We thought it would be nice to give our readers some time to catch up in whats going on in the Israeli Sports World. Here are some recent articles:
“>Maccabi Tel Aviv Fan Punished for Slurs
“>Israel Expects Windsurfing Medal in 2012
Israeli Sports Update Read More »
Holocaust survivors welcomed Germany’s decision to ban one of its largest neo-Nazi organizations.
Announcing the ban of HNG, the “national organization for political prisoners and their relatives,” German Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich said Wednesday that the organization’s real purpose is to assist far-right extremists in opposing the democratic state.
“Holocaust survivors welcome the ban … as a sign of modern Germany’s political maturity and its clear determination to confront extremists in any guise,” Elan Steinberg, vice president of the American Gathering of Holocaust Survivors and their Descendants, said in a statement responding to the news.
A series of raids on HNG cells followed the ban, and materials were seized as evidence at locations in the states of Bavaria, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westfalia and Rhineland Pfalz. HNG, which reportedly was founded in 1979 and had 600 members, was subjected to a search-and-seizure operation last year, which revealed that the group was actively working to undermine the democratic state, according to the Interior Ministry.
Friedrich in his statement said that the federal government had to stop HNG from bolstering the aggressive, anti-democratic position of jailed right-wing extremists.
“By rejecting the democratic rule of law and glorifying Nazism, HNG was trying to bind far-right criminals to ‘the scene,’ ” he said. “HNG has contributed to the apparent radicalization of the neo-Nazi scene” through its solidarity with and financial support for criminals.
HNG has been assisting mainly younger neo-Nazis. Another organization—Stille Hilfe, or Silent Aid—has been helping accused or convicted Nazi war criminals since 1951. Some observers say Stille Hilfe has helped accused criminals evade justice.
Efraim Zuroff, Israel director of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, recently told JTA that Stille Hilfe is “symbolically important, but what their impact is is hard to say.”
Steinberg said the impact of HNG was not in doubt. Its “hate-filled worldview extends beyond antipathy to Jews to all minorities,” he said. “History has shown us where such malignant attitudes can lead.”
Germany bans largest neo-Nazi group Read More »
One thing I remember from most of the stories I wrote at the LA Daily News about community disputes was that they often came down to property values. Or at least they were framed in terms of concern over property values.
Maybe the most vivid was the role that property values supposedly played in the Conejo Valley ” title=”wrote”>wrote:
“Is it me or am I the only one that finds this strange?’’ Carlos Bernal of Oak Park wrote in an e-mail to local officials. “Why don’t we install a crucifix at every stoplight? Or the picture of Muhammad at every pedestrian crossing?
“I’m not a religious guy and certainly don’t have anything against the Jewish faith … but this rubs me the wrong way.’‘
Jews were equally critical of the glistening wires that zigzagged across residential streets—a threat to property values and unsuspecting birds.
“It is not some biblical thing that says, ‘Hang some fishing line.’ It’s an arbitrary man-made work-a-round,’’ said Susan Flores, a Reform Jew who, like most, does not keep Sabbath.
“While you are making stuff up, why don’t you make up something that is a little less obtrusive.’‘
So less than a month after the Conejo Eruv was erected in Agoura Hills, Oak Park and Westlake Village, its supporters tore down the Oak Park section.
With that in mind, check out ” title=”opposition in Apple Valley”>opposition in Apple Valley to a Hindu temple. But you don’t hear a lot about discrimination directed at Christians. Seems like there may be some other community dynamics going on here.
How does a large cross hurt property values? Read More »
President Barack Obama is unable to succeed. He tries and misses. He wants to bless the peace process and ends up cursing it. Another chapter in this sad story was written last week when the president once again channeled the sides into the dead end of a final-status agreement, while standing in the way of the establishment of a Palestinian state – the only chance for diplomatic progress between Israel and the Palestinians.
His intentions were good: to anchor the principle of two states for two peoples, which ostensibly is acceptable to both the Israeli and Palestinian leaderships. Obama shared his goodwill: He gave the Palestinians 1967 and the Israelis recognition of Israel’s Jewishness. He called on both sides to return to negotiations on a final-status agreement, while stating his opposition to the declaration of a Palestinian state at the United Nations in September.
But there’s a catch. Since the Hamas victory in the January 2006 elections, there is not and cannot be a Palestinian partner to such a diplomatic process. On the one hand, a Palestine that includes Hamas, which refuses to recognize Israel and existing agreements, cannot be a partner to negotiations on a final-status agreement. On the other hand, without Hamas, the Palestinian system lacks internal legitimacy, which prevents a historic concession. That’s why all the calls out of Washington, Brussels and Jerusalem for a renewal of talks between Israel and the Palestinians are hollow, and the negotiations that were conducted during the Annapolis process had no chance of success in the first place.
Only one format is likely to enable progress to a permanent situation based on the principle of two states for two peoples: coordinated unilateral steps based on understanding and quiet cooperation. That’s how the Palestinian Authority’s institutions were established in recent years, with security achieved in Judea and Samaria and economic growth in the West Bank. Despite this significant progress, the array of possible agreements and cooperation among Israel, the PA in the West Bank and the United States is far from exhausted. The upcoming declaration of a Palestinian state at the United Nations in September should be seen in this context.
But Obama is trapped in a worldview that has become obsolete. He believes that Israel and the Palestinians must and can reach a final-status agreement that will solve all the issues, establish a Palestinian state and end the conflict. That’s why he repeatedly tries to create the conditions that will get the two sides to the negotiating table, ending in the inevitable and desired final-status agreement. Like an athlete in a fixed match who improves his performance without realizing that the outcome is known in advance, Obama keeps squandering diplomatic assets: freezing settlement construction, Saudi gestures and recognition of the 1967 lines.
And that’s why Obama is missing the opportunity under his nose; a declaration of a Palestinian state in September includes the possibility of a diplomatic breakthrough as well as significant advantages for Israel. The establishment of such a state will help anchor the principle of two states for two peoples, shape the permanent situation with Israel controlling the security assets and the new state’s surroundings, and diminish the refugee problem by marginalizing UNRWA and limiting refugee status.
Despite Obama’s speeches, the diplomatic process will remain at a dead end as the moment of decision in September approaches. Then the United States will have another opportunity to do the right thing: to ensure that the establishment of a Palestinian state conforms to Israel’s needs.
The writer is the founder and president of the Reut Institute. This op-ed originally appeared at Haaretz.
Obama’s mistaken approach to peace Read More »
WED., SEPT. 28
EREV ROSH HASHANAH
Chai Center. Wed. 6:25-8:30 p.m. New Year’s Eve party follows. Free. Writers Guild Theater, 135 S. Doheny Drive, Beverly Hills. (310) 391-7995. chaicenter.org.
Sinai Temple’s Rosh Hashanah Live, a musical service featuring Rabbi David Wolpe, Cantor Joseph Gole, Craig Taubman, Theodore Bikel, opera singer George Komsky and the Life Choir. Wed. 8-9:30 p.m. Free. Sinai Temple, 10440 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. (310) 474-1518. sinaitemple.org.
Hillel at UCLA. Wed. 6:30 p.m. (Orthodox), 7 p.m. (Traditional), 7:30 p.m. (Reform). Free (students). 574 Hilgard Ave., Los Angeles. (310) 208-3081. ucla.hillel.org.
Hillel at USC. Wed. 6:30 p.m. Free (students). Hillel at USC, 3300 S. Hoover St., Los Angeles. (213) 747-9135. uschillel.org.
THU., SEPT. 29
ROSH HASHANAH — FIRST DAY
Temple Israel of Hollywood. Family service (toddler-second grade). Thu. 8:30 a.m. Free. 7300 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles. (323) 876-8330. tioh.org.
Hillel at UCLA. Thu. 9 a.m. (Traditional), 9:15 a.m. (Orthodox), 9:30 a.m. (Reform). Free (students). 574 Hilgard Ave., Los Angeles. (310) 208-3081. ucla.hillel.org.
Hillel at USC. Thu. 9:30 a.m. Free (students). 3300 S. Hoover St., Los Angeles. (213) 747-9135. uschillel.org.
Chabad House at UCLA. Thu. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. (service), 11:30 a.m. (shofar). Free. Chabad of Westwood, 741 Gayley Ave., Los Angeles. (310) 208-1613. chabadwestwood.com.
JConnectLA’s Days of Awesome Un-Service. Thu. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. (interactive service, including classes, yoga, stories, meditation and song). Free. Harkham Hillel Hebrew Academy, 9120 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles. (310) 277-5544. daysofawesome.com.
Beth Chayim Chadashim. Family service. Thu. 10:30 a.m. Free. Temple Isaiah, 10345 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles. (323) 931-7023. bcc-la.org.
Chai Center. Thu. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. (services), 12:30 p.m. (shofar). Free. Writers Guild Theater, 135 S. Doheny Drive, Beverly Hills. (310) 391-7995. chaicenter.org.
Laugh Factory. Thu. 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. 8001 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood. RSVP, (323) 656-1336, ext. 1. laughfactory.com.
Sholem Community. Thu. 11 a.m. Free. Rancho Park, Picnic Area No. 1, 2551 Motor Ave., Los Angeles. (818) 760-6625. sholem.org.
Congregation Or Ami. Family service. Thu. 2:15 p.m. Free. Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, Fred Kavli Theatre, 2100 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks. (818) 880-4880. orami.org.
Kehillat Israel. Family service. Thu. 3-4 p.m. Free. Wadsworth Theater, 11301 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. (310) 459-2328. kehillatisrael.org.
Temple Judea. Tot services. Thu. 3:30 p.m. Free. 5429 Lindley Ave., Tarzana. (818) 758-3800. templejudea.com.
Jewish Learning Exchange. Thu. 4:30-6 p.m. (beginner’s service). Free (registration required). 512 N. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles. (888) 908-0338. jlela.com.
TASHLICH
Congregation Kol Ami. Thu. 1:30 p.m. Free. MacArthur Park, 2230 W. Sixth St., downtown. (323) 606-0996. kol-ami.org.
Nashuva’s Tashlich by the Sea. Thu. 4:45 p.m. Free. Tashlich, drumming circle and shofar blowing. Venice Beach, 1 N. Venice Blvd., Venice. nashuva.com.
Leo Baeck Temple. Thu. 5 p.m. Will Rogers State Beach, 15800 Pacific Coast Highway, Pacific Palisades. (310) 476-2861. leobaecktemple.org.
Temple Emanuel of Beverly Hills. Thu. 5-9 p.m. Free. South Will Rogers State Beach, Lifeguard Station 8, 15800 Pacific Coast Highway, Pacific Palisades. (310) 409-4644. tebh.org.
Kehillat Ma’arav. Thu. 5:30 p.m. Free. End of the Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica. (310) 829-0566. km-synagogue.org.
FRI., SEPT. 30
ROSH HASHANAH — SECOND DAY
Hillel at UCLA. Fri. 9 a.m. (Traditional), 9:15 a.m. (Orthodox), 6:30 p.m. (Orthodox). Free (students). 574 Hilgard Ave., Los Angeles. (310) 208-3081. ucla.hillel.org.
Temple Emanuel of Beverly Hills. Fri. 9 a.m.-noon. Free. 8844 Burton Way, Beverly Hills. (310) 288-3737. tebh.org.
Beth Chayim Chadashim. Fri. 10 a.m. Free. 6090 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles. (323) 931-7023. bcc-la.org.
Chabad House at UCLA. Fri. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. (service), 11:30 a.m. (shofar). Free. Chabad of Westwood, 741 Gayley Ave., Los Angeles. (310) 208-1613. chabadwestwood.com.
Ohr HaTorah’s Second Day Rosh Hashanah Special Musical Performance. Fri. 10 a.m. Free. Wilshire Ebell Theatre, 4401 W. Eighth St., Los Angeles. (310) 915-5200. ohrhatorah.org.
Temple Israel of Hollywood. Chapel service. Fri. 10 a.m. Free. 7300 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles. (323) 876-8330. tioh.org.
Hillel at USC. Fri. 10 a.m. Free (students). 3300 S. Hoover St., Los Angeles. (213) 747-9135. uschillel.org.
TASHLICH
Beth Chayim Chadashim. Fri. 4 p.m. Free. Venice Beach, near Figtree’s Café and Grill, 429 Ocean Front Walk, Venice. (323) 931-7023. bcc-la.org.
SUN., OCT. 2
KEVER AVOT
Eden Memorial Park. Sun. 10 a.m. Free. 11500 Sepulveda Blvd., Mission Hills. (818) 361-7161. eden-memorialpark.com.
Hillside Memorial Park and Mortuary. Sun. 10 a.m. Free. Hillside Memorial Park and Mortuary, 6001 W. Centinela Ave., Los Angeles. (800) 576-1994. hillsidememorial.org.
Mount Sinai Memorial Parks and Mortuaries—Hollywood Hills. Sun. 10 a.m. Free. 5950 Forest Lawn Drive, Los Angeles. (800) 600-0076. mountsinaiparks.org.
Home of Peace. Sun. 11 a.m. Free. 4334 Whittier Blvd., Los Angeles. (323) 261-6135. homeofpeacememorialpark.com.
Mount Sinai Memorial Parks and Mortuaries—Simi Valley. Sun. 1 p.m. Free. 6150 Mount Sinai Drive, Simi Valley. (800) 600-0076. mountsinaiparks.org.
Sholom Memorial Park. 10 a.m. Free. 13017 N. Lopez Canyon Road, San Fernando. (818) 899-5216. sholomchapels.com.
TASHLICH
Adat Chaverim. Cantorial soloist Terry Lieberstein leads this outdoor, interactive Tashlich service. Sun. 11 a.m. Free. Los Encinos Park, 16756 Moorpark St., Encino. (888) 552-4552. humanisticjudaismla.org.
Shomrei Torah Synagogue. Sun. 12:30 p.m. Free (for Birthright Israel alumni). Beach in Malibu. For more information, call (818) 346-0811 or visit shomreitorahsynagogue.org.
Tashlich: A Jewish Ritual of Renewal. Hosted by HaMercaz, Vista Inspire Program, Miracle Theatre and Nes Gadol. Sun. 2-4 p.m. Free. Annenberg State Beach House, 415 Pacific Coast Highway, Santa Monica. (866) 287-8030 or (310) 836-1223, ext. 322.
IKAR. Sun. 4:30 p.m. Free. Santa Monica State Beach, Lifeguard Station 26, just south of Ocean Park Boulevard, Santa Monica. ikar-la.org.
JConnectLA’s Sunset Tashlich by the Sea. Sun. 6 p.m. Free. Santa Monica Pier, halfway down pier, Santa Monica. (310) 277-5544. daysofawesome.com.
WED., OCT. 5
FREE SENIORS HIGH HOLY DAY LUNCHEON
Chabad Jewish Community Center in conjunction with the Ventura Townhouse. Wed., Oct. 5, 11:30 am. Free. Chabad Jewish Community Center, 5040 Telegraph Road. To RSVP please call Sarah at 805.660.1836.
FRI., OCT. 7
KOL NIDRE
Kol Nidre LIVE BROADCAST. Fri. 6:15 p.m. Rabbi Naomi Levy and Nashuva will appear on livestream over jewishjournal.com. Click here to watch.
JConnectLA’s Days of Awesome Un-Service. Fri. 5:30 p.m. (non-traditional service). Free. Harkham Hillel Hebrew Academy, 9120 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles. (310) 277-5544. daysofawesome.com.
Hillel at UCLA. Fri. 6 p.m. (Traditional), 6:15 p.m. (Orthodox), 7:30 p.m. (Reform). Free (students). 574 Hilgard Ave., Los Angeles. (310) 208-3081. ucla.hillel.org.
Laugh Factory. Fri. 6-8 p.m. Free. 8001 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood. RSVP, (323) 656-1336, ext. 1. laughfactory.com.
Chai Center. Fri. 6:30-8:30 p.m. (services). Writers Guild Theater, 135 S. Doheny Drive, Beverly Hills. (310) 391-7995. chaicenter.org.
Hillel at USC. Fri. 6:30 p.m. Free (students). 3300 S. Hoover St., Los Angeles. (213) 747-9135. uschillel.org.
SAT., OCT. 8
YOM KIPPUR
Temple Israel of Hollywood. Family service (toddler-second grade). Sat. 8:30 a.m. Free. 7300 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles. (323) 876-8330. tioh.org.
Hillel at UCLA. Sat. 9:15 a.m. (Shachrit, Orthodox), 9:30 a.m. (Morning, Traditional), 9:30 a.m. (Morning, Reform), noon (meditation, Reform), 1 p.m. (Yizkor, Traditional), 2 p.m. (text study, Reform), 4:30 p.m. (Mincha, Traditional), 5:15 p.m. (Neilah, Orthodox), 5:30 p.m. (Yizkor/Neilah, Reform), 6 p.m. (Neilah, Traditional), 7:13 p.m. (Shofar sounded). Free (students). 574 Hilgard Ave., Los Angeles. (310) 208-3081. ucla.hillel.org.
Hillel at USC. Sat. 9:30 a.m. (services), 1 p.m. (Yizkor), 4:30 p.m. (Mincha), 6 p.m. (Neilah), 7:06 p.m. (Break the fast). Free (students). 3300 S. Hoover St., Los Angeles. (213) 747-9135. uschillel.org.
JConnectLA’s Days of Awesome Un-Service. Sat. 10 a.m. Free (non-traditional service and break-the-fast). Harkham Hillel Hebrew Academy, 9120 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles. (310) 277-5544. daysofawesome.com.
Beth Chayim Chadashim. Family Service. Sat. 11 a.m. Free. Temple Isaiah, 10345 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles. (323) 931-7023. bcc-la.org.
Chai Center. Sat. 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. (services), 3-5 p.m. (“Stump the Rabbi” program), 5:30-7:06 p.m. (Neilah). Writers Guild Theater, 135 S. Doheny Drive, Beverly Hills. (310) 391-7995. chaicenter.org.
Laugh Factory. Sat. 11 a.m.-1 p.m., 6-8 p.m. (Neilah). Break-the-fast follows. Free. 8001 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood. RSVP, (323) 656-1336, ext. 1. laughfactory.com.
Sholem Community. Sat. 11 a.m. Free. Rancho Park, Picnic Area No. 1, 2551 Motor Ave., Los Angeles. (818) 760-6625. sholem.org.
Ohr HaTorah’s Yom Kippur Special Musical Performance. Sat. 2 p.m. Free. Wilshire Ebell Theatre, 4401 W. Eighth St., Los Angeles. (310) 915-5200. ohrhatorah.org.
Congregation Or Ami. Family service. Sat. 2:15 p.m. Free. Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, Fred Kavli Theatre, 2100 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks. (818) 880-4880. orami.org.
Kehillat Israel. Family service. Sat. 3-4 p.m. Free. Wadsworth Theater, 11301 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. (310) 459-2328. kehillatisrael.org.
Temple Judea. Tot services. Sat. 3:30 p.m. Free. 5429 Lindley Ave., Tarzana. (818) 758-3800. templejudea.com.
SUN., OCT. 9
KEVER AVOT
Sholom Memorial Park. 10 a.m. Free. 13017 N. Lopez Canyon Road, San Fernando. (818) 899-5216. sholomchapels.com.
Did we forget a free High Holy Days event? E-mail the information to {encode=”webmaster@jewishjournal.com” title=”webmaster@jewishjournal.com”}.
Free High Holy Days services 2011 Read More »
French President Nicolas Sarkozy proposed on Wednesday that the United Nations give the Palestinians status as a U.N. observer state while setting out a roadmap for peace within one year.
In an impassioned speech at the U.N. General Assembly devoted entirely to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Sarkozy warned that any veto against Palestinian efforts to seek full statehood in the Security Council “risked engendering a cycle of violence” in the Middle East.”
“We can no longer wait … Let us cease our endless debates on the parameters and begin negotiations,” he said. “The moment has come to build peace for Palestinian and Israeli children.”
France has grown increasingly frustrated at the lack of progress on the peace process, saying that negotiations should be widened to include a more hands-on role for Europe amid an ongoing impasse in U.S.-led efforts.
Calling for a change of method, Sarkozy said negotiations should begin within one month, an agreement on borders and security should happen within six months and a definitive agreement be reached within a year.
“Today we are facing a very difficult choice. Each of us knows that Palestine cannot immediately obtain full and complete recognition of the status of United Nations member state,” Sarkozy said. “But who could doubt that a veto at the Security Council risks engendering a cycle of violence in the Middle East?”
Sarkozy said the General Assembly should consider offering the Palestinians a status like that held by the Vatican, which would restore hope and mark progress to a final status.
“Why not envisage offering Palestine the status of United Nations observer state? This would be an important step forward. Most important, it would mean emerging from a state of immobility that favors only the extremists.”
The Palestinians have said that as an alternative to the Security Council, where the United States has promised to veto any full membership vote, they could ask the General Assembly to approve upgrading their membership from “entity” to “non-member observer state.”
Sarkozy met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday and will meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday. He called on the Palestinians to reaffirm Israel’s right to exist and have security, while cautioning that Israel should show restraint.
A spokesman for the Palestinian president said Abbas would study Sarkozy’s proposals.
“The ultimate objective of peace negotiations must by the mutual recognition of two states for two peoples, based on the 1967 parameters with the exchange of agreed and equivalent territories,” Sarkozy said.
A Western diplomatic source said the time frame announced by Sarkozy was “one of the elements of a package” that European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton has been working on and which she presented to EU foreign ministers on Tuesday.
Paris has upped its diplomatic push over the last six months on the issue as the Arab Spring swept through the Middle East, fearing that failure to revive the peace process could undermine that momentum.
Sarkozy also has an eye on presidential elections next year with the repercussions of an escalation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict potentially spilling over at home, where there are more than 5 million Muslims and a Jewish community of between 600,000 and 700,000.
He warned on Tuesday that if there was no break in the impasse it could poison Arab countries’ evolution to democracy.
After a hesitant response to the Arab Spring, Sarkozy has been an outspoken defender of the changes in the region, leading international efforts to help Libyan rebels in their uprising against Muammar Gaddafi.
France has previously offered to convene negotiators in Paris to discuss ideas for a Palestinian state, but Israel has traditionally been reluctant to embrace a major European role in Middle East peacemaking, preferring to have its main ally, the United States, take the lead.
Sarkozy proposed a Palestinian donor conference in Paris this fall. “Let’s stop believing that just one country or one small group of countries can resolve a problem of such complexity,” he said.
Editing by Doina Chiacu
France’s Sarkozy proposes 1-yr Mideast peace map Read More »
More than just a series of days on a calendar, or merely an occasion for the obligatory visit to synagogue, the High Holy Days offer a month-long opportunity for self-reflection, communal prayer and ritual that together allow us each to create our own spiritual journey. This page is designed to guide you along that journey in Los Angeles and includes information on when to pray and how to celebrate rituals. You will find local listings of free religious services on Page 35 and even more information online at jewishjournal.com. L’shanah tovah!
Days of Awe: The 10 days starting with Rosh Hashanah and ending with Yom Kippur are a time for serious introspection, repentance and making amends. One of the themes is the concept of God’s “books,” in which it is decreed who shall live and who shall die. These books are said to be written on Rosh Hashanah, but it is believed that through teshuvah (repentance), tefilah (prayer) and tzedakah (charity), we can change our decree. The books are sealed on Yom Kippur.
Customs: This is a time of year when we seek reconciliation with people we may have wronged during the year, or at any time. According to the Talmud, on Yom Kippur we can atone for sins between ourselves and God, but for our sins against people, we must seek forgiveness from those people and attempt to right any wrongs we may have committed.
Greetings: During this month, and the month before it, we greet each other with “Shanah tovah u’metukah” (Have a happy and sweet New Year), or “L’shanah tovah tikatevu” (May you be inscribed for a good New Year). After Rosh Hashanah and before Yom Kippur, the notion of being sealed in the Book of Life is added: “L’shanah tovah tikatevu v’techatemu” (May you be inscribed and sealed for a good New Year), which is often abbreviated to “G’mar chatima tovah” (May you conclude with a good inscription) or further shortened to “G’mar tov” (May you conclude well).
SELICHOT
Sept. 25 (26 Elul)
The Selichot (forgiveness) are special penitential prayers recited throughout the High Holy Days designed to alert us to the significance of the upcoming holy days. Beginning at a midnight service on the Saturday before Rosh Hashanah for Ashkenazim and for the entire month preceding Rosh Hashanah for Sephardim, Selichot are recited each morning until Yom Kippur. The prayers are formed around the “13 Attributes of Mercy,” which describe how God relates to the world:
Merciful God, merciful God, powerful God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in kindness and truth. Preserver of kindness for thousands of generations, forgiver of iniquity, willful sin and error, and who cleanses (Exodus 34:6-7).
Many synagogues offer Selichot services. Visit jewishjournal.com for links to local listings.
EREV ROSH HASHANAH
Sept. 28 (29 Elul)
Candle Lighting: Sept. 28 at 6:23 p.m.
Hatarat nedarim/nullification of vows: The hatarat nedarim ceremony is performed to repeal any vows that one has taken upon oneself so that the New Year and Day of Judgment begin free from any sins of unfulfilled vows. The shofar isn’t sounded today, unlike all of the other days of Elul. Orthodox men often visit the mikveh, and many visit cemeteries to pray at the graves of the righteous and to visit their ancestors.
Blessings for the evenings of Sept. 28 and 29:
1) Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha’olam, asher kideshanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu l’hadlik ner shel Yom Hazikaron.
Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments and has commanded us to light the candle of the Day of Remembrance.
2) Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha’olam, shehecheyanu, v’kimanu, v’higianu, lazman hazeh.
Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has granted us life, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this occasion.
Rosh Hashanah eve meal (and meal on the night of Rosh Hashanah day 1):
These meals are filled with symbolism, with foods representing our wishes for the upcoming year. Special round challah baked with raisins is dipped in honey to represent a sweet New Year. (Need a New Year’s Pumpkin Challah Recipe? Visit jewishjournal.com/foodaism.)
Apples and honey = good and sweet year.
Local farmers markets sell the freshest apples in the city.
Head of a fish, ram or other animal = “be at the head of the class” this year.
Pomegranate = filled with mitzvot, symbolized by the numerous seeds.
Sephardic Jews use these items and add more foods, which have Hebrew names that suggest wishes for the coming year:
Dates: “to end” = an ending of hatred and conflict with enemies.
Small light-colored beans: “many” and “heart” = that our merits may increase.
Leeks: “to cut” = to cut down the evil around us.
Beets: “to depart” = that our enemies shall depart from us.
Gourd: “to announce” = that our merits be announced before God.
A prayer for each food is recited while holding the item in the right hand immediately before eating. For the specific prayers, visit chabad.org/holidays.
ROSH HASHANAH DAY 1
Sept. 29 (1 Tishrei)
Candle Lighting: Sept. 29 at 7:26 p.m.
Rosh Hashanah marks the beginning of a new year in the Hebrew calendar, and literally means “head of the year.”
Machzor: Because there are so many unique prayers on Rosh Hashanah, we use a special prayer book called a machzor.
Want to understand the machzor better? The book “Entering the High Holy Days: A Guide to the Origins, Themes, and Prayers” by Reuven Hammer is a good guide.
Torah reading: Genesis 21:1-34; Numbers 29:1-6.
Haftarah: I Samuel 1:1-2:10.
The shofar, a horn from a kosher animal (often a ram), is blown after the Torah reading. This fulfills a commandment and serves as a wake-up call to shake us out of our spiritual slumber, reconnect to our source and recommit to our divine mission in this world. Rosh Hashanah is also known as “The Day of the Shofar Blast,” and the mitzvah simply is to hear the 30 blasts of the shofar, made up of three distinct sounds:
Tekiah — one long, straight blast.
Shevarim — three medium, wailing sounds.
Teruah — nine short blasts in quick succession.
There are many Israeli-made kosher shofars for sale locally at Judaica stores or online.
Tashlich: Following afternoon services, we go to a body of water, preferably one that has fish. There we recite the tashlich prayers to symbolically cast our sins into the water and leave them behind in order to begin the New Year with a blank slate.
ROSH HASHANAH DAY 2
Sept. 30 (2 Tishrei)
What’s the difference between the first and second days of Rosh Hashanah?
The Torah reading changes:
Genesis 22:1-24; Numbers 29:1-6.
Haftarah: Jeremiah 31:1-20.
What’s the same:
The prayers and festive meals.
The shofar is blown again to fulfill the mitzvah of hearing it.
The 10 Days of Repentance: The days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are a time for cheshbon hanefesh, an accounting of the soul, when amends are made with others and internal work becomes intensely focused. Small changes in the daily prayer pay homage to God’s kingship and remind atoners of the work to be done.
From Selichot to Simchat Torah Read More »
Mark Dubowitz, executive director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, says that Iranian President ” title=”Dubowitz writes”>Dubowitz writes:
This week, Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is making his annual visit to New York to address the United Nations General Assembly. This time, Ali Akbar Salehi, Iran’s foreign minister and former head of its Atomic Energy Organization, will accompany him, despite being under U.S. and European Union travel bans for his role in Iran’s human rights violations and its illegal nuclear weapons program.
Their presence in the United States makes a mockery of the international sanctions regime that the Obama administration has so skillfully constructed.
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Fereydoun Abbasi-Davani, the current head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, is also subject to international sanctions, but also travels regularly to meetings in Vienna. The U.S. and EU pass travel bans to great fanfare, yet ignore them completely when sanctioned officials travel to meetings of international organizations. As Congressman Ted Deutch (D-FL), a congressional leader on Iran issues, wrote in an Aug. 11 letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, these measures are meaningless if loopholes allow sanctioned Iranian officials to travel freely.
Sprinkled in between, Dubowitz notes the Iranian government’s ongoing role in oppressing its own citizens and in supporting global terrorism.
Thoughts?
Should Ahmadinejad be on a no-fly list? Read More »
Read the full text of President Obama’s speech Wednesday to the U.N. General Assembly.
Here’s what he had to say about Israel and the Palestinians:
“Now I know that particularly this week for many in this hall, one issue stands as a test for these principles – and for American foreign policy: the conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians.
One year ago, I stood at this podium and called for an independent Palestine. I believed then – and I believe now – that the Palestinian people deserve a state of their own. But what I also said is that a genuine peace can only be realized between Israelis and the Palestinians themselves. One year later, despite extensive efforts by America and others, the parties have not bridged their differences. Faced with this stalemate, I put forward a new basis for negotiations in May of this year. That basis is clear, its well known to all of us here. Israelis must know that any agreement provides assurances for their security. Palestinians deserve to know the territorial basis of their state.
I know that many are frustrated by the lack of progress. I assure you, so am I. But the question isn’t the goal we seek – the question is how to reach that goal. And I am convinced that there is no short cut to the end of a conflict that has endured for decades. Peace is hard work. Peace will not come through statements and resolutions at the UN – if it were that easy, it would have been accomplished by now. Ultimately, it is the Israelis and the Palestinians who must live side by side. Ultimately, it is the Israelis and the Palestinians – not us – who must reach agreement on the issues that divide them: on borders and on security; on refugees and on Jerusalem.
Ultimately, Peace depends upon compromise among peoples who must live together long after our speeches are over, long after our votes have been counted. That is the lesson of Northern Ireland, where ancient antagonists bridged their differences. That is the lesson of Sudan, where a negotiated settlement led to an independent state. And that is the path to a Palestinian state, with negotiations between the parties
We seek a future where Palestinians live in a sovereign state of their own, with no limit to what they can achieve. There is no question that the Palestinians have seen that vision delayed for too long. And it is precisely because we believe so strongly in the aspirations of the Palestinian people that America has invested so much time and effort in the building of a Palestinian state, and the negotiations that can deliver a Palestinian state.
Story continues after the jump
But understand this is well America’s commitment to Israel’s security is unshakeable, and our friendship with Israel is deep and enduring. S we believe that any lasting peace must acknowledge the very real security concerns that Israel faces every single day. Let’s be honest: Israel is surrounded by neighbors that have waged repeated wars against it. Israel’s citizens have been killed by rockets fired at their houses and suicide bombs on their buses. Israel’s children come of age knowing that throughout the region, other children are taught to hate them. Israel, a small country of less than eight million people, looks out at a world where leaders of much larger nations threaten to wipe it off of the map. The Jewish people carry the burden of centuries of exile, and persecution, and the fresh memory of knowing that six million people were killed simply because of who they are.
Those are facts. They cannot be denied. The Jewish people have forged a successful state in their historic homeland. Israel deserves recognition. It deserves normal relations with its neighbors. And friends of the Palestinians do them no favors by ignoring this truth, just as friends of Israel must recognize the need to pursue a two state solution with a secure Israel next to an independent Palestine.”
He also was as blunt as he’s ever been on Syria: Notably, in calling for sanctions, he did not mention “democratic transition” as a way out for the Assads and their cronies, as he did with Bahrain and Yemen. It’s past that.
Obama’s speech at the UN [TRANSCRIPT, VIDEO] Read More »
Was it a speech to help launch his campaign for re-election, or an address to bury hopes for immediate Palestinian statehood recognition?
Both assessments marked the immediate reaction to President Obama’s speech Wednesday at the United Nations General Assembly, and there was ammunition for both arguments. But both also may have missed the point: The speech smacked of what has become an Obama specialty: the “get real speech.”
In this case, his target appeared to be the United Nations and its constituent members. The bottom line of the Israeli-Palestinian portion of the speech—635 words out of 4,500—was that dismissing real Israeli concerns about security was not a good way to restart Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.
“The Jewish people have forged a successful state in their historic homeland. Israel deserves recognition,” Obama said after outlining the array of threats that Israelis have faced in recent years, including rocket attacks and suicide bombers. “It deserves normal relations with its neighbors. And friends of the Palestinians do them no favors by ignoring this truth, just as friends of Israel must recognize the need to pursue a two-state solution with a secure Israel next to an independent Palestine.”
This Obama characteristic—presenting himself as a truth teller—has rankled rivals. Some critics in the United States and Israel have described it as arrogance.
But in the context of the Palestinian efforts this week to achieve statehood recognition, there was only gratitude from Israeli and Jewish leaders, who thanked Obama for making it clear to the assembled world leaders that pre-emptive Palestinian statehood would not get anywhere.
“You’ve also made it clear that the Palestinians deserve a state, but it’s a state that has to make that peace with Israel,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at an appearance with Obama after the president delivered the speech. “And, therefore, their attempt to shortcut this process, not negotiate a peace—that attempt to get membership, state membership in the United Nations—will not succeed.”
The speech was underpinned by U.S. efforts to draw away enough votes to make a difference on the issue of statehood recognition for the Palestinians. If fewer than nine of the 15 U.N. Security Council nations vote for statehood, the United States would not have to exercise its veto in the council. If the Palestinians attempt to achieve enhanced status through the General Assembly, they will likely gain the necessary majority—but votes against or abstentions by European and Western nations would rob them of a moral victory.
“If the Palestinians are truly serious about a viable two-state deal, they should stop the counterproductive brinksmanship at the U.N. and return to the negotiating table now,” said David Harris, the director of the American Jewish Committee.
Harris and his counterparts at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the Anti-Defamation League and B’nai B’rith International all praised Obama’s speech.
Advocates of greater pressure on Netanyahu to make concessions to the Palestinians said Obama’s speech reeked of electioneering at a time when the Obama campaign is trying to reach out to the Jewish community to staunch the loss of Jewish support.
“Obama to UN. Israelis and Jews suffer. Palestinians, not so much. Full court pander 2 lobby,” Tweeted M.J. Rosenberg, a columnist with the liberal Media Matters website.
Others detected a note of despair from a president who has tried from his first day in office to restart talks.
“Regrettably, the president’s words offered very little in the way of hope to Israelis and Palestinians,” Americans for Peace Now said. “The United States cannot maintain credibility as the standard-bearer of rights and freedoms while the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is left to fester.”
Obama prides himself, perhaps to a fault, on telling his listeners what he considers to be uncomfortable truths. He unsettled Arab listeners in his June 2009 Cairo speech by lecturing them about the futility of Holocaust denial. People involved in crafting that speech have said there was a recognition that the Muslim world anticipated a love fest but that the president thought it important to address what he sees an obstacle to Muslim-Western reconciliation.
Likewise, when Obama spoke to the annual AIPAC conference in May, he reiterated his call from several days earlier calling on Israel to negotiate on the basis of the 1967 lines, with mutually agreed swaps. Many conference-goers had hoped Obama would offer a more conciliatory speech to the pro-Israel crowd.
The Washington Convention Center fell silent when the president outlined a bleak future should Israel not come to the talks table and implicitly criticized Netanyahu for offering too little to make a difference.
“The march to isolate Israel internationally—and the impulse of the Palestinians to abandon negotiations—- will continue to gain momentum in the absence of a credible peace process and alternative,” he said. “And for us to have leverage with the Palestinians, to have leverage with the Arab states and with the international community, the basis for negotiations has to hold out the prospect of success.”
At the United Nations on Wednesday, however, Obama focused on what the Palestinians and the Arab world need to offer the Israelis: security assurances.
Obama’s U.N. speech Read More »