The Israel Defense Forces chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi, reiterated on Wednesday that securing the release of abducted IDF soldier Gilad Shalit from Hamas captivity was of the utmost importance to Israel.
Since not everybody in the room knew the Chanukah story, David Nava took the time to tell it. He explained it rudimentarily, saying that a very small band of Jews, fighting for their right to practice their religion, defeated a very large army of Greeks.
How do Israeli Jews deal with the shocking return of the European blood libel? So far the most effective response has come from a small group of dedicated and underfunded satirists working in a tiny studio in a farmyard east of Tel Aviv.
Chanukah has gone and Christmas is here, so it’s time for critics and other deep thinkers to weigh in on which film producers, directors and actors can start rehearsing their spontaneous Oscar and Golden Globe acceptance speeches.
After the Golden Calf, Moshe prays to God, begging forgiveness. In the course of his prophetic dialogue with the Creator, Moshe asks to see God’s glory. God responds that no person can see His face and live. However, He will allow Moshe to see His back (Exodus 33:17-23). Rashi, citing the Talmud, understands God’s offer literally. As we sing in the An’im Z’mirot hymn toward the end of Shabbat morning services: “He showed [Moshe] the humble one the [rear] knot of His [head] tefillin.”
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