Montreal man convicted in U.S. of trying to aid Hezbollah

A Lebanese-born Montreal man is facing up to 30 years in prison in the United States and a $750,000 (US) fine after pleading guilty in a Little Rock, Ark., court to three counts related to a scheme to ship military equipment to Hezbollah.

A co-accused, a Jewish Israeli citizen living in New York, pleaded guilty in July to the one charge against him and is also awaiting sentencing.

Stop The Discrimination Now
Against American Jews in Israel

The United States government is violating a group of US citizens’ civil rights and it has to stop. They want to throw a whole ethnic group out of their homes, and restrict where they can or can’t live. Sounds racist doesn’t it?

The White House, State Department and other agencies, right under the noses of us all, without a peep by us, are pursuing a deliberate policy of ethnic/religious “cleansing”. They haven’t started for real yet, but the plans are in the making. Who could possibly stand for this discriminatory behavior on the part of the American government against its own citizens in the year 2005? A class action suit demanding an injunction to stop these law-breaking plans needs to be filed in the courts.

Dov Hikind sneaks into Gaza

New York Assemblyman Dov Hikind (D-48th District) is among the many infiltrators to have snuck into Gaza through the IDF roadblocks.

“It was very easy to get in,” Hikind told The Jerusalem Post as he stood outside the Neveh Dekalim synagogue on Saturday night.

This is his fifth trip to the area since January. He said he came to stand in solidarity with the residents in their most difficult hour.

Polish priest slams laws of ‘Jewish bankers’

A Polish priest who was once banned from preaching for anti-Semitic remarks lashed out on Sunday at laws made by “Jewish bankers”, during celebrations of the 25th anniversary of the anti-communist Solidarity union.

Former trade union leaders, including several prominent politicians, had gathered in the Baltic port city of Gdansk to celebrate the anniversary of the shipyard strike launching a movement that would shake the foundations of the communist system.

NY Jews harass pullout police officers

A follow up to the Article about Youngerlite from our Shcuna calling up the personal that will be commencing the pullout, was dubbed by Ynet (Yediot Acharonot) as harassment, here is the article.

Right-wing psychological warfare intensifies ahead of pullout: New York Jews call homes of police officers participating in pullout tasks to demand they disobey orders

With the pullout quickly approaching, right-wing activists in New York have been recruited for the last-ditch effort to stop the evacuation, with some of them have phoning the homes of officers set to participate in pullout-related tasks and demanding they refuse to carry out the evacuation orders.

Rivka, the wife of a Beer Sheva police officer who is scheduled to take part in the pullout, received such a phone call at around 9 p.m.

”At first I thought it was a prank, but then the man said he was from New York,” she said.

“Our number is restricted, and it does not even appear in the phone book, so I have no idea how he may have obtained it.”

Fliers hit Wal-Mart’s plans for Brooklyn

So what do you think? Do you want a Wal-Mart here in Brooklyn?

Calling themselves Wal-Mart No Way, a group of friends, activists and neighbors in Park Slope this week began distributing spoof ads mocking the mega-retailer’s attempts to market itself in Brooklyn.

“The reason we’re going about it this way, is we feel it’s probably the most effective way to get our message across,” said Richard Thomas, who founded the anti-Wal-Mart group.

“It’s the tactic they use,” he said, “and we want to fight them in the same way, basically.”

Last month, Wal-Mart executives expressed interest in finding space in Brooklyn to open what might be its first New York City store. They followed that with a one-week advertising blitz including full-page ads in local newspapers.

Wal-Mart officials have also expressed interest in two sites on Staten Island.
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Jewish heritage and education offered at Chabad Hebrew School

For the second year, Rabbi Meir Borenstein and his wife, Rivkie, are taking registrations, by popular request, for the Chabad Hebrew School they have created in Monroe.

Rabbi Borenstein said the program welcomes Jewish children from all over Orange County, regardless of their affiliation or level of observance. Transportation is an option.

“We believe every Jewish child should have a Jewish heritage and education,” he said.

“Imagine a Jewish program where children don’t want to miss a day,” he said enthusiastically. “Imagine children arriving with a smile and leaving as they hum a Jewish song. Imagine a child who feels the warmth and spirit of Judaism. Last year’s program was very successful, and we’ve been approached by parents in our community to conduct it again.

Duo take resources to central Oregon

The second of three pairs of Chabad rabbis/rabbinic students to come to Oregon this year are now in central Oregon to enhance Jewish life there.

“We are here from goodwill to help them in whatever way they want to enhance their Judaism,” said Rabbi Zalman Abraham, who is in the Bend area with rabbinic student Sadya Engel through Aug. 24. “We are not here as salesmen to enroll them in any specific program or branch of Judaism. We are sincerely interested in their good. … It is our privilege to answer any questions they have on any aspect of Judaism.”

Abraham, who was born in New York, moved to Johannesburg, South Africa, when his parents were sent there as Chabad emissaries when he was 9 months old. For the past year he learned with Engel at the Central Chabad yeshiva in Brooklyn. Engel is from Montreal, Canada. Engel has also finished his rabbinic studies, and expects to be ordained soon.

Morality and Ethics at Boy Scouts Jamboree

RICHMOND, VA — More than 1,000 Jewish Boy Scouts attended the National Boy Scout Jamboree held July 25 to August 3, 2005 at Fort A.P. Hill near Bowling Green, Virginia. Every four years, the Jamboree brings together more than 42,000 Scouts from across the United States for a week of adventure and fellowship.

Chabad Lubavitch has been actively working with the Jamboree for many years says Rabbi Yossel Kranz, director of Chabad Lubavitch of the Virginias in Richmond. He credits Chabad’s international children’s organization, Tzivos Hashem, for their “incredible efforts on behalf of the Jewish scouts before, after and during the Jamboree.”

At this year’s event, three Scout rabbis from Tzivos Hashem arrived a week in advance to conduct a massive outreach to the Jewish Scouts arriving from every corner of the country. A synagogue tent was constructed on-site, kosher food was bussed in, and over 500 young Jewish Scouts gathered together for Friday night services.

“It was incredible to see” said Rabbi Shmuly Gutnick, one of the Chabad rabbis assigned to the Jamboree. “We sang, we prayed and we ate together. Some of the scouts had never had a Shabbat experience before. We even did four Bar Mitzvahs for boys who had never had one.” A local Virginia newspaper, the Free Lance-Star, featured a full page of pictures from the mini bar mitzvah ceremonies in its July 29th edition.

Man shot on the way to shul in hold-up

An Orthodox Jewish man walking to synagogue with his young son Saturday was held up by a man who demanded money and then shot him in the chest, police said.

Eliahu Frishman, 33, of Far Rockaway, was cutting through a schoolyard on Hicksville Road with his 7-year-old son when he was approached by a 20-year-old man wearing a bandanna over his face who tried to rob him, police said.

Tisha B’Av in 770

Here are a few pictures from a little after the saying of Eicha. More pic’s in the extended article.

Tisha Be’av 5765

Today is Tisha Be’av, the day when Jews mourn the greatest tragedies of Jewish history, among them the destruction of the First and Second Temples in 586 BCE and 70 CE. In a stroke that might be considered emblematic of the gulf between the settlers and most Israelis, the disengagement plan officially takes effect at midnight tonight, thereby handing its opponents an easy claim that we are about to witness yet another stain on Jewish history.

Pain of Israels Withdrawal From Gaza Strip
Is Felt by American Jews, Too

Starting this week, American Jews are likely to see wrenching scenes of Jewish soldiers expelling defiant Jewish settlers from their homes and farms in the Gaza Strip, as Israel begins its pullout there. The experience for many Americans will be almost as painful and perplexing as it will be for Israelis, because the two societies are so interwoven, with the Gaza settlers’ ranks made up of many transplanted New Yorkers and other Americans.

Still, like most Israelis, Jews in New York and across the nation largely support the government of Ariel Sharon in its plan to pull the 9,000 settlers out of Gaza.

Attempting to annul the expulsion

On August 10 at approximately 9:15pm, Rabbi Y.Y. Jacobson took the stand on the podium in the synagogue at 770 eastern pkwy, to explain to those present, in practical terms and in many different perspectives, the insanity and dangers involved in disengaging from Gush-Katif.

After being given a clear and practical perspective on the situation, the volunteers were ready to meet up at a designated location as they began to dial the numbers of those actual soldiers assigned to the duty of expelling Jews from their homes, to convince them to do what it takes to serve justice by not wrongdoing the Jewish families of Gush-Katif.

At 1:00am – the time when in Israel most people are already awaken and before having left their homes to work – the first shift of volunteers began to scroll through an arranged list of 30,000 police-men, soldiers and army personnel. The goal was to reach every individual on this list, and to explain to them the severity and resulting consequences which will occur in the event of disengagement.

The list of 30,000 phone numbers alongside the names of police and army men was divided amongst the volunteers, every one of whom was given three stapled papers, listing some one hundred and fifty police and army men’s phone numbers, whom he were to contact.

There were numerous volunteers, each of whom approached the conversation in a differing manner from that of his fellow volunteer. The responses varied dramatically. Some conversations were quickly concluded, while others transpired into lengthy and philosophical discussions, at times lasting up to twenty-minutes. When there was no answer, a message was left with the answering-machine, making sure not to leave a single soldier or policeman untouched. There were many police and army men who were touched, learning that there exist Jews from over seas that spend their nights –not sleeping, but rather – making efforts to distract a planned expulsion of Jews, occurring literally thousands of miles away.

It has been a few months since the expulsion plan has initially been announced and it is truly frightening that the plan still exists. There are now, only a few days to the date slated for the expulsion. We’ve been taught that “even if the blade of a sword is placed against a person’s throat, one should not despair from G-d’s mercy”. And as we know, “There is not a thing which stands in the way of ones will”. Therefore, if every individual will produce from his will a practical action, then surely and undoubtedly – not withstanding the odds – the decree of expulsion will be annulled.

We are guaranteed that a campaign of effort does not return unproductive. What more can we ask for?

SHOMRIM CATCH THE CAR THIEF OF CROWN HEIGHTS

On Thursday At 7:30 in the evening a suspicious person was walking around the neighborhood known to Shomrim as “The Guy Who Breaks into Cars” and was looking into cars.

Members followed the perp around for some time and 7 members stopped what they were doing and immediately began to fallow this man around waiting for him to strike. They followed him throughout the area and set a perimeter around the block of Crown St. between Brooklyn Ave. and New York Ave. where the perp was sitting on the front steps of 404 crown waiting for the street to go quiet so he can make his move but little did he know that there were members of Shomrim watching his every move from every corner of the block while a member snuck up from porch to porch till he got to 400 Crown where he waited for the perp to get into the car then called the back up to move in one member opened the car and shocked the perp and the guy said he was just looking for bread (yeah right!).

After a few minutes the police turned up with not much to do beside arrest the perp and say “thank you, it’s a pleasure working with you” later on the police revealed to us that the suspect was wanted and had 18 prior arrests, and had just been released from jail this morning.

If you see anything suspicious don’t hesitate to call Shomrim at (718) 774-3333

New Bagel Shop in Crown Heights

Early last week a new bagel shop (Bunch-O-Bagels) opened for business. Located on Troy Avenue between Carroll Street and Crown Street.

This place used to be a major hangout (the old barber shop) where allot of mischief would originate.

We should expect better service, a larger variety of bagels, sandwiches and more, in a more comfortable setting.

I wish them much success and please don’t make me wait 20 minutes for a bagel, (although I am not holding my breath with that).

Click ‘extended article’ for pictures