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Jewish Journal

Connect. Inform. Inspire.

July 6, 2011

Tens of thousands visit rebbe’s grave

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More than 50,000 people visited the grave of the seventh Lubavitcher rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, on the 17th anniversary of his death.

Along with the visitors Tuesday at Montefiore Cemetery in Queens, N.Y., an estimated 1 million more people sent requests to be left at the grave via fax and e-mail.

The yartzheit came just days after the 70th anniversary of the rebbe’s arrival in the United States from Nazi-occupied France.

Schneerson, the seventh Lubavitcher rebbe, died in 1994 and has been without a successor.

Visitors to his grave included Jews and non-Jews, Chasidim and secular Jews, and people from around the world, including some who made the trip specifically to pay their respects.

Throughout the year, a few hundred thousand people visit the gravesite seeking blessing, guidance and spiritual inspiration. The gravesite receives more than 400,000 prayer requests each year via fax and hundreds of thousands more via e-mail, according to Chabad.

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U.N. report: Israel used ‘unnecessary force’ to quell border breach

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Israel’s military used unnecessary force against protesters in Lebanon who tried to breach the border during demonstrations on Nakba Day, a United Nations report said.

The report, given to members of the U.N. Security Council and obtained by the Israeli daily newspaper Haaretz, was prepared by U.N. special coordinator for Lebanon, Michael Williams.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry has severed contact with Williams until further notice over the report, according to the newspaper.

Seven Lebanese protesters died during the May 14 demonstrations marking the day that Israel became an independent state.

The report said that Israeli troops used live fire against the 8,000 to 10,000 demonstrators trying to breach the border fence, who were unarmed.

“I call on the Israel Defense Forces to refrain from responding with live fire in such situations, except where clearly required in immediate self-defense,” the report issued by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said. “Notwithstanding every country’s inherent right of self defense, there is a need for the Israel Defense Forces always to apply appropriate operational measures, including crowd control measures, which are commensurate to the imminent threat toward their troops and civilians.

“Other than firing initial warning shots, the Israel Defense Forces did not use conventional crowd control methods or any other method than lethal weapons against the demonstrators.”

The report did note that Palestinian demonstrators who initiated the demonstrations were the first to use violence and violated U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701.

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Barak: Israel will not release terrorists’ bodies

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Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Israel would not release the remains of 84 Palestinian terrorists to the Palestinian Authority, despite confirmation by the PA and the Israeli military.

A decision by Barak and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to consider transferring the bodies to the Palestinian Authority as a goodwill gesture to PA President Mahmoud Abbas reportedly was misinterpreted by the Palestinian Authority and the Israel Defense Forces as final approval of the deal, The Jerusalem Post reported.

The Israeli government reportedly compiled a list of terrorists whose bodies would be handed over to the PA that included terrorists responsible for the deaths of Israelis, such as Hanadi Jadarat, a woman who blew up herself and 21 others in a Haifa restaurant in 2003.

Barak said Tuesday that 10 terrorists formerly from Gaza would be removed from the list, since the bodies could be used in negotiations for the release of kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit.

PA Civil Affairs Minister Hussein a-Sheikh told the Palestinian Ma’an News Agency on July 4 that Israel planned to transfer the bodies, and the IDF confirmed the news.

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Israel’s inclusion on terrorist watch list was a mistake

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Israel was included erroneously on a U.S. Department of Homeland Security terrorist watch list, a U.S. official said.

Gillian Christiansen, a spokeswoman for then U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement division of the department, said Israel’s recent appearance on a list compiled by the department’s office of the inspector general was a mistake.

“The addition of Israel in the OIG’s list of ICE’s ‘Third-Agency Checks’ (TAC) was based on inaccurate information provided to the OIG during the course of its audit,” Christiansen said in a statement sent by e-mail to JTA. “The U.S. does not and never has considered Israel to have links to terrorism, but rather they are a partner in our efforts to combat global terrorism. The United States maintains close intelligence-sharing relationships with Israel in order to address security issues within its own borders and in our mutual pursuit of safety and security around the globe.”

The list does not fault government policies and instead recognizes the likelihood that a suspect traveler from that country might have terrorist ties.

If a traveler from one of the countries is detained, the country’s inclusion on the list triggers a special check by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The list, attached to a May 10 document from the DHS Inspector General’s office, was reported last week by CNS News, a conservative news service.

The list of 36 nations includes a number of other close U.S. allies such as Turkey, Bahrain, Morocco and Philippines, as well as nations beset by internal fighting like Sudan and Somalia.

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Moroccan constitutional referendum recognizes Jewish community

Leave a Comment / Is Featured?, News, Worldwide /

A national referendum in Morocco approved a new constitution that incorporates democratic reforms and recognizes the nationalities that make up the population, including the Jewish community.

The constitution calls Morocco “A sovereign Moslem State, committed to the ideals of openness, moderation, tolerance and dialogue to foster mutual understanding among all civilizations; A Nation whose unity is based on the fully endorsed diversity of its constituents: Arabic, Amazigh, Hassani, Sub-Saharan, African, Andalusian, Jewish and Mediterranean components.”

The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations praised King Mohammed VI of Morocco on the results of the July 1 referendum approving the new constitution.

In a letter to Serge Berdugo, president of the Moroccan Jewish community, Presidents Conference Chairman Richard Stone and Executive Vice Chairman Malcolm Hoenlein said the Presidents Conference has enjoyed a close working relationship with the king, as it did with the late King Hassan II, and noted that the group visited Morocco in 2004 and the leadership continues to exchange visits regularly.

“In a tumultuous region,” the letter said, “Morocco remains an island of stability.”

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Crystal Cathedral does damage control

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In response to the ” title=”reports” target=”_blank”>reports:

“He [Robert H. Schuller] was not voted off the board,” said John Charles, the Garden Grove church spokesman. “He is still board chairman emeritus.”

The church released its statement a day after Schuller’s son, Robert Anthony Schuller, said his 84-year-old father had been ousted because he had proposed adding new members to the board.

“Recently, the board of directors of Crystal Cathedral Ministries voted to change Dr. Schuller’s position from that of a voting board member to the honorary Chairman of the Board Emeritus, a non-voting position,” the statement read.

In other words, the elder Schuller is still welcome at board meetings, but he can’t vote. So why leave him on the board in an emeritus status? To save face for Schuller or the board?

More interesting is the way this the Schuller family’s personal drama and relationships have played out publicly like a Shakespearean play.

Crystal Cathedral does damage control Read More »

Summer Rules are not meant to be followed, at least in my house…

Leave a Comment / California, Community, News /

I am just not as Tiger-esque as I had hoped to be this summer, in fact I am the very opposite of the Tiger Mother!  But, I did have big plans to become one over the summer break…  And even bigger plans to grow a pair when it comes to my children NOT sitting around watching TV, playing the Wii, DSI, Ipod, Shmi-Pod, PSP, STD, GameBoy, PlayBoy, alright you get the point…

As much as I had planned on having a very strict regimen for my kids this summer, I have already failed.  The kids have been out of school for three weeks now, but had only read once and done a single sheet of Math.  However, I do have very neatly piled worksheets of Math, Reading, Science and History sitting on the kitchen table waiting to be touched!  And every morning as I enter the kitchen, I am reminded of what a pathetic enforcer of rules that I am…  I keep thinking why can’t I be more tough and strong when it comes to my kids’ summer education?  I know I am no Amy Chua or some of my Mom friends by any means, but this is absolutely ridiculous.

Every single time I tell my kids to start reading or doing worksheets, I crumble and give in to their every excuse (do this in a very whiny voice of a 6 and 11-year-old):

-Mom, I am hungry.  Can I do it after I eat, again?

– Of course baby!  Let me make you some food, because I had just put away your breakfast an hour ago, and you clearly need to eat again.

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– Mom, I am just so tired.  I played outside with the neighbor kid for a long time.  Can’t I just rest for a little bit and then do it?

– Sure baby!  Let me make you all cozy on the couch here.  Can I whip up some fresh squeezed lemonade for you since I have nothing better to do?

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– Mom, my brother woke me up so early this morning, I can’t do any work now.  My brain is not up.  Can’t I just take a short nap and then do it?

– Of course!  Why don’t you go and lay on MY freshly-made bed while I make some cookies for when you wake up!

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– Mom, I sat on the toilet for so long this morning, my butt really hurts and I can’t sit and do any work right now.  Can I do it later?

– You poor baby!  Let me rub your beautiful toches!

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You get the pattern here?  I know its pathetic, but I am not a Tiger Mother.  I am a Yiddishe Mother.  That unfortunately comes with a great gift of smothering, over-bearing, over-feeding, over-nurturing, over-touching, over-everything.  That is why I enrolled them in summer camp so someone else can do what I can’t, make them Read and do their Math!  And when they come home and tell me they did neither one of those things, but play and eat, I will still go to bed happy!  Who needs Reading and Math anyway…  They will be artists and comedians when they grow up, so who cares!

Summer Rules are not meant to be followed, at least in my house… Read More »