an eye on the surge of antisemitism in the U.S. Aviva might still write the occasional speech, but on Instagram and X, that's where she's really shaping the conversation and confronting haters.  We sat down with Aviva on the sidelines of AJC Global Forum 2024 in Washington D.C in early June. Aviva, welcome to People of the Pod's pop-up studio here in Washington. Aviva Klompas:   Absolutely. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Together with Rachel Fish, you co-founded a nonprofit called Boundless. can you tell us the purpose of boundless and the origins of its name? Aviva Klompas:   The idea is to look at the larger issues that are plaguing the ecosystem in Israel in North America and to function both both as a think tank that does research to understand what's happening under the surface, but then to not just investigate and study for curiosity sake, but then to turn to action, and really to extract recommendations, and to pull together partners in order to take meaningful action in order to address some of the larger challenges.  So the two areas in which we primarily focus are one, education. How do we reimagine Israel education in North America, for both Jews and for non-Jews? And the area where I spend most of my time has to do with the narrative war? Understanding how did we get here? What's happening below the surface, both in traditional and on social media? Manya Brachear Pashman:   You previously served as the director of speech reading at the Israeli Mission to the United Nations. And at that time, did you find yourself not just talking to a traditional institution but actually trying to persuade or convince, maybe even combat the sentiments of that audience? Aviva Klompas:   Working as a speechwriter for Israel at the United Nations is certainly an experience and an education unto itself. And my former boss, Ambassador Ron Prosor always used to say to us, it's not so much politics and diplomacy as it is theater and a game of chess. And so to some extent, it's about who you can convince in these speeches and in these conversations in the halls, in the corridors of the United Nations, but the meaningful action, the real relationship building, tends to happen behind the scenes where there's no camera, and when there's no public audience. What people tend to see, the speeches that are broadcast, statements that make headlines around the world, that's really theater. Manya Brachear Pashman:   And you mentioned, when you were onstage with Michael Rapaport, at Global Forum yesterday, you mentioned how that job is very limiting compared to your job now and your representation on social media. Can you talk a little bit about why it's important to be on social media to use that as a platform. Aviva Klompas:   Yeah, so I worked both for the Israeli delegation. So that was working for the Israeli government. I also worked as a policy advisor for the Canadian government. And certainly when you're working for a government, there are limitations on what you can say, and what you can do. And one of the great blessings of having co-founded Boundless and working in this nonprofit is that at this moment in time, there's a lot of flexibility and latitude for Rachel and I to really hone in on what we think needs to be done and spend our time and our energy there.  The great education that I got when I was working at the United Nations, was the fact that people would always ask me, Well, why is it that Israel participates in the United Nations? This is an institution that is notorious for its bias against Israel.  So why does Israel participate? Why would it be a member of an institution that notoriously demonizes, delegitimize, vilifies, ostracizes it. No country has to be a member of the United Nations. And more than that, in order to be a member in good standing, you have to pay dues.  So Israel pays its membership dues to endure the sort of abuse that we see day in and day out at the United Nations. That's the number one question that I get asked, but it was never once a conversation that we had inside of the United Nations, because we never for a moment doubted that Israel has every right to participate in and contribute to global affairs. And that mentality is what I've taken with me throughout my career that Israel has, and the Jewish people have every right to participate in and contribute to our communities, our societies, our countries and bettering this planet. Manya Brachear Pashman:   You also, since October 7, you have emphasized that it's very important to tell Israel's story, tell the story of October 7, day to day, hour to hour, which is how I viewed the news cycle of social media. Why? Why is it that it's so important?  Aviva Klompas:   It's a part of that mentality that I was describing, which says, I won't for a moment accept that any of this is either normal or acceptable. I'm not going to tolerate a world that speaks to us and treats us as if we had this coming. As if what happened on October 7 was due to us. As if it is normal to be holding over 100 people hostage. As if it is acceptable that Jewish people have to hide their Jewish identity.  And I'm not interested in people that will speak with great sympathy about dead Jews, but not take any meaningful or consequential action to safeguard living Jews, which is ultimately what's most important.  And at the end of the day, the reason that I'm spending so much time and energy on social media is because I refuse to allow the normalization of what we're seeing day in and day out. And the only way you stop that normalization is two things is one, you have to use your voice, you have to stand up. And we also have to use our Yiddishe kops a bit and try to think about what's happening under the surface. What are the root causes? What are the points of origin for what's taking place? And how can we outthink them? And that's the work we're doing at Boundless. Manya Brachear Pashman:   You have primarily focused your messaging on X, or Twitter. You recently though moved your posts to Instagram as well. Aviva Klompas:   After a lot of people told me that I had to, yeah, a lot.  Manya Brachear Pashman:   Well, can you talk a little bit about your social media choices? In other words, is there a particular audience on X that you were trying to reach? Aviva Klompas:   I joined X when I was actually speechwriter for Israel at the UN. And I was very at the time we're talking, I don't know, 10 or 11 years ago, I was opposed to the notion of joining social media, I thought, I don't think everybody needs to know my thoughts. That's ridiculous.  And then one of my colleagues Israel Nitzan, a good friend, and a diplomat of Israel, he was the one that convinced me said, this is very much in line with Elon Musk, I would say is, it's the town square, this is where conversations are happening. This is where politicians and diplomats and reporters are having conversation. And it's important that you participate. And that is an idea that resonates with me very deeply, is that we need to have a voice in the public square. So that's how I got started on X.  And I left my Facebook, and I did have Instagram, but I really left it for that personal private space. And then early on in the war, had to change the privacy settings because all of a sudden, it was being flooded with with requests, my Instagram, my personal Instagram, when you open it up, it's 1000s and 1000s of people that want to follow me and I'm like, It's my vacation photos and it's family. No. So that's not going to happen.  So instead, after a lot of people said to me, there's obviously a whole other audience of much younger people and different people that are on Instagram, can you just pull your posts over? So I started a second Instagram account, which is just replicating the tweets and it's @AvivaKlompas. Manya Brachear Pashman:   I'm curious if you have developed relationships, either real or virtual with other social media influencers. In other words, did you know Michael Rapaport before October 7, before he became so vocal on social media and is that in particular and are others new and surprising friendships and partnerships? Aviva Klompas:   So I met Michael Rapaport because I got a DM on X from him. That was three words. And they were: who are you? And I wrote back: who are you? And that's where we started chatting. And then we had the opportunity to meet in Israel and he's become a very good friend and a person that I admire enormously.  And that's happened in other instances as well that there's been other influencers that I've met as a result of this that started his online conversation. chanson turned into real world relationships. And ultimately, all of us need to have a community social media is a very lonely place and it's a dystopia. When you pull people in the real world, which is what we do at Boundless, it asked her attitudes and opinions about Israel and anti semitism, you get one set of answers.  When you look on social media you get a different set of answers. The world is much bleaker and darker. And that's because the rule on social media is if it enrages, it engages. So the most vitriolic, hateful, disgusting, vile content is the content that will trend that's most likely to appear in your feed.  I always likened social media to the Coliseum in ancient Rome, where you have people battling it out in the center of the arena. And then you have the throngs of crowds surely, lustily screaming for them for someone's demise. It is not a venue that is conducive to relationships are conversations are chasing or changing minds, if you can sort of visualize that Coliseum analogy.  And at the same time, because social media is this kind of dystopia, bleak place, you need to have a community. And that's what I have found with other pro-Israel pro-Jewish voices is that it makes you feel like you're not alone in this that you're not this like single voice that standing against an enormous tide. So I'm very grateful to the other people that have lent their friendship in this moment. Manya Brachear Pashman:   So I want to pivot a little bit to what you put on social media, mostly the Israel-Hamas war. Why do you think Hamas terrorists are being treated as heroes in so many outlets and venues?   Aviva Klompas:   Yeah, what we're really seeing is new tactics and an old strategy. This strategy of how Israel and the Jewish people is being demonized. It's not new, the only new part of it is is the advent of social media as a way to more quickly and more spread the these lies and disinformation much further, but it really goes back to a Soviet strategy you had after World War Two, you had the Cold War, and you had the United States pitted against the Soviet Union. And you never want to fight a war on your own territory. So to the extent that you can you want to fight it on a different front, and that's really what the Middle East became. Israel as it moved away from its socialist roots and towards a capitalist roots, begins to align itself more with the United States.  That poses a threat, the Soviet Union sees Israel in the Middle East as a forward operating base for the United States. And so it begins to align itself more closely with the Arab nations. And in order to fight this battle, it begins a disinformation campaign that has a number of strategies to it that I think will sound very familiar. The first is to claim that there's no connection between the Jewish people and land of Israel to paint us as colonizers.  The second is to paint us as aggressors. And just to frame it in such a way as it is, isn't the Nakba, not the story of how a number of surrounding Arab armies attacked Israel, not the story of how Israel accepted a two state Partition Plan from the United Nations, but rather the story of the Nakba, and the demise.  And the third is to paint the Palestinians as a people that have no agency, and that all of this is happening to them and that they are victims in this colonialist, racist world. And then what the Soviets did is they begin to use that type of language that says Zionists are Nazis, and Nazis are the epitome of evil. And so all of the worst racist colonialist, etc. Accusations that's not new, we saw that from the infamous Zionism is racism resolution at the United Nations in the 1970s.  So this is a continuation of a very, very old strategy. And as we always see, it starts with the Jews, but it never ends with the Jews. Manya Brachear Pashman:   On the morning that many of us traveled here to Washington for AJC's Global Forum, we woke up to the news of the IDS rescue for hostages. Headlines talked about the four hostages being freed, not rescued. And sadly, many more headlines focused on the hundreds of Palestinians who were killed in that rescue effort. I asked why Hamas terrorists are being treated as heroes and I ask this knowing the IDF has certainly made some tragic errors in this war. But do you get a sense that there is a concerted effort not to treat IDF as heroes? Aviva Klompas:   So first off, I mean, I saw them being the hostages being spoken about as having been released, as if, as if commerce just opened the doors and let them go. And the level of condemnation about us going into rescue or hostages? What did they want us to do? Ask nicely. It's been eight months, we've tried a series of hostage deals in negotiations, and it's gone nowhere. I don't measure the standard of the IDF behavior by what the world says. That's going to be a failing strategy for us. I think it's measured by the values of the State of Israel and the Jewish people. And that's why the army has a code of conduct. The people that are more outraged that Israel went to get its people back than the fact that terrorists took them and held them for eight months. Those people need to check their thinking and their values.  And that's one of the things that we need to call out all the time. And I think that's a question the mainstream media that's been reporting on it, it's been embarrassing to watch people just essentially regurgitate Hamas press releases. How about a little bit of journalistic integrity? How about asking some hard questions like, Do we even know the casualty figure? I saw it grow by 100, since yesterday. I don't think anybody actually knows the number of casualties.  And then, if you had the number, how would you assess how many were actually combatants? If you're counting journalists and doctors that hold hostages in their home as civilians…I don't understand how mainstream media have sort of suspended rational analysis in this war. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Do you also get the impression that the hostages' stories have been downplayed by mainstream media? I mean these are truly ordinary people, ordinary families who now suffer extraordinary uncertainty, which, you know, I would argue, is worse than loss, this uncertainty. Do you feel like that has been lost in mainstream media coverage? Aviva Klompas:   I think that for a while, we saw that the hostage family stories were prominent, and they were certainly getting a lot of attention. And now it's a lot harder. Now it's been eight months, and it's a very visual war. No war in the history of the world has had this level of scrutiny, and certainly not this level of playing out real or disinformation on social media. And people are being bombarded with very difficult and very honestly very, very tragic scenes from Gaza.  And we haven't really seen that many new images emerging about the hostages, because there's so much silence. So in that sense, I can understand why there is a level to which humans can stay interested in a topic without new information. I think that's part of what we're struggling with. And at the same time, we have seen journalists be shockingly callous to the hostage families, and that's absolutely unacceptable. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Can you give an example of what you mean? Aviva Klompas:   Well, we just saw a very prominent reporter from the hill roll her eyes while speaking to the sister of a hostage when she asked her to believe women. Manya Brachear Pashman:   The New York Times broke a big story–I'm putting big and finger quotes–earlier this week that Israel's Ministry of diaspora affairs organized and paid for an influence campaign last year that targeted US lawmakers, American public with pro Israel messaging, but the story never mentioned the barrage of propaganda that pro Palestinian organizations have put out quite effectively. How do you guard against spreading disinformation as a social media influencer? Aviva Klompas:   So I don't agree With what the Israeli government did, I think it was pretty inevitable that that was going to become public. And so I think we could have all seen that this was coming in, and it was not a wise decision to target American lawmakers. I'm not sure that I would call that a disinformation campaign. Disinformation is a deliberate attempt to spread fake information. And I don't think that was the case, but nonetheless, not wise.  The difference is, is that my beloved Jewish people believe in truth and integrity. And we believe that if we just tell the same story one more time and maybe tell it a little bit differently, people will finally listen to us. And I think after trying that for a couple 1000 years, maybe we should adopt a different approach. And we again, have to look at what's happening under the surface.  If we want to do better at social media. You're right, the other side will say anything, do anything and show whatever image, true or not. People say it immediately 6000 people were killed in the bombing, an intentional IDF bombing of a hospital, okay, based on what? It's been 15 minutes, nobody actually knows what happened. Same thing with the rescue mission. Day by day, the count of quote unquote, civilian casualty grows by 100. We don't know the facts on the ground, we're not relying on third party verification in the way that we should, and people are just soaking this up. And the other side has realized as much, and they understand that they have the freedom and latitude to say everything. Understanding that we have to rethink what this picture looks like. In understanding social media, we have to be thinking smarter about the type of information we're putting out and what some of the challenges are.  You have algorithmic manipulation, you have bots and inauthentic activity, you have foreign intervention campaigns, you have the echo chambers that exist, we have the algorithms that even when they're not manipulated, as I said, what engages and engages. We know all of these things. But I don't think we're working hard enough and smart enough to design our campaigns and our messaging, in order to address some of them.  One of the things that we're doing at Boundless is we started with the very simple question that says, Who do we need to be talking to? Any messaging, any communications, begins with understanding who's your audience because you need to tailor your message appropriately. And I'm not sure that we're doing that as much as we should. So at Boundless, we started with that question, we did a major study with a national research firm, and we identified six priority audiences.  And we ask them their opinion, we want to learn from them, we want to understand why do you think what you think? Why do you believe what you believe? Where are you getting your news and information, we're very open about going to them and saying, We want to learn with you, we want to understand what your challenges are. One of the things that we learned is that every minority population in this country believes that they are the victim, they believe that they are one of the most highly targeted people for hate crimes.  And the challenge that we have is that when we come we present them and say no, we're the most hated group, what we're doing is we're minimizing their experience. And we're catalyzing a sort of victim Olympics, it makes them feel defensive, it makes them feel like they're not being seen and heard. And we're not tailoring our messaging with that understanding. So we need to do a little more, a lot more, front work in order to understand who do we want to speak to? What are their values, what are their positions, what's informing how they feel, and think about different issues, before we start to construct messages.  And then we really have to think about the distribution and dissemination techniques that we have. Which are right now, they're too uniform, we need to be doing a lot more and a lot differently. And we're hyper reliant on social media. And social media has a very important role to play. But we all know that if we see social media as sort of this coliseum, this arena in which people are thrashing it out, you're never going to really have a conversation. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Shortly after October 7, you wrote, quote, The State of Israel was supposed to be a living promise that there would always be a place for Jews to be saved for the pogroms in the Holocaust that plague Jewish history. After the October 7, mass terror attacks, that promise is broken. Do you still feel that way? Aviva Klompas:   I've been to Israel seven times in seven months. And I think a lot about when I first went the first time I went was two weeks after October 7 And I was in Jerusalem. And that was deserted. And I wanted to go walk to the Western Wall to the Kotel and I walked through the Old City and it was unbelievable. It was the middle of the week in the middle of the day and everything there was not a person in sight. Everybody was so scared.  And I recall friends saying to me, we're having conversations as if it's the 1940s we're talking, we're whispering husbands to wives about where we would hide our children. Because exactly that sense of security, that sense of comfort had been shattered. The idea was that anybody could jump out and didn't matter where you were in Israel, the sense of safety had dissipated.  And it wasn't that different here in the United States. And I think to some extent, people probably still feel it. Whereas in Israel, it's been more alleviated with the notion that antisemitism, that you're not safe in your places of worship in Jewish day schools and community centers that you have to think twice before you go to a walk for Israel, you have to think twice, about whether you're going to wear a kippa or a magen david. I think really, our sense of security has been shattered.  And that's one of the great tragedies, beyond the enormous tragedy that is October 7, than the living tragedy of the hostages, is the fact that we are all shaken by this. And that it feels scary for a lot of people to be a Jew in the world right now. There's a lot to say about what social media does wrong and how harmful it is and how difficult it is.  But also, the one thing that means the most to me, about being active on social media in the last eight months, is the number of messages I get, and people that come up to me in the real world and say to me, I'm scared. And I feel a little bit less scared because you have a voice in the world, you and other people, that people are feeling very alone, that people are saying I'm in workplaces where I'm the only Jew or I'm in schools where I'm being targeted where I feel like I can't speak up in class where I have to hide my head when I am choosing to stay in my room rather than go out.  And it's a lonely, lonely feeling right now. And if the only thing that my social media is doing is helping people have a voice and to know that there's others who think this is not normal, this is not acceptable. And we're going to spend every single day raging against it. That will have been worth it. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Aviva, thank you so much for joining us on the sidelines of Global Forum. Aviva Klompas:   Thank you for having me.

La Mitsva d'aller au Kotel pendant les fêtes

Today is Yom Yerushalayim where we celebrate the unification of Jerusalem and the miracles of the Six Day War. Following the War of Independence in 1948 when the Arab countries surrounding Israel rejected the partition plan and sought to annihilate the 600,000 Jewish residents of the new State, the Jewish people won a resounding victory, but Jordan took possession of the Old City of Jerusalem. Those who had been living in the Old City, lost their homes. Synagogues and Yeshivot were destroyed and the area around the Wall was stripped of Jews who had been living there for decades and centuries. We could no longer worship at the Kotel. 19 years later the voice of Motta Gur, commander of the paratrooper's brigade, rings in our ears and we can all hear his historical announcement: “Har Ha-bayit be-yadeinu!” “The Temple Mount is in our hands!” ... It is this we celebrate with Hallel and praise for Hashem's miracles. We read each day in the Amida: תִּשְׁכּוֹן בְּתוֹךְ יְרוּשָׁלַֽיִם עִֽירְךָ כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבַּֽרְתָּ, וְכִסֵּא דָוִד עַבְדְּךָ מְהֵרָה בְּתוֹכָהּ תָּכִין, וּבְנֵה אוֹתָהּ בִּנְיַן עוֹלָם בִּמְהֵרָה בְיָמֵֽינוּ Dwell within Jerusalem Your city, as You spoke about, & the throne of David, Your servant, speedily prepare it within it, & build it an eternal structure speedily in our days. We mention the throne of David. Some compare the throne below with the throne above and just as we long for the throne below to be re-established, we realize that in some ways, the throne above is not whole. We read each Friday morning, Friday afternoon, evening and Shabbat: נָכ֣וֹן כִּסְאֲךָ֣ מֵאָ֑ז מֵעוֹלָ֣ם אָֽתָּה׃ Your throne stands firm from of old; from eternity You have existed. Again the throne! When Amalek attacks Benai Yisrael after leaving Egypt, Moshe sends Joshua to fight them. It is there we are commanded never to forget what Amalek does and Moses builds an alter and says וַיֹּ֗אמֶר כִּֽי־יָד֙ עַל־כֵּ֣ס כַּהּ מִלְחָמָ֥ה לַהֹ' בַּֽעֲמָלֵ֑ק מִדֹּ֖ר דֹּֽר׃ He said, “It means, ‘Hand upon the throne of Hashem, Hashem will be at war with Amalek throughout the ages.” Rashi asks: And what is the force of כס — why does it not say as usual (throne or chair) כסא? And the Divine Name, also, is divided into half (Kah is only the half of the Tetragrammaton)! The Holy One, blessed be He, swears that His Name will not be perfect nor His throne perfect until the name of Amalek be entirely blotted out. And I would venture to put forward based on this that Amalek and the establishment and rebuilding of Jerusalem and the Temple are diametrically opposed. Although Jerusalem is mentioned in Tanach in some way between 700 and 800 times, it is not mentioned at all in the Torah itself. We do have a verse in Devarim which states: כִּ֠י אִֽם־אֶל־הַמָּק֞וֹם אֲשֶׁר־יִבְחַ֨ר הֹ but look only to the site that Hashem will choose amidst all your tribes as Hashem's habitation, to establish the divine name there. There you are to go, Rabbeynu Bachya writes: The place in question is Mount Moriah; it is well known among the Goyim. They know of its spiritual advantages through tradition. There is no need to mention this location by name. The people all had a tradition that this was where their ancestor Yitzchak had lain bound on the altar. Maimonides writes in his Moreh Nevuchim (3,45) that there were three reasons why the location of the future Temple was not spelled out at this point. 1) If the nations of the world had known that in that location prayers are answered positively by G'd and sacrifices are welcome to Him, every nation would have made a supreme effort to take possession of that site. This would have resulted in untold slaughter among the nations and ongoing strife among them. 2) If the Canaanites who dwelled in the land at the time Moses spoke these words had heard of them and they had realized that the Israelites would dispossess them and take over that site they would have utterly destroyed it before the Jewish people had a chance to conquer it. 3) Even the tribes of the Israelites would have argued among themselves in whose territory this site, would be located at the time the land was distributed among the tribes. Such a division among the people would have been even worse than the rebellion of Korach when the people were not prepared to recognize the preferred hereditary status of the Priests. For all these reasons Moses preferred not to spell out the exact location of where the Temple would be built in the future. If even the Jews did not know the location, it is clear that the Gentiles did not know it either. Although everyone knew of the significance of Mount Moriah in the past, they had no idea of what this meant in terms of its future religious significance, in terms of the place G'd would choose. We know that even King David did not know that Har HoMoriah was the mount to build the Temple on. He originally selected the tallest mountain in Yehuda and only after learning in detail with Samuel the prophet, did they ascertain that the choice from the sacrifice was the shoulder and thus chose the second highest spot. If I have not lost you yet, a couple of more facts and then, let's try to put the pieces together. Rabbi Ari Kahn writes: The Shulchan Aruch, section 580, reports that on the 28th day of the month of Iyar a fast day is observed, marking the anniversary of the death of Shmuel HaNavi (Samuel the Prophet). In antiquity this day was widely celebrated. The Radbaz teaches that the tomb of Shmuel HaNavi was a site of pilgrimage. People would take their young sons and travel to the burial place of Shmuel to cut the child's hair for the first time. When it became dangerous to travel to Jerusalem, the custom evolved to travel to meron on the 18th of Iyar and thus we have the custom to go on Lab LaOmer to the Kever of Rashbi (as cutting hair on Lag makes no sense to Sephardim who don't cut until the 34th). Still we see that the 28th day of Iyar was, in antiquity, a day of pilgrimage as well as the yearly remembrance of Shmuel HaNavi. On that day, of all the days in the calendar, Jerusalem was the destination. We might even venture to say that the power of the prayers uttered all those years ago on this day by the pilgrims at the end of their arduous journey contributed to Jerusalem's liberation on the very same date, causing it to once again become the day when people venture up to Jerusalem. But something else occurred on the 28th of Iyar. According to Seder HaOlam. The battle with Amalek took place on the 28th of Iyar. Rabbi Kahn explains: This association allows us a deeper appreciation of the date and its significance. The battle with Amalek is the archetypical struggle between holiness and depravity. This struggle defines the essence of the 28th of Iyar. It is its nature, its character, its 'personality'. The victory of holiness over depravity was achieved when the prayers of Moshe and the nation were answered. When the Beit Hamikdash was eventually constructed on the holy mountain, symbolizing the possibility of human connection with God and holiness. On the 28th of Iyar, Amalek tries to destroy the throne. It is up to us to rebuild it. Samuel is born on the 28th. He anoints Saul whose task is to destroy Amalek. Saul fails. Samuel then anoints David. Together they discern that the place of the Temple to establish the throne on earth corresponding to the throne above is Jerusalem. Thus, Samuel in anointing the Davidic dynasty through Mashiach and in establishing the “place” as Jerusalem is forever associated with the City. Perhaps in his merit (as he is noted as in a way equal to Moses and Aaron) miraculous victory and celebration came on the 28th of Iyar in our lifetimes. But I cannot help but think. Did we in 1967 make the same mistake as Saul? Har HaBayit BeYadeynu. And the Mashicach was riding in on his white donkey as Rabbi Abittan would explain. In Jerusalem a banner was unfurled. As they unrolled it we read. Yisral – Israel, a bit more Boteach – puts its faith and trust and then the final word which should have said Hashem read Sahal – the army. We handed the keys to Har HaBayit (and Maarat HaMachpelah) back and Mashiach turned around. Still though today is a day of tremendous celebration and joy. The geulah begins step by step. We are experiencing it. But we must remember the geulah does not come on its own. The Mikdash does not fall from the sky on its own. Mashiach does not ride in on his own. It is up to each of us to contribute a spiritual brick. To learn, to teach, to watch, to do and to fulfil that which we are asked to and volunteered to do. In the Omer we are at the day of Chesed shel Malchut, the Kindness of Kingdom. The first step towards reestablishing Hashem's Kingdom on Earth. And as we arrive at Shavuot at the end of the week, the date of Matan Torah and the birth of King David, let us pray together and see fulfilled BimHerah Beyameynu the words we utter each morning: תִּשְׁכּוֹן בְּתוֹךְ יְרוּשָׁלַֽיִם עִֽירְךָ Dwell within Jerusalem Your city, as You spoke about, & the throne of David, Your servant, speedily prepare it within it, & build it an eternal structure speedily in our days. Amen

For a 20% discount on Rabbi Ashear's new book on Parnassah click the link below and enter Promo Code - Emunah20 https://www.artscroll.com/ Books/9781422640708.html Some people say they can't pick up a siddur to pray with. They feel betrayed. They had invested hundreds of tefillot, day and night, crying out to Hashem for help, but never got what they were asking for. They weren't asking for luxuries, and they knew it was so easy for Hashem to give it to them. They don't think that they are so bad that they shouldn't deserve what they were asking for. The only conclusion they have is that prayer doesn't really work, at least not for them, so why should they bother continuing with it. It is certainly not easy to deal with disappointment, but we must know this is one of our main jobs in this world. For someone like this to say, “I trust you, Hashem. I know You hear every word that I say, and I know You love my prayers,” and he continues to pray, it would elevate him so much. The prayers from a person who has so many reasons to turn away are so valuable. Every tefila is a mitzvah in its own right, and will earn a person eternal life, especially when it's so hard for him to do. Every tefila is heard, and every tefila counts. A businessman in Yerushalayim needed $300,000 to take his business to the next level, and went to the bank to apply for a loan. The bank dragged their feet and did not give him an answer for two months. During that time, he prayed so hard for heavenly help. He went to Meron to pray by the kever of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai. He went to the Kotel numerous times. The day they finally called back, he was in the car, and immediately recognized the number of the bank manager lighting up on his phone. The first words he heard was, “I'm sorry, I hate to disappoint you, but we can't approve your loan.” To him, this loan was his entire future. His head started to ache, and he felt dizzy. He couldn't continue driving, so he pulled over to the side of the road. He thought of all the heartfelt tefilot that he had made. He said to himself, “ Ribono Shel Olam , what happened to all my prayers? Weren't they worth anything?” He was ready to give up on prayer altogether, but then he stopped himself, and he reminded himself of the basic principles of emunah. He said to himself, if Hashem decided not to give me this loan, that means it was the best possible outcome. He sat there for ten minutes, giving himself chizuk in emunah, and then he was ready to continue driving. As he was going to pull away, an elderly man knocked on his window, asking him for a ride. When the man got in the car, he asked if he could relate a short devar Torah . He then went on to give a mashal of how every tefila we make is heard by Hashem and connects us to Hashem. The man was floored. Exactly when he needed that chizuk , a man came into his car and asked him if he could relate that chiddush to him. That evening, he went back to the Kotel to pray, this time with deep-rooted emunah. He accepted Hashem's decision about the bank, and then he asked Hashem to give him the money in a different way. The very next morning, his accountant called and told him, he just found out that the government is giving financial backing to small businesses, but there are two conditions to get it. Number one, he had to have all the papers ready in two days. And number two, only someone with no outside financial backing qualified for the offer. Since he had just applied for the loan, he had all the papers ready, and because he was denied for that loan, he qualified for this much better offer. Nobody knows what we need better than Hashem. Sometimes all we need is just to keep praying more.

00:00 - Good Morning 00:15 - Omer.8MinDaf.com 00:39 - Emails 02:59 - MDYsponsor.com 03:51 - MDY Kollel news 04:55 - Amud Beis 06:25 - Amud Aleph 27:27 - Amud Beis 43:48 - Amud Aleph 47:45 - Have a Wonderful Day Quiz - http://Kahoot.8MinDaf.com -- Today's shiur is sponsored Anonymous - For the safe and speedy return of all the hostages & לע״נ זכריה בן משה לע״נ חיה בת יוסף & Binyomin Rosenfeld: For hatzlacha in business and all my endeavours & Daniel Kahane: In honor of Benjamin Aaron Kahane's Bar Mitzvah today at the Kotel, IY”H -- Turning of the daf: Kidnovations LLC in honor of my Uncle Reb Elchanan Pressman and as a zechus for Akiva Simcha Ben Feiga & O'Fishel's Mitzvah Motivators: In honor of the Lehmans for sponsoring sefarim for the daily Ner Tamid learning. & Gewirtzman Brothers: For Yartzeits of Our Grandfathers Hachaver Moshe ben Yerachmiel, a"h, "An Original Real Yekke" And Horav Eliezer Moshe ben Reb Shayma Zatzal _________________________________

Batya Burd-Oved is a proud mother of 5 who lives in the Old City of Jerusalem.     She founded and runs www.Westernwallprayers.org, a charity allowing people all over the world to access the segula of having a Talmud Chachim daven 40 straight days at the Kotel for them.     Much of this episode is about Batya's late husband, Gershon Burd, and his secret life of Chesed.   When she is not writing, she is usually speaking to groups and seminaries about the power of Emunah and hopes to bring her speaking engagements to places around the world.   Sponsors     ►Toveedo   The Jewish videos your kids will love all in one happy place: https://toveedo.com   Use promo code MM10 for 10% off! _______________ ►Touro University   Sign up for virtual open house on April 3  at 7 pm at lcm.touro.edu/openhouse. _______________ ►Ceremian (Alpert and Associates)   Achieve financial liberty   Email Alpertmoshe@gmail.com   Or call 718-644-1594  _______________ ►Collars and Co   For the best-looking and most comfortable dress shirts in the world: www.Collarsandco.com   Use promo code: Meaningful for 15% off all order $100+ ___________________  ►Town Appliance  Visit https://www.townappliance.com    Message Town Appliance on WhatsApp: https://bit.ly/Townappliance_whatsapp  _____________________  ► Growtha    We get you more than traffic.  We get you more leads.   https://www.growtha.com/meaningful _____________________  ► Rothenberg Law Firm   PERSONAL INJURY LAW FIRM FOR 50+ YEARS Reach out today for free case evaluation  https://injurylawyer.com?utm_source=meaningfulpeople&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=meaningfulpeople&utm_term=episode1   Or call: 888-369-7956 _____________________ Subscribe to our Podcast    Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2WALuE2    Spotify: https://spoti.fi/39bNGnO    Google Podcasts: https://bit.ly/MPPGooglePodcasts    Or wherever Podcasts are available!   Editor: Naomi Garfinkel    Podcast created by: Meaningful Minute   For more info and upcoming news, check out: https://Meaningfulminute.org

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world. Today is day 168 of the war with Hamas. Jewish world reporter Canaan Lidor joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode. Lidor talks about comments made by prominent Reform rabbi Angela Buchdahl about the struggles American Jews are having regarding Israel, the ongoing war and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. He also looks at a Knesset bill regarding the appointment of municipal rabbis, a potentially divisive bill that was postponed due to objections from senior lawmakers. Lidor then discusses evacuees from the Gaza border communities remaining in Dead Sea hotels, because of the sense of trauma and lack of safety they feel in their former hometowns. Steinberg describes the Fast of Esther prayers at different locations around Israel on Thursday, as well as the massive recitation of the Shema prayer at the Western Wall, for the safe return of the hostages. For the latest updates, please see The Times of Israel's ongoing live blog. Discussed articles include: Live blog March 22, 2024 Top US rabbi says Gaza's plight, distrust of Netanyahu make supporting Israel ‘hard' After protests, coalition refreezes bill hiking number of municipal rabbis At Dead Sea hotels, lasting mental, physical traumas delay homecoming for some evacuees Jerusalem mayor meets hostages' families, agrees on changes to Purim parade THOSE WE HAVE LOST: Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel THOSE WE ARE MISSING: The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves. IMAGE: Jews attend a prayer for the return of the Israeli hostages at the Western Wall on March 21, 2024. (Photo by Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics:Why does the world not demand that Hamas surrender?What does this week's Torah portion and time period teach us today?  Lessons from Adar Lessons from Purim Katan  Parshas Tetzaveh  Parshas Terumah  Parshas Mishpatim  Can you distinguish between supporting the State of Israel as a secular governing body and recognizing it as a divinely sanctioned state?   What are the different opinions about the “three oaths” which include forbidding Jews from forcefully reclaiming Israel?  How can we support the government of Israel if the Rebbe Rashab strongly opposed modern Zionism?  How do we respond to the question whether we are Zionists?  Should we allow displays of the Israeli flag and the singing of its anthem in our institutions?  How much should we fight about these issues, if at all?   How do we focus on proliferating the positive meaning of Israel and Zionism, instead of addressing the negative?  

Chlap z Kolína přijel do Karviné, dal si pivo a přišla otázka: Kdy podáte demisi? Ostrý start kampaně Víta Rakušana. Kdo to vymyslel? Komu se chce ministr vnitra zalíbit? A co na to vláda? Téma pro expertku na politickou komunikaci Marcelu Konrádovou z Fakulty sociálních věd Univerzity Karlovy. Ptá se Matěj Skalický.Všechny díly podcastu Vinohradská 12 můžete pohodlně poslouchat v mobilní aplikaci mujRozhlas pro Android a iOS nebo na webu mujRozhlas.cz.

Malkah Fleisher grew up in Sherman, Texas, in a strongly Jewish but non-observant family – the only Jewish kid in her high school. Through various twists and turns, she finally arrived in Israel in 2003, and has been impacting the Jewish people ever since. Malkah's story is fascinating and meaningful. Goel Jasper sat with Malkah recently in her Efrat home, to listen to her story, laugh, and even shed a tear as she told him about visiting the Kotel for the first time, bringing along with her all of her ancestors. It's a description not to be missed.

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Dedication opportunities are available for episodes and series at  https://ohr.edu/donate/qa   Questions? Comments? podcasts@ohr.edu   Yeshivat Ohr Somayach located in the heart of Jerusalem, is an educational institution for young Jewish English-speaking men. We have a range of classes and programs designed for the intellectually curious and academically inclined - for those with no background in Jewish learning to those who are proficient in Gemara and other original source material. To find the perfect program for you, please visit our website https://ohr.edu/study_in_israel​ whatsapp us at https://bit.ly/OSREGISTER or call our placement specialist at 1-254-981-0133 today!   Subscribe to the Rabbi Breitowitz Q&A Podcast at https://plnk.to/rbq&a   Submit questions for the Q&A with Rabbi Breitowitz https://forms.gle/VCZSK3wQJJ4fSd3Q7   Subscribe to our YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/OhrSomayach/videos    You can listen to this and many other Ohr Somayach programs by downloading our app, on Apple and Google Play, ohr.edu and all major podcast platforms. Visit us @ https://ohr.edu  PRODUCED BY: CEDAR MEDIA STUDIOS 00:00 Why do we say the blessings of the second day of yom tov because of a safek?   02:29 How did Rahav merit to marry Joshua?   04:19 Why do people say the Song of Songs before Shabbos?   09:04 How do Jews choose their leaders?   14:18 If someone is killed because they are Jewish, do they have the status of harugei malchus?   23:16 Can we derive definitions from Torah stories to apply to our lives?   29:55 What special connection does the Kotel have to answering prayers?   37:39 Should one daven the same nusach as his yeshiva?   44:24 How was Rahav's house still there after the walls fell?   47:03 How can Hashem determine the steps of man at the same time He leads man on the path that man chooses?   48:32 How do we understand Psalm 137?   55:16 If someone works so hard but does not succeed, how is that good?   1:01:39 In an auction, and there is a higher bid at the same time the auctioneer accepts a bid, what happens?   1:06:01 What is a reyd?   1:08:10 Could the Rav speak about the sons of the maidservants?   1:10:25 Could the Rav speak about Rachel Imenu?   1:17:37 What does the Torah say about Jews in non-Jewish politics?   1:21:58 Do the annihilatory laws of conquest of Eretz Yisrael apply to modern wars of the state of Israel?   1:30:27 Is an open marriage considered a marriage?   1:32:08 Is there an idea that a year that begins with Shabbos Rosh Hashanah is either very bad or very good?   1:33:50 How can we ensure that we don't forget the spiritual focus that came from this war?