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Jewish Journal

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November 8, 2010

Rabbis issue injunction against renting to Sudanese

Leave a Comment / Israel /

Rabbis in the haredi Orthodox Israeli city of Bnei Brak have issued a religious ruling forbidding residents to rent apartments to African refugees.

The ruling issued Monday by six leading haredi rabbis in the city follows a similar call in July by rabbis in nearby Tel Aviv.

More Sudanese refugees and illegal African immigrants reportedly have taken up residence in Bnei Brak after being made to feel uncomfortable in Tel Aviv, Ynet reported.

Meanwhile, an Israeli lawmaker warned Monday during a meeting of the Knesset Foreign Worker Analysis Committee that within a few years Israel will have more than 100,000 African immigrants living within its borders.

“There is no doubt that Tel Aviv residents will rush to Judea and Samaria when their city becomes African,” Yaakov Katz of the National Union Party warned, using the Hebrew terms for the West Bank.

Rabbis issue injunction against renting to Sudanese Read More »

First sign of the new U.S. political reality — Bibi’s swagger

Leave a Comment / General Assembly, United States /

The sharpest signal of what last week’s elections meant for Jews came not from Washington but from New Orleans, Nova Scotia and Australia.

In New Orleans, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a speech Monday calling for moving beyond sanctions to mounting a “credible military threat” against Iran as a means of avoiding war.

“Containment will not work,” Netanyahu said in his address to the General Assembly of the Jewish Federations of North America.

The prime minister’s remarks echoed the precise terminology used by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) in Nova Scotia two days earlier, when he told the Halifax International Security Forum that “containment is off the table.” The likely new majority leader in the U.S. House of Representatives, Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.), used that same phrase in the days before the election.

It was a clear sign that Netanyahu feels empowered by the Republican sweep last week of the House of Representatives to trump the Obama administration’s emphasis on peacemaking with the Palestinians with his own priority: confronting Iran.

The emerging gap between Israel and its Republican friends on one side and the White House on the other could presage a repeat of tensions in the late 1990s between Netanyahu, in his first term, and President Clinton—tensions that pro-Israel officials found themselves brokering, often to their discomfiture.

Obama administration officials have indicated that they will not be taking cues from anyone in setting foreign policy.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates, speaking Monday in Melbourne, Australia, where he is on an official visit with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, delivered a rejoinder to Netanyahu’s remarks.

“We are prepared to do what is necessary, but at this point we continue to believe that the political-economic approach that we taking is in fact having an impact in Iran,” Gates said.

Gates’ response implicitly rejected not only an escalation but Netanyahu’s claim that sanctions are not working. It also signaled that the Obama administration was going to protect its foreign policy turf—the traditional White House posture when opponents take one of the houses of Congress.

That was clear already last week when Valerie Jarrett, one of Obama’s top aides, told sympathetic nongovernmental groups in an off-the-record phone call that the White House would be unwavering—even after losing the House majority—in pressing Israel and the Palestinians to return to the peace talks.

“The president has made it very clear that he is committed to doing whatever he can to foster talks in the Middle East,” said Jarrett, Obama’s senior adviser for public engagement. “That’s not a partisan issue; his commitment to that is unwavering.”

But Netanyahu, speaking at the federations’ General Assembly, expressed confidence that he had U.S. backing in resisting Palestinian demands. He listed a number of items the Palestinian Authority is seeking, including a freeze on Jewish West Bank settlement activity and a final-status deal that would remove Israeli forces from the West Bank.

Netanyahu, however, told the crowd in New Orleans that Israel would stay in the Jordan Valley, the eastern part of the West Bank, “for the foreseeable future.” The audience applauded.

“The Palestinians may think they can avoid negotiations,” Netanyahu said. “They may think that the world will dictate Palestinian demands to Israel. I firmly believe that will not happen because I am confident that friends of Israel, led by the United States, will not let that happen.”

GOP love for Israel

Beyond the ramping up of Iran rhetoric, the first signal that new Republican members who swept into office last week were going to make Israel a priority came from Marco Rubio, the Tea Party-backed candidate in Florida who romped to victory in the race for that state’s open U.S. Senate seat.

Rubio, 39 and the son of Cuban exiles, punctuated five days of celebrations with a trip to Israel with his wife. He left Sunday on the private trip, which will include holy sites. Rubio, who converted from Roman Catholicism to Southern Baptist, plans an official visit after assuming his seat, a campaign official told the French news agency AFP.

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, which for decades has managed to secure the support of the leadership of both parties, responded to last week’s elections with a positive message.

“It is abundantly clear that the 112th Congress will continue America’s long tradition of staunch support for a strong, safe and secure Israel and an abiding friendship between the United States and our most reliable ally in the Middle East,” AIPAC said in a statement. “Many of the strongest friends and supporters of the U.S.-Israel relationship were re-elected on Tuesday.”

The statement named Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.), the once and future Senate majority leader, and Reps. John Boehner (R-Ohio), likely to become the House speaker;  Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who loses the speakership and is vying to become minority leader along with Steny Hoyer (D-Md.); and Cantor, who is vying for majority leader. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), the Senate minority leader, also is a staunch Israel supporter but was not up for re-election last week.

Backing Democrats, growing unease with Obama

Exit polls showed Jewish support for Democrats remained strong, although commensurate with other recent polling showing increased misgivings with President Obama over his economic policies.

J Street, the “pro-peace, pro-Israel” group, conducted the only national exit poll. It showed that 66 percent of Jews supported Democrats in congressional elections, compared with 31 percent for Republicans. An American Jewish Committee poll conducted in September and October showed 57 percent of Jewish respondents supporting Democrats vs. 33 percent for Republicans. The numbers are sharply down from the 78 percent of Jews who voted for Obama in 2008, according to exit polling.

The J Street poll was conducted by Gerstein/Agne Strategic Communications on Election Day, Nov. 2, and surveyed 1,000 voters who identified as Jews as part of a broader consumer panel. It had a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points. Jim Gerstein, the pollster, is on J Street’s advisory council.

J Street and Gerstein also conducted an Election Day statewide poll in Pennsylvania, where conservative groups targeted Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.) as anti-Israel in part because he was backed by J Street. The J Street poll showed 76 percent of Jews favoring Sestak to 19 percent for the winner, Republican Pat Toomey. The Republican Jewish Coalition also conducted a statewide poll of Jews the same day showing the break favoring Sestak 62 percent to 30 percent.

The difference apparently was that the RJC canvassed only Jews who were affiliated with synagogues. When unaffiliated Jews were polled—as they were in the J Street poll and as they are in AJC’s polls—the gap between Democratic and Republican support widens considerably.

By the numbers

JTA reported last week that Congress lost seven Jews in both houses, and gained two. The gain might be three.

In New York’s 1st Congressional District, a recanvassing of the voting machines erased Republican Randy Altschuler’s 3,400-vote deficit, propelling him to a lead of 392 votes over incumbent Rep. Tim Bishop (D-N.Y.), who represents eastern Long Island.

Neither party was set to declare victory, as counting had yet to begin on 9,000 absentee ballots, but Bishop said Monday that he would demand a hand recount.

Altschuler, who owns a recycling company, would become the second Jewish GOP congressman, joining Cantor. His win would bring the number of Jews to 28 in the House, along with the 12 in the Senate.

A little farther upstate, GOP candidate Nan Hayworth, a physician, ousted Rep. John Hall (D-N.Y.) from the 19th District. Hayworth is a Lutheran but belongs to a synagogue with her Jewish husband and her two sons, whom she has raised as Jewish. That makes her the mirror image of Rep. John Sarbanes (D-Md.), who was elected from his Baltimore-area district in 2006. He is Greek Orthodox but belongs to a synagogue, and with his Jewish wife has raised his children as Jews.

JTA projected a win for Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), and that became official last Friday night. The victory means a third term for Giffords, who was first elected in the GOP-leaning district in the Democratic sweep of 2006. She embraced tough immigration policies as part of her campaign this year, distancing herself from national Democrats.

Welcoming Blumenthal, Cicilline

The other two new Jewish congressmen are New Englanders: Sen.-elect Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), until now the state’s longtime attorney general, and Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.), the mayor of Providence.

Cicilline is the first Jewish Rhode Islander elected to national office, the Providence Journal quoted David Goodwin, a historian of the island’s community, as saying. The state has elected a number of Jews to statewide offices, however, including governors.

Cicilline, whose mother is Jewish and a congregant of Temple Beth-El in Providence, also is the third openly gay male in Congress—and the third openly gay Jewish male in Congress, joining Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) and Jared Polis (D-Colo.). The only openly gay woman in Congress, Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), is not Jewish.

Success in the states

As Blumenthal’s election demonstrates, election to statewide office often is a steppingstone to federal office. Count four more such steppingstones on Nov. 2: Jews won statewide races in Massachusetts, Arizona, Georgia and Ohio.

Republicans Tom Horne in Arizona and Sam Olens in Georgia were elected attorney general. Both are active in their communities and with the Republican Jewish Coalition.

So is Josh Mandel, a Republican state lawmaker and former Marine who was elected treasurer in Ohio. In Massachusetts, Steve Grossman, a former AIPAC president and ex-chairman of the Democratic National Committee, also won the treasurer spot.

Pro-Israel insiders in Washington noted that in different ways, Mandel and Grossman both have been leaders in the effort to sanction Iran and now are positioned to mak sure that their states enforce such sanctions. As a lawmaker, Mandel led the effort to divest Ohio from Iran. Grossman, as AIPAC president in the mid-1990s, lobbied for the Iran sanctions passed by Congress at that time.

First sign of the new U.S. political reality — Bibi’s swagger Read More »

Bibi’s G.A. Hecklers: Young Jews [VIDEO]

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Bibi’s G.A. Hecklers: Young Jews [VIDEO] Read More »

Netanyahu at GA: Iran must face ‘credible military threat’

Leave a Comment / General Assembly, United States /

Iran must face a “credible military threat” because sanctions have not deterred its nuclear weapons program, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.

Netanyahu, speaking Monday in New Orleans at the Jewish Federations of North America General Assembly, said Israel “appreciated” President Obama’s leadership in enhancing sanctions over the summer. However, he said, “we have yet to see any sign that the tyrants of Iran” have rolled back a suspected effort to obtain a nuclear device.

The Israeli leader said containment against Iran would not work.

“It will not work with a brazen and erratic regime that accuses the United States of bombing its own cities, that calls for the annihilation of Israel,” he said, referring to recent statements by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad suggesting that the United States faked the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks to bolster support for Israel. “When faced with such a regime, the only responsible policy is to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons in the first place.”

Earlier Tuesday, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said that the United States preferred for now to maintain diplomatic and economic pressures on Iran.

“We are prepared to do what is necessary, but at this point we continue to believe that the political-economic approach that we are taking is in fact having an impact in Iran,” Gates told media on Monday in Australia, where he is on an official visit.

Netanyahu also called attacks against the legitimacy of Israel one of the greatest threats to the Jewish people, pointing as an example to protesters from the Jewish Voice for Peace inside the auditorium who interrupted him several times during his speech. Audience members cheered as the protesters were forced from the room.

The prime minister said the authors of the Goldstone report on the Gaza war owed Israel an apology for condemning the army, saying that it caused a high percentage of civilian deaths, in the wake of Hamas admitting that 700 of its militants died in the conflict—meaning that more than half of the Palestinian war casualties were enemy combatants.

Netanyahu at GA: Iran must face ‘credible military threat’ Read More »

Minor League Baseball Report

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Normally, I write my own articles but Josh Bornstein had this amazing post on his blog. Check out jewsinbaseball.blogspot.com. Note two future White Sox, inlcuding Danny Axelrod in AA.

Minor League Standouts In 2010

Triple-A

Sam Fuld (OF, 28, Cubs): Fuld put up a line of .272/.383/.394 for an OPS of .777 in 440 PAs. He hit 4 HRs, 15 doubles, 9 triples, swiped 21 bags, drove in 27 runs, and scored 69 runs. He posted the best BB/K ratio of his career at 66/37. That’s nearly twice as many walks as strikeouts. Pretty impressive. With the loss of Derrek Lee, the Cubs are seriously contemplating moving Tyler Colvin to first base. Should that come to pass, Fuld could see more playing time.

Ben Guez (OF, 23, Tigers): Guez split time at 3 levels this year. He played 28 games in Class A-Advanced, 9 games in Double-A, and 68 games in Triple-A. In Triple-A, he put up a line of .251/.339/.439 for an OPS of .778 in 259 PAs. His overall line for the season was .249/.341/.411 for an OPS of .752 in 393 PAs. He hit 10 HRs, 19 doubles, 3 triples, swiped 14 bags, drove in 43 runs, and scored 43 runs. Considering Guez was playing in Single-A last year, he’s moved up fairly quickly through the Tigers’ farm system.

Jason Hirsh (RH SP, 28, Yankees): Hirsh was 9-7 in 122 1/3 innings (19 starts) with a 3.90 ERA, 1.153 WHIP, 95 Ks, 7.5 H/9, 1.3 HR/9, 2.9 BB/9, 7.0 K/9, and 2.44 K/BB. Hirsh pitched well after he joined the Yankees’ organization towards the end of 2009, but this was really his 1st good season since 2006. He will most certainly get another Spring Training invite.

Ryan Kalish (OF, 22, Red Sox): Kalish played 41 games in Double-A and 37 games in Triple-A. Overall, he put up a line of .294/.382/.502 for an OPS of .884 in 343 PAs. He hit 13 HRs, 18 doubles, 2 triples, drove in 47 runs, scored 57 runs, and stole 25 bases (only caught 3 times). His BB/K ratio was 42/53. Kalish could very well be a 5-tool player. He figures to get more playing time next year with the Sox. He may even get a shot to start at some point.

Aaron Poreda (LH RP, 24, Padres): Poreda pitched 25 innings in Double-A and 29 innings in Triple-A. Throwing strikes started to become a problem for Poreda last season, and this season was no different. Poreda’s BB/9 in Double-A was 9.4 and 11.8 in Triple-A. That’s obviously abysmal. However, his other peripherals were actually quite good. Only gave up 1 HR all year. And he didn’t give up many hits, either. His H/9 was 5.2 (6.5 in Double-A, 4.0 in Triple-A). His K/9 was also respectable at 7.8 (9.0 in Double-A, 6.8 in Triple-A). Control issues aside, still a lot of upside here.

James Rapoport (CF, 25, Cardinals): Rapoport played 25 games in Double-A and 112 games in Triple-A. His overall line was .276/.350/.354 for an OPS of .703 in 560 PAs. He hit 4 HRs, 18 doubles, 4 triples, swiped 8 bags, drove in 46 runs, and scored 74 runs. This Stanford product’s BB/K ratio was 54/69.

Michael Schwimer (RH RP, 24, Phillies): Schwimer pitched 40 innings in Double-A and 20 innings in Triple-A. In Triple-A, he was 2-2 with a 1.35 ERA, 1.150 WHIP, 7.2 H/9, 0.4 HR/9, 3.2 BB/9, 8.1 K/9, and 2.57 K/BB. In Double-A, he was 5-3 with 11 saves, a 3.60 ERA, 1.200 WHIP, 7.6 H/9, 1.1 HR/9, 3.2 BB/9, 13.0 K/9, and 4.14 K/BB. Overall, he was 7-5 with 11 saves, a 2.85 ERA, 1.183 WHIP, 7.5 H/9, 0.9 HR/9, 3.2 BB/9, 11.4 K/9, and 3.62 K/BB. I think we’ll see his MLB debut some time in 2011.

Adam Stern (OF, 30, Brewers): Stern put up a line of .325/.399/.462 for an OPS of .860 in 322 PAs. He hit 5 HRs, 18 doubles, 3 triples, drove in 29 runs, and scored 48 runs. His BB/K ratio was 35/47. This was his best season since 2004.

Josh Whitesell (1B, 28, Nationals): Before signing with the Tokyo Yakult Swallows, Whitesell played 54 games for the Nationals’ Triple-A affiliate, putting up a line of .304/.406/.446 for an OPS of .852 in 219 PAs. If you’re the curious sort, you might be interested to learn that with the Swallows, Whitesell put up a line of .309/.399/.591 for an OPS of .990 in 230 ABs. Combined, he hit 19 HRs, 28 doubles, 3 triples, and drove in 87 runs in 414 ABs.

Double-A/Class A-Advanced

Dylan Axelrod (RHP, 25, White Sox): Axelrod pitched 99 1/3 innings (13 starts) in Class A-Advanced and 10 innings (2 starts) in Double-A. Overall, he was 8-4 with a 2.06 ERA, 1.079 WHIP, 8.5 H/9, 0.2 HR/9, 1.2 BB/9, 7.6 K/9, and 6.13 K/BB. That K/BB ratio is filthy.

Richard Bleier (LH SP, 23, Rangers): Bleier was 7-11 with a 5.04 ERA, 1.333 WHIP, 10.5 H/9, 0.7 HR/9, 1.5 BB/9, 4.5 K/9, and 2.93 K/BB in 164 1/3 innings (28 starts in Double-A). Like Axelrod, you’ve got to like the command. Just needs to miss more bats.

Charles Cutler (C, 23, Cardinals): Cutler played 38 games in Double-A and 41 games in Class A-Advanced. His overall line was .260/.350/.341 for an OPS of .691 in 314 PAs. He did very well in Class A-Advanced but struggled in Double-A. His BB/K ratio was 32/33. He threw out 25% of the baserunners who attempted to steal against him. I could see him being another Ryan Hanigan or Francisco Cervelli.

Jonathon Fixler (C, 24, Astros): Fixler played 20 games in Single-A and 33 games in Double-A. In Double-A, he put up a line of .265/.363/.500 for an OPS of .863 in 115 PAs. His overall line was .242/.344/.427 for an OPS of .771 in 185 PAs. Not bad for a catcher.

Jason Kipnis (2B, 23, Indians): Kipnis played 54 games in Class A-Advanced and 79 games in Double-A. In Double-A, he put up a line of .311/.385/.502 for an OPS of .887 in 355 PAs. His overall line was .307/.386/.492 for an OPS of .878 in 592 PAs. He hit 16 HRs, 32 doubles, 8 triples, swiped 9 bags, drove in 74 runs, and scored 96 runs. Kipnis was named the Indians’ Minor League Player of the Year. May not be long before he joins his old teammate from Arizona State, Ike Davis, in The Bigs. Has September call-up written all over him for 2011.

David Kopp (RH SP, 24, Cardinals): Kopp pitched 121 innings (21 starts) in Double-A and 24 innings (5 starts) in Triple-A. In Double-A, he was 12-4 with a 3.05 ERA, 1.364 WHIP, 9.4 H/9, 0.7 HR/9, 2.9 BB/9, 5.8 K/9, and 2.00 K/BB. Overall, he was 12-9 with a 3.97 ERA, 1.476 WHIP, 10.2 H/9, 0.8 HR/9, 3.1 BB/9, 5.6 K/9, and 1.80 K/BB. He struggled mightily during his 5 starts in Triple-A, just like he struggled mightily in his 5 starts in Double-A in 2009. If the pattern keeps up, he’ll pitch well in Triple-A next season and struggle mightily in The Show.

Ryan Lavarnway (C/DH, 23, Red Sox): Lavarnway played 82 games in Class A-Advanced and 44 games in Double-A. In Double-A, he put up a line of .285/.395/.494 for an OPS of .888 in 190 PAs. His overall line was .288/.393/.489 for an OPS of .882 in 550 PAs. He hit 22 HRs, 27 doubles, drove in 102 runs, and scored 91 runs. His BB/K ratio was 70/104. He also threw out 33% of the baserunners who attempted to steal against him. For the 2nd consecutive season, Lavarnway was named the Offensive Player of the Year in the Red Sox’s farm system. If he remains a catcher, he should have a ton of value moving forward. Catchers who can swing the lumber like he can don’t grow on trees. Could be a September call-up next year.

Josh Satin (2B/INF, 25, Mets): Satin played 58 games in Class A-Advanced and 79 games in Double-A. In Double-A, he put up a line of .308/.395/.472 for an OPS of .867 in 332 PAs. His overall line was .311/.399/.467 for an OPS of .866 in 577 PAs. He hit 12 HRs, 39 doubles, 1 triple, drove in 74 runs, and scored 76 runs. As a second baseman, he gets overshadowed by Kipnis, but he’s another potential September call-up next year.

Scott Schneider (RHP, 22, Cardinals): Schneider pitched 74 innings (13 starts) in Class A-Advanced and 63 2/3 innings (8 starts) in Single-A. Overall, Schneider was 8-9 with 2 saves in 137 2/3 innings, a 3.46 ERA, 1.140 WHIP, 7.6 H/9, 0.5 HR/9, 2.6 BB/9, 7.5 K/9, and 2.88 K/BB.

Single-A

Nathan Freiman (1B, 23, Padres): Freiman put up a line of .294/.369/.457 for an OPS of .826 in 594 PAs. He hit 14 HRs, 43 doubles, drove in 84 runs, and scored 83 runs. At 6’ 7”, he certainly looks the part of a first baseman. According to his numbers, he also plays the part pretty well.

Casey Haerther (1B, 22, Angels): Haerther put up a line of .307/.352/.432 for an OPS of .784 in 471 PAs. He hit 8 HRs, 26 doubles, 2 triples, swiped 10 bags, drove in 74 runs, and scored 54 runs. Very nice all-around 1st full season season for the former UCLA Bruin.

Jason Knapp (RHP, 20, Indians): Knapp missed most of the season because he was rehabbing from shoulder surgery in the offseason, but his numbers were impressive when he finally did pitch. He pitched 12 1/3 innings (5 starts) in Rookie League and 16 innings (4 starts) in Single-A. Overall, he was 1-2 with a 2.86 ERA, 1.024 WHIP, 47 Ks in 28 1/3 innings, 5.4 H/9, 0.0 HR/9, 3.8 BB/9, 14.9 K/9, and 3.92 K/BB. Coming into the season, Baseball America had him ranked as the 64th best prospect in the Minors, just behind Ike Davis at 62. It’s still unclear whether Knapp will remain a starter or be converted into a reliever, but one thing is certain: he’s a power pitcher who can rack up the Ks.

Tyler Kolodny (3B/1B, 22, Orioles): Kolodny played 10 games in Short-Season A and 41 games in Single-A. His overall line was .251/.365/.525 for an OPS of .890 in 220 PAs. He hit 11 HRs, 11 doubles, 3 triples, swiped 9 bags, drove in 33 runs, and scored 37 runs. From what I’ve read, the Orioles plan to move him to the outfield.

Brett Lorin (RH SP, 23, Pirates): Lorin missed most of the season because of a hip injury. He pitched 7 innings (3 starts) in Rookie League and 41 2/3 innings (9 starts) in Single-A. Overall, he was 2-3 in 48 2/3 innings with a 4.62 ERA, 1.295 WHIP, 9.4 H/9, 1.1 HR/9, 2.2 BB/9, 7.8 K/9, and 3.50 K/BB. It’ll be interesting to see what he can do in a full season.

Jason Markovitz (LHP, 22, Mariners): Markovitz pitched 19 2/3 innings in Short-Season A and 20 innings (2 starts) in Single-A. Overall, he was 2-2 with 4 saves in 39 2/3 innings, 40 Ks, a 3.86 ERA, 1.160 WHIP, 8.4 H/9, 0.5 HR/9, 2.0 BB/9, 9.1 K/9, and 4.44 K/BB. With those peripherals, he probably deserved a better ERA. Didn’t log too many innings at Long Beach University where he was teammates with Lorin for a year, but his numbers there were solid.

Daniel Rosenbaum (LH SP, 23, Nationals): Rosenbaum pitched 101 innings (18 starts) in Single-A and 43 innings (7 starts) in Class A-Advanced. Overall, he was 5-7 in 144 innings with a 2.25 ERA, 1.188 WHIP, 8.1 H/9, 0.4 HR/9, 2.6 BB/9, 7.2 K/9, and 2.80 K/BB. The 5-7 record doesn’t do him justice. Rosenbaum and Hirsh were the best starters in the minors this year, IMO.

David Rubinstein (OF, 23, Pirates): Rubinstein put up a line of .289/.347/.409 for an OPS of .755 in 480 PAs. He hit 3 HRs, 37 doubles, 3 triples, swiped 23 bags, drove in 50 runs, and scored 54 runs. Doesn’t possess a lot of power, but 37 doubles is nothing to sneeze at.

Josh Zeid (RHP, 23, Phillies): Zeid was 8-4 with 8 saves in 107 1/3 innings (12 starts), a 2.93 ERA, 1.137 WHIP, 111 Ks, 8.0 H/9, 0.6 HR/9, 2.3 BB/9, 9.3 K/9, and 4.11 K/BB. Outstanding numbers across the board. Zeid was voted as the Best Reliever at the Single-A level. With Schwimer, B.J. Rosenberg (injured for most of the season), and Zeid the Phillies have a solid core of relievers in their farm system.

Short-Season A/Rookie League

Jeremy Gould (LH RP, 22, Mets): In Rookie League, Gould was 1-2 with 1 save in 17 1/3 innings, a 3.12 ERA, 1.212 WHIP, 7.3 H/9, 0.5 HR/9, 3.6 BB/9, 5.7 K/9, and 1.57 K/BB. Didn’t pitch much at Duke; he was a solid every day player there.

Alex Kaminsky (RH SP, 22, Indians): Kaminsky pitched 69 innings (14 starts) in Short-Season A and 3 innings in Double-A. Overall, he was 7-5 with a 2.38 ERA, 1.069 WHIP, 7.1 H/9, 0.5 HR/9, 2.5 BB/9, 7.5 K/9, and 3.00 K/BB. Not bad for a guy who inexplicably went undrafted. Had a pretty good career at Wright State University.

Jake Lemmerman (SS, 21, Dodgers): In Rookie League, Lemmerman put up a line of .363/.434/.610 for an OPS of 1.044 in 303 PAs. He hit 12 HRs, 24 doubles, 2 triples, drove in 47 runs, and scored 69 runs. This former Blue Devil was teammates with Freiman and Gould at Duke. Middle infielders with this kind of pop are few and far between. If he sticks at shortstop, he could go real far.

Ben Orloff (INF, 23, Astros): In Short-Season A, Orloff put up a line of .307/.405/.324 for an OPS of .729 in 285 PAs. He hit 4 doubles, swiped 23 bags (only caught 5 times), drove in 16 runs, and scored 52 runs. Also had a nifty BB/K ratio of 34/19. Was teammates with Axelrod for 2 years at the University of California-Irvine.

Andrew Pevsner (LHP, 22, Dodgers): In Rookie League, Pevsner was 3-0 in 28 1/3 innings (18 appearances) with a 1.91 ERA, 1.376 WHIP, 30 Ks, 7.9 H/9, 1.0 HR/9, 4.4 BB/9, 9.5 K/9, and 2.14 K/BB.

Justin Schumer (RHP, 22, Giants): Schumer pitched 5 2/3 innings (1 start) in Rookie League and 21 1/3 innings (4 starts) in Short-Season A. Overall, he was 2-0 with a 1.00 ERA, 1.185 WHIP, 6.3 H/9, 0.0 HR/9, 4.3 BB/9, 6.0 K/9, and 1.38 K/BB. Schumer went undrafted. He obviously took umbrage at that.

Michael Schwartz (1B/DH, 23, White Sox): In Rookie League, Schwartz put up a line of .241/.414/.339 for an OPS of .753 in 146 PAs. His BB/K ratio was 26/33.

Mauricio Tabachnik (RHP, 20, Padres): In Short-Season A, Tabachnik was 3-4 in 62 innings (6 starts) with a 3.48 ERA, 1.306 WHIP, 10.0 H/9, 0.9 HR/9, 1.7 BB/9, 6.1 K/9, and 3.50 K/BB. Great name to go along with a great BB/9.

Jeff Urlaub (LHP, 23, A’s): In Rookie League, Urlaub was 1-0 with 2 saves in 26 1/3 innings, a 2.39 ERA, 0.987 WHIP, 26 Ks, 7.9 H/9, 0.0 HR/9, 1.0 BB/9, 8.9 K/9, and 8.67 K/BB. That’s about as dominant as it gets. Was teammates with Ike Davis for 1 year at Arizona State.

And Let Us Say…Amen.
-Jeremy Fine
For more info check out www.TheGreatRabbino.com

Minor League Baseball Report Read More »

Tebow penning memoir on ‘faith, family and football’

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Tim Tebow, the Broncos back-up, former Florida Gator great and Jesus Christ football star, is writing a memoir. I learned that this morning when I got my regular update from Tebow’s fan page on Facebook.

“Through My Eyes” will be published by HarperCollins. Here’s the story from Tebow’s foundation’s website:

Tebow’s much publicized life is one of most inspirational stories in American sports. He captivated the country with his relentless will to succeed on the field and his passion for others. The memoir will reveal how this remarkable young man constantly strives to be the best, has always overcome the odds and how he has managed to do so while remaining true to his faith and family values.

Tebow, the son of Christian missionaries, has a unique story to tell. From the circumstances of his birth, to his home-schooled roots, to his record-setting career as the most celebrated football player in Florida Gators history and his first round draft selection by the Denver Broncos, there’s been a lot said about Tim Tebow. Now he will have the chance to inspire readers with his own, first-hand account of his personal story.

“I am extremely excited about the opportunity to share my story of faith, family and football,” said Tebow, ‘”and look forward to taking readers inside my life, both on and off the field. As a kid, you always dream of becoming something great. Whether that dream is to become an astronaut, a famous musician, the CEO of a large company, the President, an NFL Quarterback or anything else, you will undoubtedly face all kinds of adversity on your journey. This is my story about how I was able to fulfill my dream and I hope it can inspire people of all ages that are aspiring to fulfill their dreams.”

Timmy!

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An outsider comes

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Home to 5000 Chabad Colleagues By Rabbi Shmuley Boteach 7 November 2010 – Tonight I attended the international Chabad emissary conference – the Kinus Hashluchim HaOlami – for the first time in sixteen years. When I was the Rebbe’s emissary at Oxford University I came annually. But with my split from Chabad over my inclusion of non-Jewish students at Oxford, I stopped. A lot has changed in that time. The man responsible for my firing from Chabad was himself fired. My close friend Cory Booker, whom I made president of our organization and who became the symbol of the non-Jewish outreach that cost me my position in Lubavitch, has become an American political superstar and one of the most sough-after speakers in the American Jewish community and will be the guest of honor at next month’s Colel Chabad dinner. Most significantly, the Rebbe passed away a few months after the last conference I attended. So it was with some trepidation and more than a little lingering pain that I joined my former colleagues in Chabad’s annual celebration of its global network of Ambassadors. How did it feel? Like being reborn.

Like coming home and having a central riddle of one’s life make sense again. What motivated a modern-orthodox boy of eight to fall in love with a Hassidic Jewish group who in the 1970’s was largely dismissed as a cult? More than anything it was this: Chabad made me feel like my life mattered. In a private audience the Rebbe told me I was born for great things.

I was part of an eternal people who had vastly contributed to the dissemination of G-d’s light in an otherwise dark world. Through persecutions and holocausts, assimilation and intermarriage, materialism and ignorance, that people were now endangered. And there was a sage who lived in Brooklyn whose English was broken but whose determination was resolute. He would, before he died, breathe new life into a fading nation. He beckoned me to join him as an agent of Jewish renewal. Chabad became the passion of my life. Defying my parents’ strong objections I left home at fourteen to be part of the Rebbe’s dream of a global Jewish renaissance and never looked back. A few years later I was his official representative at an important center of higher education, surrounded by impressionable young minds who thirsted for spiritual purpose.  I knew then in theory what I witnessed tonight in practice: Chabad would one day take over the Jewish world. Why? Because of the grandness of their vision and the passion with which they executed their mission. Other Jewish organizations sought to educate the people about their tradition. But Chabad sought to raise the earth’s inhabitants to a higher G-d-consciousness and to make Judaism the driving force in every decision of daily life. The passion and dedication of Chabad emissaries was infectious. They did not preach the Torah. Rather it coursed their veins, seeping out of every pore. Hassidic teachings about the approachability of G-d and the accessibility of a higher spiritual reality was grafted onto the average Chabad activists’ very DNA, becoming an inseparable part of their character and personality. Witnessing the fulfillment of that premonition tonight at the conference was an awakening. Chabad is no longer merely a Jewish movement. It is Judaism. I find it astonishing that Prime Minister Netanyahu flew in from Israel to attend the Jewish Federations Annual General Assembly but bypassed the Chabad Shluchim conference.

If an Israeli Prime Minister wants to be part of the gradual unfolding of modern Jewish history then he has to address Chabad. No other organization even comes close to its global reach and grass roots impact. And it is growing exponentially. When I last attended the Chabad Shluchim conference there were a few hundred of us from about twenty countries. We all fit into a small ballroom. A decade and a half later there are 5000 from 80 countries. No doubt, with its staggering birthrate and about half of all its members dedicating themselves to a lifelong posting, by the year 2020 Chabad will be fielding more than 15,000 emissaries in nearly all the world’s nations and will be the mainstream Jewish branch in most. In countries like France, Russia, Australia, and Britain this has largely happened. But even in countries with robust and highly developed Jewish communities like the United States and Canada the smart money will be on Chabad to emerge as leader.  Of course, it is not just Chabad which has changed so dramatically over the past 16 years. I have changed as well. My love for Chabad is just as deep, but I am past my infatuation. I see flaws that need to be corrected. The leadership must strive to be more democratic. A growing nepotism must be reversed in favor of the meritocracy which was responsible for Chabad’s astonishing cultivation of entrepreneurial talent. Most of all, if it is to impact the mainstream rather than just the Jewish world Chabad must finally overcome its Jewish insularity and embrace the Rebbe’s collective vision of a global Messianic awakening. Indeed, what was most missing from the gathering tonight was the Rebbe’s tangible presence. Chabad was never about money. Indeed, for me it was a refuge from modernity’s corrosive materialism. But a global movement with an enormous budget must honor the heroic philanthropists who make their work possible. But it must be done in a manner that never compromises the Rebbe’s defining characteristic of treating paupers and billionaires as being of equal and infinite value. But whatever my reservations, the electrifying spectacle tonight more than compensates. Not long ago the Jewish people were made to believe that if they were to succeed in the modern world they would have to make accommodations with strict adherence to tradition. Scraggly beards would have to be shaved off. Large families would have to give way to two kids and a dog. Names like Elazar and Tova would have change to Leo and Tiffany. Yeshiva and smicha would have to be forfeited in favor of Wharton and a Masters. Even orthodox Jews embraced this vision, if not in the name of progress than at least in the name of survival. And yet, the movement that has superseded them all is that which continues to believe that Judaism is so potent that the world will slowly bend to accommodate it rather than the reverse. 

Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, the international best-selling author of 24 books, heads This World: The Values Network, an organization dedicated to spreading universal Jewish values to heal America. His newest book is ‘Renewal: A Guide to the Values-Filled Life.’ Follow him on Twitter @RabbiShmuley.

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Westerwelle visits Gaza, refuses to meet Hamas

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Germany’s foreign minister called on Israel to lift the blockade of Gaza and refused to meet with Hamas officials on a visit to the coastal strip.

Guido Westerwelle crossed into Gaza from Israel during a visit to the region Monday.

“The blockade of Gaza supports extremism and weakens the moderates, and we should not forget that Gaza is part of the two-state solution and that is what we are working for,” Westerwelle said in Gaza.

Westerwelle also called for the release of captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who is believed to be held by Hamas in Gaza. The foreign minister met Sunday with Shalit’s father in Jerusalem.

Westerwelle visited a United Nations school, met with local businessmen and toured a water treatment plant funded with German money while in Gaza, Haaretz reported.

He is the first German minister to visit Gaza in four years.

Israel tightened its blockade on Gaza in 2007 after Hamas took over the strip.

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Bibi’s wheels, two ladies dancing, popping the question

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Here are some recent stories from Israel that you may have missed:

Bibi’s million-dollar ride

Few luxury cars come with an anti-grenade defense system or bulletproof tires, nor other serious security features such as a bulletproof armored cabin and an automated fire extinguishing system.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s new official car, an Audi A8, has all of them, plus one more thing: a $1 million price tag.

The car also has a wide-screen DVD screen, a refrigerator and a humidor for cigars, according to reports, plus more mundane luxury items like a sun roof and leather interior.

Its 12-cylinder, 6-liter engine, with 450 horsepower, is the largest made by Audi for the A8. The car weighs in at nearly three tons.

Two more of the cars have been ordered to round out the prime minister’s convoy.

Netanyahu’s current convoy includes armored Toyota Land Cruisers and Chevrolet Suburbans.

‘Dancing’ takes a step

Israel’s “Dancing with the Stars” is kicking up its heels for a fifth season with same-sex partners for the first time.

Television sportscaster Gili Shem Tov, a lesbian married to a woman with whom she has a son, is paired with professional dancer Dorit Milman, who wasn’t aware that she had a female partner until Shem Tov walked into the studio for their first meeting.

“Because I share my life with a woman and have a family with her, to me this is the most natural thing to do,” Shem Tov said during the introductory show last week.

“Dancing with the Stars,” based on the British “Strictly Come Dancing” show, is the first of 35 versions broadcast in countries around the world to have same-sex partners.

So who will lead? The women said on the first show that they would take turns.

Meanwhile, former “Baywatch” star Pamela Anderson landed Sunday in Israel to serve as a guest judge.

Anderson has asked Israeli politicians to support a bill that would ban the use of animal fur to make clothing in Israel. The bill has angered the haredi Orthodox parties, since many of their adherents wear the streimel, a sable-trimmed hat.

Anderson has called on the politicians to view a graphic People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals video.

And the winning numbers are …

A 10,000-to-1 event that occurred twice in one month has put some big bucks in the bank accounts of three Israelis, plus a bit of extra cash in the pockets of a handful of others.

The six main numbers hit twice in Israel’s state lottery in less than a month; the seventh strong number was different, however.

Three players guessed the seven numbers correctly and each won more than $1 million. Some 95 others played the six base winning numbers in the second drawing, according to reports, each winning $1,116 to $1,831.

Gentlemen, start your engines

The popular British television show “Top Gear” raced into Israel to film an episode.

Hosts Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May arrived recently from Iraq via Jordan driving a camouflage-colored car and another with a water pipe attached to the door. Paparazzi chased them through the hills on the outskirts of Jerusalem. The show also reportedly filmed in Nazareth and the Golan Heights.

No one is saying whether the hosts managed to wreck a car, as they are fond of doing, during their visit to the land of aggressive drivers.

The episode is set to be aired during the next season. “Top Gear” has hundreds of millions of viewers worldwide.

Diamonds are forever

Israeli police helped their Belgian counterparts crack a $1 million international diamond theft.

Some of the diamonds, stolen by a worker from a diamond factory in Antwerp, were sold on the black market. A pickpocket in Paris ripped off the others from the thief.

Earlier this year, a shipment of diamonds sent from Israel to New York turned out to be part of the stolen Antwerp diamonds.

Based on the information from New York, Israeli police were able to track down the member of the diamond exchange who sent the diamonds. In his home they found several more of the stolen diamonds, as well as documentation of the sale of some of the other stolen jewels.

For your eyes only

James Bond may be on his way to Israel after Israel and Britain signed an agreement to cooperate on filmmaking.

The deal, which makes Israel a preferred filming location for British films, also will give British production companies financial incentives and tax benefits from the state to shoot in Israel, Ynet reported.

British Foreign Minister William Hague signed the pact on a recent visit to Israel.

Parts of the next Bond movie reportedly may be filmed in Israel. In addition, British filmmakers are considering producing two films about the British Mandate period in Israel, according to Ynet.

The pot is on the government

A Health Ministry committee has recommended that medical marijuana be included in the country’s national health basket.

The committee cited the steep increase in the price of medical marijuana that unchecked could rise further if it does not join the list of included medicines.

The panel also recommended adding more Israeli doctors allowed to prescribe medical marijuana.

About 5,000 prescriptions for marijuana are expected to be written during 2010, according to Haaretz. The number of patients using medical marijuana could rise to 50,000 if the committee’s recommendations are accepted.

I do, I do

A physics student here may have created the world’s smallest marriage proposal—and he wants it documented as a record.

Elad Dekel, 25, who attends the Israel Institute of Technology, is trying to get his proposal, written on the back of a one-square-centimeter, gold-coated silicone chip, included in the Guinness Book of Records as the smallest marriage proposal in the world.

Created at a nanotechnology research center in Dresden, Germany, where Dekel went as part of an exchange program, the proposal was in Hebrew and German, and included a picture of the couple, Ynet reported.

Dekel showed his girlfriend, Chen Mendelowitz, the proposal under a microscope when she came to Dresden for a visit.

She said yes.

Got milk?

The milk of human kindness? Not here.

Fake posters listing the dangers of milk consumption bearing the logo of Israel’s Health Ministry were hung in cities throughout Israel, including outside of a child’s day care in Tel Aviv.

In addition to listing the health dangers with which milk is associated, the poster included suggestions for milk substitutes, including whole grain sesame, whole grain tahina, nuts, almonds, hummus, green leaves, soybeans, broccoli and beans.

Who put up the posters is a mystery; the Health Ministry wants the police to look into the matter.

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Israel’s U.N. ambassador: Life might be easier without U.N.

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Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations told JTA that “life might be easier” if the world body didn’t exist.

Meron Reuben added, however, that “whether we like it or not, we have to partake in its deliberations.”

The United Nations “is the most important multilateral organization in the world,” Reuben said. “Israel cannot be seen to be outside the United Nations.”

Reuben spoke with JTA on Monday morning hours before he was scheduled to hold his first face-to-face meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu since his temporary appointment by Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman. Netanyahu did not approve of Reuben’s appointment, so Reuben has taken the post on an interim basis.

“The hypocrisy of the United Nations makes Israel the scapegoat for everything,” Reuben, who also serves as Israel’s ambassador to Colombia, said in an interview. “We have learned, unfortunately, to live with this, but I hope it won’t go on forever.”

Reuben also said that Israel has made some positive strides at the United Nations in recent years, noting the passage three years ago of the first Israeli-sponsored resolution at the international body, the rising number of Israelis who hold official positions in the U.N. bureaucracy—15 in the U.N. hierarchy and 65 in affiliated organizations—and the establishment of an official U.N. Holocaust day of remembrance.

“It’s good that people around the world see what Israel has to offer,” Reuben said.

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