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"This guy knows all the gossip, the ins and outs, the lashon hara of the Orthodox world. He’s an [expert] in... all the inner workings of the Orthodox world." (Rabbi Aaron Rakeffet-Rothkoff) LATEST POSTS:
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Tag Archives: israelis
The Non-Jews and the Israeli Jews
A kashurt inspector I know worked at a food establishment owned by non-Jews. They were completely respectful of the laws of kashrut. He worked at a food establishment run by Orthodox Israelis who were constantly trying to do end-runs around … Continue reading
Posted in Kashrut, Orthodoxy
Tagged food establishment, israeli jews, israelis, laws of kashrut
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Are Israelis Wary Of Befriending Americans?
Because Americans making aliyay (moving to Israel) are so likely to return home. That was an insight in Danit Brown’s new novel, "Ask For A Convertible." Danit replies to my inquiry: "I don’t know if it’s true, and even if … Continue reading
Posted in Israel
Tagged cultural differences, danit, english speakers, israelis, new novel
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How Should Religious Zionism React To The Conversion Controversy?
Shahar Ilan writes in Haaretz: If anyone thought that religious Zionism should continue having anything to do with the Chief Rabbinate or the rabbinic courts, along came the ousting of Rabbi Haim Druckman from his position as head of the … Continue reading
Posted in Conversion
Tagged chief rabbinate, conversion controversy, conversion system, conversions, court of appeals, former soviet union, haaretz, israelis, mass conversion, national challenge, rabbi, rabbinical court, Rabbis, religious establishment, religious women, religious zionism, russian immigrants, sabbatical year, tough questions, zionists
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San Fernando Valley Shul Reviews
Beis Midrash Toras HaShem (O); 12422 Chandler Blvd, Valley Village, CA 91607; Phone 818-980-6934; http://torashashem.blogspot.com Prayer: B+ Friendliness: C+ Food: B Singles: D Decor: B Average Age of membership: 40. Misc: Good kiddish and decent childcare. The shul is comprised … Continue reading
Posted in Synagogue
Tagged 9278, aish, bequest, chandler blvd, friendliness, hashem, israelis, kiddish, married couples, middle age, Midrash, minyan, moroccan, north hollywood ca, Prayer, rabbi, rabbi block, San Fernando Valley, sephardic, shul, sylvan st, weekdays, Young Israel
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Israeli Anger Over American Interference
Israelis seem to get very angry at the influence of American Jews in Israeli politics. I have a few thoughts on this, none of which reflect well on Israelis. One. You don’t get mad at something that is insignificant. If … Continue reading
Posted in Israel
Tagged american jews, anger, flaming sword, foreigners, interference, israeli politics, israeli security, israelis, jewish influence, jewish state, likud, mom and dad, money funds, political parties, security questions, significant influence, six months, stake, two ways, world jewry
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Ben-Ami Kadish, American citizen (NJ), maintained contacts with Pollard’s handlers in the 80’s
He was arrested today (25 years later) for espionage… Haaretz reports: The new espionage affair revealed Tuesday is in fact an old story. Nothing in this fact, however, can reduce the gravity of damage it will cause Israel, nor lead … Continue reading
Posted in Israel
Tagged american citizen, defense ministry, dimona, espionage, haaretz, hebrew acronym, illegal activities, israeli security, israelis, jonathan pollard, kadish, law and justice, no doubt, nuclear reactor, pollard affair, quot, security industry, sela, technology equipment, time event
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YULA Vs. Shalhevet
YULA is a centrist Orthodox school and Shalhevet is left-wing Orthodox (about as tolerant and free as you can get for an Orthodox school). Orthodox sources tell me: "When Shalhevet opened up 15 years ago, YULA had an opportunity to … Continue reading
