Editorial: Three Million Dollars, a failed cause / The battle for the Jewish soul

The stranger on the other end of the line, asking a bizarre question ‘do you believe that the Rebbe is Moshiach’ succeeded in arousing my curiosity level to an extent that phased a full scale conversation. As it turned out it was a Jews for “J” sales person who identified himself with an ultra-orthodox-sounding name. After confirming that he himself was a Jew, I allowed this vulnerable sounding man to apply his professional techniques of luring people into discussion serve as a ground for my interests, namingly, to initiate a discussion in which I can explain to him the falsity of his approach. As I had come to expect, he rattled off plenty of verses. Ironically, I didn’t even have to know the verses to convince him that he was spewing ridiculous, self imposed interpretations.

New York Times op-ed praises Hezbollah

A New York Times op-ed praises Hezbollah for fighting under Islamic laws re: advance notice, discrimiantion in selecting targets, and proportionality. How obtuse can the New York Times editorial board be when choosing to run an op-ed that actually praises Hezbollah for its principled fighting tactics?

In a piece comparing Hezbollah and Al Qaeda, Bernard Haykel, a professor of Islamic Studies at New York University, points out the serious “selling points” of Hezbollah (such as successfully sending rockets into Israel), among them:

”… Hezbollah’s statements focus on the politics of resistance to occupation and invoke shared Islamic principles about the right to self-defense. Sheik Nasrallah is extremely careful to hew closely to the dictates of Islamic law in his military attacks. These include such principles as advance notice, discrimination in selecting targets and proportionality.”

Editorial: The Rebbe Unplugged

It has been about an hour of driving from northern Israel, when our Israeli driver pulls the mini-bus to the side of the road. The picture of the Rebbe hanging from the rearview mirror sways as he steps outside and proceeds to take a stretch, smoke a cigarette, and check his cell phone.

After five minutes, he gets back in the car and we continue our journey to southern Israel.

Another hour of driving has passed and we are in the middle of nowhere. Our driver pulls over once again.

When I inquire as to the frequent and casual roadside stops, I am given an unexpected answer.

To ensure safety, the Rebbe once advised drivers to stop every hour when driving long distances. By stopping every hour, our driver is testimony that the Rebbe’s insight made the whole world a student, and left no detail of life unaltered.

Open Letter From Shimshon Stock: Flipping Houses

My Dear Friends & Neighbors:

Please hear me out, don’t throw this away – I realize there are many papers arriving at your door daily nevertheless I ask PLEASE HEAR ME OUT?

Several people in this community have caused housing to skyrocket by FLIPPING real estate!! They buy houses from long time residents and flip the homes for astronomical profits. They compete with other members of the schunah for the sole purpose of flipping for a huge profit! Years ago when a friend or neighbor was looking for a house and we knew of one we were thrilled to pass on the information. Today unfortunately there are yungelight canvassing the neighborhood for available homes so they can FLIP for profits ranging from $50,000 to $380,000. Once ‘Mr. Roberts’ becomes aware of the price his new neighbor paid he will seek the same or more.

There is NO excuse for this shameful greed!

This is not like selling a container of milk for a higher price. This cannot be considered “regular business practice”.

Sukkah in the Storm

The sukkah, the fragile hut that gives the Sukkot holiday its name, could be the most ambivalent symbol in all of Jewish tradition. Custom dictates that we spend a week each fall dwelling — or at least taking meals — in a roofless shack, open to the heavens. It is, we are taught, a time to be at one with nature and its bounty. Then again, we are taught, it is also a reminder of our vulnerability to nature’s wrath.

The prayer book calls this holiday zman simchateinu, “the season of our joy.” But it is a joy tinged with sadness, even foreboding. The days grow shorter. The air has a wintry chill. In Israel, where the holiday originated, it marks the end of the summer drought and the onset of the rainy season. And so we sit in our sukkot, reveling in nature but waiting to be drenched, uncertain just how to feel.