Israelestine!

Over the past few days there has been a question floating around Facebook, 'who do you prefer, Israel or Palestine?' There has been numerous comments by supporters of both 'sides' stating that it should not be 'us' and 'them'. 

I agree. 

Today, I was asked whether I prefer an apple or an orange. I could not answer, I ate both. Why does it have to be apples and oranges? My wish is to unify the two, hence appanges and Israelestine.

Real Original. (a great name for a fresh juice brand)

Parents in Jerusalem rallied on Sunday against the haredi separation barrier built between secular and religious kindergartens. The parents of children who attend Pashosh kindergarten in Kiryat Hayovel protested against the separation fence established between the secular kindergarten and the haredi kindergarten Etz Hadaat next door.

It does not stop there. Separate buses, trams, benches. There is even a separation barrier in between the men and women at the synagogue! What has the Jewish world come to.

History repeats itself.

Rabbi Yankel Meir Geisserhacht, a controversial figure both in the haredi and Modern Orthodox worlds is in the process of reformulating the Nuremberg Laws to make them applicable to the non-haredi sector.

It will be a snowy Christmas in Israel

I want to point out the volatile nature of Israel’s political situation. I am sure you have all heard the words ‘volatile’, ‘Middle East’, ‘political situation’ and ‘Israel’ in the same sentence many times. Nevertheless, Israel’s dire political state is not the only volatile and mercurial factor in her existence. The weather is more unpredictable than Syria, Iran and Lebanon. Just look back to the Six Day War, we predicted the actions of those countries and fortunately launched a preemptive strike. Unfortunately, the recent weather got the better of us.

Last week, a fire blazed in the hills of the Carmel. 42 innocent lives were lost. Days later the country raised from the devastation and rejoiced in the snow covered plains of Yehuda. This is one of the reasons why the Jewish people have prevailed over the millennia, an insight into the intrinsic character of the Jewish people. 

Pamela Anderson and the charedi photo-shoot

Recently, Pamela Anderson wrote a letter to a number of charedi MK’s in support of a ban on fur garments, mainly targeted at the shtreimel industry. Ms Anderson admitted that she is writing from purely a fashion standpoint. In a candid interview with Rabbi Yitzchok Meir Senderson, Pamela admitted that she has never liked men with hairy chests, facial hair or side burns. What bothers me the most is what Senderson was doing in a room with only Pamela and interview materials, whatever they may be. Rabbi Senderson is currently denying that he had any knowledge that she starred in the TV show ‘Baywatch’.

Ms. Anderson is scheduled to have a meeting regarding this matter in the coming days. Ms. Anderson will be meeting with the leadership of the charedi movement as 'women' have not been acknowledged as an official species, consequently allowing men and ‘women’ to be in the same room together. This halachik loophole was found by some of the biggest rabbis of our generation.

When I approached an educator in the charedi community regarding how the charedi community interprets the seemingly ‘female’ characters in the chumash, for instance, Rachel, he responded that some characters and stories were placed in the chumash to test our belief in God, even though they may not be completely truthful.

UPDATE: The above photo is what Ms Anderson was spotted wearing in Mea Shearim hours before the meeting. She was praised for her simple yet elegant shapeless black dress.