Tzedek-Tzedek

(Tisha B'Av, 5769) Four years ago exactly, we were betrayed, abused and violated. We were betrayed by Ariel Sharon – father of the Settler Movement, who reestablished the Jewish towns and villages throughout Yehuda, Shomron and Gaza . And then who invented the accursed “Disengagement” program, to exile 9000 Jews and to destroy the 21 thriving communities of Gush Katif. We were betrayed by the “right wing” Government which voted in favour of Disengagement, and gave Sharon the legal basis to implement his crimes against our people. We were betrayed by the right wing parties – including our own Mafdal – who sat side by-side with Sharon , and enabled him to destroy and abuse the men and women who are the bedrock and heroes of the National Religious Movement. We were betrayed by our ultra-orthodox brothers, who were absent from our struggle, let our shuls and yeshivas be destroyed, our graves with fresh bodies be desecrated, Eretz Yisrael be abandoned to the Sonei Yisrael - bribed into...

I have just now returned home from a ghastly funeral – a young mother of 10 kids, who never woke up this morning. A family friend and member of my shul. According to a reliable source, who had been involved in an official capacity with the arrangements for the funeral, a contingent of ultra-orthodox folks from outside the neighborhood had turned up at the door of the bereaved, and they had physically stopped the hatzala people from taking the body of the mother out of the house in order to take her to her funeral. The contingent said they would not let the body leave the house, lest there be an autopsy. And they apparently made it clear that, if there would be any suspicion that an autopsy might take place, there would be painful consequences (the official told me he understood they were threatening to initiate rioting in ultra-orthodox neighborhoods). Apparently, only when Rav Kupschitz provided a signed letter to these people, assuring them there would be no autopsy, did they l...

Assaf Goldring allegedly murdered his own 3 year old daughter Noa in their home in Batzra, Israel. Goldring is reported to have confessed to strangling his daughter using plastic saran wrap, before attempting to take his own life. The horror brings back another recent case (August 2008) where a step-parent murdered their wife's child. In a bizarre and gruesome circumstance, that 4 year old girl, Rose Pizem, was murdered by her step-father Ronnie Ron (who was simultaneously Rose's grandfather), who then dumped Rose's body in a red suitcase, into the Yarkon river. Where were the mothers? Assaf's wife Lisa reportedly became orthodox and the couple had separated. Rose's mother Marie-Charlotte Renault left Rose's father Benjamin Pizem when the child was still an infant, later marrying her father-in-law, Rose's grandfather, Ronny Ron – the murderer. "Child abuse" is a general term which can include sexual abuse, psychological abuse, verbal ab...

(The week of Tisha B'Av returns us to the destruction of the two Temples, the tragic exiles & massacres, and the terrifying prospect of further disasters visited upon the Jewish people, chas veshalom....) The report this Friday that the latest tests of the Israeli Arrow Missile Defence System, which took place in the USA , failed – is beyond just being worrying. The Arrow was specifically developed, as a joint Israel + USA joint venture, to counter the ballistic missile threat, primarily from Iran. Without an effective anti-ballistic missile defence umbrella, we in Israel are denuded. I write this, located within the tiny State of Israel, and within 2000 km of the Iranian missile launchers. That is to say, me and my family, my community and over a third of the world's Jews, are now within ballistic missile range of Iran . This conventional and severe threat has been present for several years - and it is due to increase to Armegedon proportions with the development of nuc...

Scandal One: Romania : Israeli physicians arrested on suspicion of egg trafficking Tel Aviv (YNet) 21st July 2009 -- Father, son who run Sabyc Medical Center in Bucharest arrested for allegedly trafficking in human eggs, stem cells; both remanded for 29 days. Romanian authorities order two other Israeli doctors not to leave country, confiscate passports of five other Israelis involved Scandal Two: New York man accused of trying to broker kidney sale NEW YORK (CNN) 23rd July 2009 -- One of the sweeping criminal complaints unveiled Thursday in New Jersey against 44 public officials and others includes a New York man accused of trying to arrange the private sale of a kidney from a donor in Israel. Levy Izhak Rosenbaum, who lives in Brooklyn and is not a licensed physician or medical professional, faces charges of acting as a human organ broker. He offered to obtain a kidney for an undercover FBI agent and a confidential witness working for authorities, the criminal compl...

Israel's Minister for Welfare, Mr Yitzhak ("Boozie") Herzog made an official visit, together with Bet Shemesh City Mayor, Moshe Abutbol, and other government officials, to Lema'an Achai today. Lema'an Achai was the sole non-Governmental organization selected for a Ministerial visit, during Mr Herzog's official visit to Bet Shemesh. A big honour!

"On Monday, Settlers burned olive trees, stoned Palestinian vehicles, blocked West Bank roads and allegedly assaulted Palestinians in direct response to the Civil Administration's destruction of scattered structures in three outposts earlier in the day. " Jerusalem Post, 21 st July, 2009 . I would not believe it, if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. In December 2008, I was entrenched at Bet Hashalom, Hebron – I was one of a handful of adults together with several hundred youngsters. I visited several times over the space of a few days, and stayed overnight also. I knew a lot of the kids – and I can vouch that they are from "the best families". They are ideological, G-d fearing and are fervently protective of Eretz Yisrael . I have no doubt that future heads of state, army generals and Nobel prize winners were amongst those kids. I am in awe of how these kids establish new camps, then whole communities - on dusty, barren hilltops - and their incre...

The woman from Ramat Bet Shemesh who found notoriety for wearing a "burka" – head to foot black cloth associated with Islamic fundamentalists, rather than regular orthodox Jewish women's attire – has now been found guilty of serial child abuse. The woman and her husband were found guilty of charges of violence and other abuse against six of their twelve children. The gory details include that the children were sometimes locked in a hut outside their house, inside which acts of incest then took place. This case was one of many which was mismanaged by the authorities. This woman was known to have been abusing her children for a decade, before the wheels of the law began to move. The exposure of this mismanagement of the The Burka Lady ("Talibanit" in Hebrew) case, resulted in the termination of the Manager of the Bet Shemesh Social Services Department earlier this year. Indeed it seems to me that the timing of the publicity of this lady's Buka attire in ...

"From Terror in Mumbai to Judaism in Israel" Motivational & Inspiring Talk by Dr Aharon Abraham Divrei Bracha - Rabbi Yaakov Haber, Rav of Kehilat Shivtei Yeshurun, RBS. Sunday 19th July, 8pm At: "Ohr Shalom" Shul (Soloveichik) Rehov Nahal Maor, Ramat Beit Shemesh ___________________ It is a privilege to invite you to hear the amazing story of how a Hindu Indian doctor from Mumbai, found his way to Judaism and moved to Israel (three weeks ago!). Dr Abraham will recount his first-hand traumatic experience of the Mumbai Terror Attack on Beit Chabad. Dr Aharon Abraham's story is deeply moving and inspirational, and was recently featured in Mishspacha Magazine and other publications. The evening is in benefit of Lema'an Achai and is dedicated to the memories of Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holzberg, H"YD. Suggested Donation: 30 NIS. There is limited seating - so I recommend you come a few minutes early.

I spent much of the years 2004 and 2005 demonstrating against the Expulsion of Gush Katif's 9000 Jewish residents. And much of 2006 and 2007 working to provide those same expelled families with desperately needed relief aid. During that period, I saw first-hand how the Government could use the Army, the Police, the Courts, the Press, even the Social Services, as pawns in this outrageous "Disengagement" plan. So when I see the Eida Chareidit demonstrating in Jerusalem and Bet Shemesh about a lady accused of abusing her child, by starvation, I am not the first to assume that these same Police, the Courts and Press.. are necessarily correct in denouncing the "violent rioters". The case centers on a three year old child, who is described as skeletal – just 7kg. And his mother, who is suspected of starving him, perhaps as a symptom of a psychiatric disorder Munchausen's-by-proxy. The mother's defence lawyer has apparently refused to allow his client ...

Do you have a cleaner or other household employees? If so, let's call her Miriam. When did Miriam last have paid vacation days or paid sick leave? What will Miriam do when she reaches pension age? If Miriam gets sacked, will she receive full compensation/pitzuim? If Miriam is injured at work, will she be compensated? If Miriam is abused by her employer, can she protect herself? Miriam is not just "the cleaner", Miriam is your employee and has rights - no less than your own. And you have an obligation to give Miriam everything she is entitled to. Both legally and morally. Chances are, you've never thought about Miriam in this light.... So here's some of your obligations: 1. To pay Miriam's bituach leumi (National Insurance) 2. To pay towards Miriam's Pension & Pitzuim Fund (law in Israel, as of 1st January 2008) 3. Pay Miriam full pitzuim if you ask her to leave (generally one month's salary for each year worked) 4. Give Miriam paid vacation (accord...