Omaha Jewish Teens Meet with Syrian Muslim

Tonight was a memorable Teens 4 Israel meeting.

For those who don't know, Teens 4 Israel is the only Nebraska Jewish youth group whose sole mission  is Israel advocacy.  Teens 4 Israel builds relationships with our Congressmen and other elected officials, partners with national Israel advocacy groups, and meets once a month to learn about the issues facing Israel, how to defend Israel against her detractors, and what Omaha teens can do to support the US Israel relationship.

Our next event will be to attend the AIPAC policy conference in Washington DC.

Tonight we had a regular scheduled meeting at Starbucks.  The planned agenda was to discuss logistics for the upcoming trip to DC,  discuss the Israeli elections, and read a piece from our text book, The Case for Israel by Alan Dershowitz.

About half way through the meeting, a young man approached our table at Starbucks and said, "Shalom.  Atem Midabrim Ivrit?"  (Hello, do you speak Hebrew?)

"Keyn"  we said.  And we asked him his name and where he was from.

The young man told us that his name was Ieyad and he is a Muslim from Syria.  He is 20 years old.  His family is originally from a place in North Western Syria called Idlib but he was born and raised in Damascus.  He still has some family in Idlib.  His parents are divorced.  His father is a dentist living in Saudi Arabia and he moved here with his mother 2 years ago. His grandparents also live in Omaha. He is currently studying biology at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and he is studying Hebrew with a Jewish friend.

We asked him if he would join us.  "With pleasure!" he said.  We introduced ourselves and played some Jewish (and Muslim) geography.  Some of the kids have friends in common with Ieyad from school.

We asked him if he could tell us about the terrible situation that is going on in Syria right now.

Below is a synopsis of what he told us followed by some Q & A.  Everything below is what we heard from Ieyad.  The kids were encouraged to research the issue on their own, but it was very interesting to hear about the conflict from his perspective.

He told us about how the Baathist party, a socialist regime, took control of Syria in 1963 and has been in power ever since.  In his words, they are not exactly a dictatorship, rather the government is what he would call a cleptocracy.  They control the economy and loot from the people.

According to him the government represents only 9% of the population, yet they control the military.  Recently the people started to rebel.  The rebels were armed by the governments of Saudi Arabia and Qatar.  They did so because the current Syrian government is a proxy of Iran.  Saudi Arabia hopes that by toppling of the Syrian regime Iran will lose a foothold in the region.

But the Syrian government is much stronger and they are crushing the rebels.  The death toll of rebels and civilians killed by the government has reached 80,000!!!

Ieyad's father's cousin,  a civilian, was among the victims.  He was killed by a sniper.  He was a young man of 34 with a family.

The following are some questions the Teens 4 Israel asked.

What has the American government done to help the rebels?

He answered that the American government has indirectly helped the Syrian government by preventing weapons from reaching the Rebels from Turkey.  He said that the US fears that if the Rebels are successful an extremist government will arise in Syria, as has happened in Afghanistan, Egypt, and other places.  In his opinion, America's primary concern is stability in the region.

Do you fear that Iran will get nuclear weapons?

He answered that he believes that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has exaggerated the threat of Iran so that he can get reelected.  Not to say that he thinks Iran is not a danger, but he feels that the threat has been very overstated.

What is your opinion and attitude towards Israel in general?

He thought for a minute and answered that he does not believe that it is a war against the Jewish people.  He perceives the enemy to be the "Zionists" specifically the government.  He believes that the Israeli as well as the Arab governments are at fault and the people are just pawns caught in the crossfire.

Are you a practicing Muslim?

He said that his grandparents are very religious.  His grandmother covers her hair at all times and observes all Muslim customs.  His mother used to cover her hair but now in America she has stopped doing so.  Ieyad himself is not very religious at all.  He does not attend a mosque.  But he does abstain from eating pork and drinking wine.

The teens noted the similarity in his story and the classic trends of assimilation in the American Jewish community since the fist generation of immigrants.

Why are you learning Hebrew?

He answered that it is close to Arabic so it is easy for him.  Also, he has a Jewish friend who was very interested in learning Arabic so they get together and teach each other.
We pulled out a chumash and Ieyad wowed us by reading from this week's parshah.  The teens noted that he read better than most of the Jewish kids in Omaha!  (Obviously not Beth Israel kids!)

You mentioned that you oppose the US government's foreign policy regarding Syria.  Are you currently involved in any activism to affect that policy?

He said that there is some activism in New York, but his family and friends here are not involved.  They also do not support the rebels financially.  But they pray everyday that the Rebels will be successful.

We said our goodbyes to Ieyad and friended him on Facebook.

After he left the teens stayed to discuss everything they had just learned.

One pointed out how easy it is for people on two sides of an issue to get together for a reasonable discussion.  Another argued that it is easy for us to talk here in Omaha.  If we were in Israel or Syria where the issues would have a direct impact on our daily lives then it would not be so simple.

They also noted the importance of teens 4 Israel.  It is wonderful that Ieyad and his family pray for the rebels, but the Jewish teens would not feel satisfied if their only support of Isarel was in the form of prayer.  They are glad that the Jewish community offers them more concrete ways to advocate on behalf of Israel.  They suddenly had a great appreciation for Teens 4 Israel, AIPAC, and all of the Israel advocacy that takes place in the Jewish community.

This was a great experience for the kids and for me.  Everyone is really excited about attending AIPAC in March.  We decided we want to sign up for a session about the situation in Syria and see if the perspective offered differs from what we learned from Ieyad.

Save the Philby Partridge - Save the World!

CLICK HERE TO SAVE THE 

PHILBY PARTRIDGE!

GUEST POSTER RABBI CHAIM LOIKE - WORLD RENOWNED EXPERT ON KOSHER BIRDS

The Philby partridge (alectoris philbi) is a partridge which is indigenous to Northern Yemen. It was at one time imported by the San Diego Zoo, and there were quite a few hobbyists who had success raising the bird. Unfortunately, this bird is not beautiful or cuddly. For unknown reasons, the San Diego Zoo stopped raising this bird around a decade ago, and most hobbyists have likewise moved to more interesting exotics. At the same time, the situation in Yemen has become rather hostile. Although the bird is not listed as endangered, the collapse of the Yemenite government combined with the rampant poaching does not bode well for the future of this species.

Yemenite Jews collecting Philby Partridges for a visiting doctor from Italy
From the book Mesoret Haof by Zohar Amar

The Philby partridge is unique because it is one of the few historically kosher birds, which are not readily available. Most of the birds which we eat are the classic domesticated chicken, turkey, duck and, if you are lucky, goose. The Talmud in the third perek of Chullin explains that the majority of avian species are kosher, however, the Rama (SH”A YD 82:3) notes the tradition is not to eat any birds whose kosher status can not be proven via a mesorah, tradition of permissibly. All said, of the ten thousand recognized avian species, there are only three dozen species which are proven kosher. The Philby partridge could likely qualify for this short list. There is photographic evidence that the Philby was consumed by the local Yemenite Jewish community. There is scientific data that the Philby will hybridize with the kosher species of partridge.  All said and done, the only reason why the Philby partridge may not become a recognized kosher bird, is because this bird is just too rare.

After approaching a few zoos, it was discovered that there are so many species in danger of extinction that the institutions are forced to prioritize. This rare bird, from a remote part of the Arabian Peninsula, was not considered a priority. To this end, a few rabbis are trying to save this bird. We have already acquired a foundation stock, and are now looking to breed this bird. If our breeding efforts are successful, we hope to establish three breeding colonies. Additional birds will be distributed to schools, camps, and other institutions which appreciate both the mitzvah (Rambam MA 1:1) to differentiate between the kosher and non-kosher species and the importance of conservation.

How much is this all going to cost? We are looking to raise five thousand dollars. This will cover the equipment needed to raise and maintain the three colonies, as well as food, vitamins and medication. We will work, b’ezras Hashem, to save this species, your contribution will be a major factor in determining whether or not we succeed. Join the campaign www.indiegogo.com/shecht.

Save a Kosher Bird!!!

Click here to save an endangered species!!!

Rabbi Chaim Loike is the Orthodox Unions's expert on Kosher birds.  In his research he found that the Philby Partridge, indigenous to Northern Yemen, is subjected to unrelenting hunting pressures.

These birds are not found in zoos and their population is dwindling rapidly.  

Rabbi Loike is their only chance of survival.  He has already acquired a small flock, which he intends to start raising. His goal is to raise a sustainable captive population of these birds to prevent them from becoming extinct!

All the money goes to the birds!!!!

The money raised will be used to pay for food, vitamins, and equipment needed to breed and raise these birds. If the opportunity arises we will also purchase more foundation stock to diversify the gene pool.

All that is needed is $5,000!!!

$5,000 can save an entire species from extinction!!!

Here is the link to his website.

Please consider donating and passing this along.  Hopefully we can raise this modest sum and save the Philby Partridge.

 

Travel Blog #2

Miriam and I just returned from a trip to New York for a family wedding.  (check out travel blog #1)

On Friday night we davened at the shul where Miriam group up.  Tifferet Yisroel in Baltimore.  The Rabbi, Rabbi Menachem Goldberger, is a magnetic leader who attracts Jews of all backgrounds through his sensitive and insightful Torah and his beautiful music.  For Licha Dodi we sang one of Rabbi Goldberger's original tunes that has become quite popular around the world. The davening included beautiful singing and dancing as we celebrated the welcoming of Shabbat.

Shabbat morning I woke up early to walk to daven at a shul about 20 minutes from where I was staying.  I wanted to daven at Suburban Orthodox Congregation Toras Chaim where my fellow YU graduate Rabbi Shmuel Silber is the Rabbi.  On the way, I passed at least half a dozen other shuls and the streets of Baltimore were teeming with people going to daven at the variety of choices that the Jewish community there has to offer.

I went early to Suburban to hear Rabbi Silber's class on the parshah.  A few hundred people come to daven there on Shabbat and during davening Rabbi Silber comes around and welcomes everyone with a hug and a warm "good shabbos!"  I was really impressed with the warm welcoming feeling of the congregation.  At least ten people recognized that I was a guest and came over to introduce themselves.

When I returned home after shul I went to visit Miriam's neighbors and oldest friends who had just celebrated their sons bar mitzvah.  They hosted a private service in their backyard and invited family and friends from the neighborhood.  The bar mitzvah boy read the Torah like an expert.  The backyard was decorated beautifully and the food was delicious.

The father of the bar mitzvah boy is Miriam's father's old friend Simcha who started an organization called Call of the Shofar.   I had the privilege of attending one of the workshops last year and I would recommend it to any Jewish man who is interested in that genre of program.

On Shabbat afternoon, I took my kids to visit their cousins who live near Miriam's parents.  Last year they tragically lost their father, my cousin Mark.    When I came in my cousin said, "I have to show you something!"  She went into her room and came out with Mark's old Betar uniform!  She read that we had started a Betar chapter in Omaha.  Mark was a very active member of Betar and Betar had inspired his strong love of Israel and activism.

In the afternoon I went shul hopping.  I attended a lecture by Rabbi Dovid Katz, the rabbi of Congregation Beth Abraham Hertzberg's.  Rabbi Katz is a noted Jewish historian who teaches at Johns Hopkins and U of Maryland.  He spoke about some of the history of Chanukah and what made Chanukah more special than other Jewish victories over the centuries that made it a holiday.

After the lecture I davened minchah at Beth Abraham and then went to the Agudah shul to see if I could hear Rabbi Moshe Heinemann speak.  rabbi Heinemann is considered one of the leading Rabbis in America.  Unfortunately I when I got there he was not speaking.  So I went back to Rabbi Goldberger's shul for a beautiful shalosh seudot and maariv.

After shabbat we lit the first chanukah candle with Miriam's family, piled into the car, and drove 4 hours to my parents in New Jersey.

Sunday morning I davened at Bnei Yeshurun, the shul in Teaneck where I grew up.

My sisters from Florida flew in with my niece and nephews for the wedding of our cousin.  The bride is the daughter of my uncle Mark Honigsfeld, famous for having the idea to sell Chametz to Warren Buffett.

The wedding was a true simcha. The bride and groom looked so happy.  He is currently studying for Semichah at Yeshiva University and all of his friends came to the wedding and danced and sang harder than any wedding I have ever seen!  It was almost dangerous for an old guy like me to get into the circle.  Fortunately we formed a separate dancing circle for 21 an older.  The band at the wedding was lead by Eitan Katz, possibly the best contemporary Jewish musician in the world today!  I happen to be a huge fan, I have all of his CDs and listen to them all the time.  He was fantastic.  It was so nice to celebrate a family simcha.  I had a chance to see my grandmothers, aunts, uncles, and hundreds of cousins.  I hope we all have a chance to celebrate more happy occasions together soon.

My cousins is from Long Island and their neighborhood was devastated by Super storm Sandy.  The wedding hall had made a complete recovery just in time for this wedding! At the wedding I saw another Long Island cousin, Rabbi Heshie Billet.  I asked him how his community  has been coping in the aftermath of the storm.  He told me that families have lost an average of $200,000.  Six hundred families, including him, have been moved from their homes and have still been unable to return.  Aid organizations have been giving away thousands of dollars to individuals, but the damage was so devastating that it is hardly making a dent.  He continues to have an optimistic spirit and thanks God all the time that nobody was hurt.

Overall it was a great trip, and as always it feels great to be home!

Travel Blog #1

My family and I have traveled east to celebrate a cousin's wedding this Sunday.

Yesterday evening we flew into Baltimore where we will spend Shabbat with my in-laws.

When we arrived on Thursday evening we were greeted by my in-laws and by an old friend of theirs, Sara, that was visiting form Milwaukee.  Sarah knew my father-in-law since they were 18.  They met in a geology class their freshman year in college.  Neither of them were affiliated Jews at the time.  They went their separate ways and subsequently both of their lives paths lead to Torah and Mitzvot.  Years later my father-in-law was learning Torah in Israel and came back to the states for a wedding.  While he was back he had Shabbat lunch at his friend Sarah where he met a nice young lady named Shoshana - my wife's mother.  It was really nice spending time with her and hearing stories about my wife when she was younger.  

We left the kids to play with their aunt and grandparents and we went out to enjoy one of Baltimore's many kosher restaurants.  We went to a place called Kosher Bite - one of these eclectic Kosher places that serves everything from Sushi, to Chinese, to Middle Eastern, to Deli, to "American Cuisine" (which I thought somehow sounded like an oxymoron) and more.  We ordered some burgers which were excellent, but made us a bit homesick for the Star Deli in Omaha.

At the restaurant I ran into my good friend Rabbi Ian Baily who was picking up a Shwarma laffa for him and his wife.  Ian wrote a book called The 7 Ways where he developed a system similar to the Myers Briggs personality test, but Ian incorporates Kabbalah and Jewish philosophy.  He gives seminars on the topic all over the country.  

I learned another amazing thing about Baltimore.  In the restaurant there was a lady who's car had stalled.  She was waiting for "Chaveirim" to come and help her out.  "Chaveirim" is a Jewish volunteer core that stands ready to help a Jew in need.  They will help you start your car, shovel you out of the snow, make a minyan for a shiva, and a host of other things.  Check out their website.  It is absolutely amazing.  After 9/11 Chaveirim groups formed in many Jewish communities across the country.  Maybe we should start one in Omaha.

After dinner I stopped by the Agudah Shul where i love to daven in Baltimore.  They have minyan's running around the clock starting early in the morning and going until late into the night.  I love davening there.  One day I hope Beth Israel in Omaha will also become a minyan factory.

The next morning I woke up early to learn with my father-in-law and his chevrusa.  Every morning at 6:30am he learns with his friend Dovid Krafchow.  Dovid is an incredibly interesting man.  You can visit his blog at JewishBohemian.com He served in the Navy during the Vietnam war and since then has traveled all over the world.  He published a number of books including a book about his theory that Tarot Cards were invented by Jews as a way of learning Torah in secret during times of Greek persecutions, similar to the way that Jews would play dreidel.  The pictures on the cards would incorporate Jewish themes and ideas and the players would discuss these deep concepts as they "played." David also points out that the word 'Tarot' backwards is 'Torat' which means "the Torah of." Together he and my father-in-law study the book "Pri Tzaddik" written by the famous chasidic master Tzadok hakohen.  

After learning we davened at a shul around the corner from Agudah.  I like Agudah because most minyanim (but not all) at the minyan factory have a nice upbeat pace to them.  The davening at the shul that David likes to daven at goes at a slower pace and is more meditative.  Morning minyan that most places finish in 30 minutes took almost an hour.  

After minyan I went to the Jewish book store, Shabsi's, to wait on line for the opening.  The Friday before Chanuka is black Friday - people doing last minute chanukah shopping and all sorts of great sales.  We got their a half hour before the store opened and were close to the front of the line.  I bought a whole bunch of books for myself as well as two CDs for my girls.  I got them Uncle Moishe vol 5 (featuring one of my personal favorites "Shabbos is coming!") and Yeshiva Boys Choir (they are kind of like N'Sync but made up of 10 year old Yeshiva Boys).  

After shopping we came home and Miriam's brother and his family just arrived.  The kids are so happy to see their cousins.  The kids are playing, Miriam and her sister are cooking, and we are getting ready for a great Shabbat.  

The Children of Southern Israel

My cousin Danielle from Israel posted this video on YouTube.  The children in the video were evacuated from their homes in Southern Israel but were clearly affected by the situation.
Even if the rockets were to stop today, the lingering trauma of this wave of terror will be felt in Israel for a long time.  God Help Us!!!

The Music of Israel's Enemies

The Middle East Media Research Institute (memri.org) posted a shocking war song that was posted on Youtube this weekend.  

Memri translated the lyrics which I posted below and can be found on Memri's website.  

The entire song was shocking, but one line in particular really stood out.  

"Oh you settler, with your sidelocks, in your shelter you cower with fear."My entire people cry out loud:"Strike a blow at Tel Aviv.

This line includes three distinct groups:  Settlers, people with "sidelocks" and Tel Aviv.  

In Israel, when the term "settlers" is used it usually refers to Israelis who live in the settlements beyond the pre-1967 borders.  These "settlemnts" are considered by some people in Israel and around the world to be the main obstacle to a peace settlement between Israel and the the Palestinians.

Tel Aviv, Israel's second largest city, is not considered by Israel to be a "settlement" or an "occupied territory."  In every proposed peace plan Tel Aviv is part of the Jewish state.  This video is just another indication that Israel's enemies view all Israelis as "settlers" and all of Israel as one "settlement."

But more shocking is the line about "sidelocks."  Their image of the Jew is the traditional image of the European Jew in chasidish garb with a black hat, long black coat, and sidelocks around his ears.  In truth, that caricature can only be used to describe at most 10% of Israel's population.  Further, politically Hareidim represent the most extreme leftist views on Jewish sovereignty in Israel and historically the Hareidi population opposed the use of force to establish a Jewish state.  

But the people that made and identify with this music video are not interested in what political, religious, or other views a Jew may hold.  Their objective is to kill Jews.

On Chanukah we celebrate the victory over the Greeks who wanted to destroy Judaism.  Like other enemies in history, their objective was to impose their beliefs on the Jews through force.  There conflict with the Jews was a conflict of ideas.

But Israel's current conflict is not predicated on ideas. Hamas's hatred of Jews is just that - hatred of Jews.  How is Israel supposed to negotiate with such an enemy?  What can Israel offer Hamas that will placate them other than national suicide?

The response to the video - or lack there of - is even more shocking than the content.  If a Jewish group were to produce a similar video about killing Arabs the outrage from the Israeli government and from Jewish groups around the world would be deafening.  

But from this video, we have instead a deafening silence.  

I hope that we will soon see outrage unleashed against this vile, racist, hatred.  But I am not holding my breath.

Strike a Blow at Tel Aviv

"Strike a blow at Tel Aviv.
"Strike a blow at Tel Aviv.
"Strike a blow at Tel Aviv and frighten the Zionists.
"The more you build it the more we will destroy it.
"Strike a blow at Tel Aviv.
"Strike a blow at Tel Aviv.
"You need to know, oh occupier, that the Palestinians won’t be humiliated.
"We don't want no truce or solution.
"All we want is to strike Tel Aviv.
"We will strike a blow at Tel Aviv.
"Oh oppressive Israeli army, you can take on anything but Gaza.
"Here comes the decisive response:
"Strike a blow at Tel Aviv.

"You sent a bomber to shell us neighborhood by neighborhood,
"But we downed the airplane.
"Strike a blow at Tel Aviv.
"Strike a blow at Tel Aviv.
"Here is the breaking news:
"We shot down the airplane, and the pilot is missing.
"Strike a blow at Tel Aviv.
"Strike a blow at Tel Aviv.
"We have downed their airplane, and filled up their air raid shelters.
"Oh Palestinians, you can be proud.
"Strike a blow at Tel Aviv. 

"Oh you settler, with your sidelocks, in your shelter you cower with fear.
"My entire people cry out loud:
"Strike a blow at Tel Aviv.
"After the raid, after the strike – Netanyahu, you son-of-a-$@#$%,
"How come you are hiding in the shelter?
"Strike a blow at Tel Aviv.
"Strike a blow at Tel Aviv.
"Netanyahu, son-of-a-whatever, we will wipe out your entire army.
"You can stick your operation up your ass.
"Strike a blow at Tel Aviv.
"Strike a blow at Tel Aviv.
"Oh Gulf states, shut up.  All you are good at is convening conferences.

"Those lowlifes are not the same blood as me.
"We want to strike a blow at Tel Aviv.
"We want to strike a blow at Tel Aviv.
"The Gulf states and all their billions are tough only with NATO's support.
"Their statements are of no use to us.
"We want to strike a blow at Tel Aviv.
"We want to strike a blow at Tel Aviv.
"We don't want no truce or bargain.
"We have sworn in Gaza only to wage resistance. 
"Strike a blow at Tel Aviv.
"Strike a blow at Tel Aviv.
"Strike, oh Qassam missile, do not let the Zionists sleep.
"Even if they beg for mercy – be sure not to show Tel Aviv any mercy.
"Don't show Tel Aviv any mercy.
"Oh Fajr missile, explode in the Knesset and the army base.
"Allah Akbar, Allah Akbar – terrorize Tel Aviv.
"Blow up, blow up Tel Aviv.
"Upon hearing the air-raid sirens, Akko and the valleys sing out: 
"Oh Arafat, your people are striking a blow at Tel Aviv.
"Let's strike a blow at Tel Aviv."

A mother's prayer from Israel

Another piece from my cousin Danielle Rubin from Israel.  (First published on CNN iReport)

 Imagine the following scenario.

It's seven a.m. and you have just finished dressing your kids for school. Your oldest son is busy jumping on your bed, the baby is whimpering because he's ready for another nap, and your two-year-old daughter is showing off her pearly-white teeth, complimenting herself very loudly on a brush well done. You and your husband are debating who should drop off which child and when. Between all the jumping, whining and giggling you wish you could stay in bed and didn't have to drive to work. Just a normal day, right?

Well, not quite. Because then the siren goes off. Not quite sure how sirens fit in to this mundane story? You see, in my world, these sirens exist. They warn us when a rocket has been launched from Gaza, granting us forty seconds to run for shelter, forty seconds to grab our children and run for our lives.

We all hear it together and we know the drill well: last night, shortly after nine o'clock, there was another missile attack. Last week we had two attacks. The kids know what to do. My four-year-old son was in the protected area within seconds. I could have sworn he got from one room to the next in a leap. I grab my daughter, who has a tendency to freeze when she hears the siren, and my husband takes the baby, whose sobs have in the meantime turned into wails. We crouch down together against the wall and listen as the siren dies out, anticipating the boom. But the silence is broken first when my son speaks.

" I-will-lift-up-mine-eyes-unto-the-hills-from-whence-cometh-my-help ." It's Psalm 121.  Me-ayin ya-vo ez-ri . I know the words well. But the voice I do not recognize. Half-quivering, half-confident, I sense in his recitation a sound no parent should hear in their child's voice.

I sense fear.

" My help cometh from the Lord, who made heaven and earth ." I don't even hear the boom, which is surprising since the rocket landed just  two blocks away, demolishing a house, causing much destruction to the neighborhood, endangering the lives of dozens who were waiting for the bus to go to work or school (26 people were treated for shock). All I hear is the voice of a child, desperately trying to shed some light, gain some understanding of his chaotic reality.

" The Lord is thy keeper; the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand ." He's four years old. He doesn't understand the concept of death. He doesn't know a thing about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He has never heard of terrorism, of shooting unarmed civilians day and night.

But he knows fear. He lives it.

Dear God, please let tomorrow be a normal day.

Ze'ev Jabotinsky is alive and well in Nebraska!

Omaha, Nebraska is currently the largest official chapter of the Betar youth movement in North America.

Betar was originally started in 1923 in Riga, Latvia by Zionist leader Ze'ev Jabotinsky.

For the last 90 years Betar has inspired Jewish youth throughout the world and was extremely influential in the lives of great Jewish leaders, including a number of Israeli prime ministers.

Betar is still strong in Australia, South Africa, and South America, but has been in serious decline in the united states - until recently.

After learning about Jabotinsky and his philosophy there was interest in starting a Betar chapter here in Omaha.  A new member who just moved here told us that when he grew up in Australia he was very active in Betar.  He contacted the office in Israel and connected us with Yarden Tenenbaum, the new director of international programs for Betar international.  He was recently charged with the task of jump starting Betar in North America.

By coincidence he was making his first trip to the US so we invited him to add Omaha to his itinerary.

Yarden came to Omaha and he met with some of our active teenagers. They immediately recognized historic the significance of the opportunity of being the group to revive Betar in the US.  By founding the Omaha Betar chapter they are attaching themselves to the group that played a pivotal role in the formation of the state of Israel and the modern Israeli army.  They would responsible for carrying on the Betar legacy that includes Jewish heroes Zev Jabotinsky, Yosef Trumpledor, Mordechai Anielewicz, Menachem Begin, Dov Gruner, and many more.
Two teenagers were elected as the head of our chapter and are currently effectively the leaders of all of Betar North America.

In the last 90 years Betar has been at the center of some of the most significant events in modern Jewish history.

• Members of Betar were leaders of Jewish resistance movements against the Nazis, including those who lead the Warsaw Ghetto uprising.
• Members of Betar were instrumental in curtailing Arab attacks against Jews in Palestine in the 20s and 30s.
• Betar members were instrumental in smuggling Jewish refugees into Israel before 1948.
• Betar members formed the Irgun which resisted the British in pre -1948 Palestine and eventually merged with the Haganah to form the Israel Defense Force

Today, thankfully we do not face the challenges that our predecessors faced.  But Jabotinsky's philosophy is still relevant, and many of his values such as dignity, discipline, and Jewish pride are sometimes severely neglected.  

Our group had its first meeting on Sunday.  We read some of the history of the movement and started discussions about how Betar will be relevant to Omaha youth.  

Unfortunately, today's Jewish youth movements in North America are divided by religious denominations.  I cannot think of an existing group that appeals equally to Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, and non-affiliated.  

Jabotinsky himself was not observant, but his movement was not hostile to religion and in fact many observant people filled the ranks of Betar.  Betar just may be the one group that can unify all Jewish youth in North America and rally them around core Jewish values, love of the Jewish people, God, and country.  

I hope Yarden is successful at starting other chapters in North America.  

For more information or if you want to start a movement where you live you can check out www.betar.org.il or e-mail yarden@betar.org.il

A Long Island rabbis response to Sandy

My cousin, rabbi Heshie Billet, is a rabbi in Woodmere on Long Island. He sent the following letter to his congregation after the storm on Sunday.

Dear Friends

We hope everyone is OK in body and spirit. We tried to walk to Shul this morning. But we did not succeed. We like many of you have been flooded, lost both our cars, lost our power, many of our basement valuables like our books, photo albums, computer, and things on our entrance floor. Our good memories are engraved in the VCR in our minds.

That said, we are in very good spirits. We are fine. We had a minyan on our block this morning, we have food and water, and we have life and B"H we are healthy.

We have no flood insurance. But we are upbeat about the prospects of replacing what we can.

In our family we have a slogan about material losses: "it is only money". We learned the hard and painful way that there are things far more precious than possessions. Material items are a transient gift of the Ribbono Shel Olam. We cherish our family, our community (YIW, all the other Shuls and schools), our friends and the privilege to be part of Am Yisrael. So keep a positive spirit. This too shall pass.

We will see you in Shul as soon as we get a row boat. Does anyone know if Sandy is male or female?

RHB