Geeklog Site

Chukos

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 10:29:00 -0500

This week's Torah parsha is Chukos. In this parsha we read about the death of Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron and a prophetess in her own right.

The entire nation of Israel reached the Tzin desert in the first month. The people camped in Kadesh, and that is where Miriam died and was buried. There was no water for the people, and they gathered against Moshe and Aharon [Bamidbar (Numbers) 20:1-2].

Another one of those Torah ironies is about to occur. We are told that the well that followed the Jewish people in the desert for 40 years and that supplied all the water needs of the nation had been in Miriam's merit. Hence, its name -- Be'er Miriam -- the Well of Miriam.

What had Miriam done to be the source of this great miracle and fountain of life? The Midrash explains that it was Miriam who had watched baby Moshe after he had been placed in his basket and into the Nile river to avoid being killed by the Egyptians. She looked out for him to make sure no harm would come to Moshe, who she knew would be the future redeemer of the Jewish people.

After all, Miriam had been a prophetess, even at the tender age of 7 [Shemos 15:20, Seder Olam 3]. It was Miriam who had advised her father to re-marry her mother in order to have more children, from which Moshe was born [Sotah 12a]. "Pharaoh only decreed against males," she told her father, the leader of the generation, "while you have decreed against the females as well by not having any children at all."

Upon hearing her rationale, Amram, her father, kissed her on the head. However, says the Talmud, when they were forced to put Moshe into the river to save his life, Amram tapped her on the head and questioned her advice. Undaunted, she stayed with her opinion and went to the Nile river to see what G-d had in mind for the future redeemer. . . . Thus, for her concern on behalf of her people, she was blessed with being the merit for the water that "redeemed" that same people in the desert from death. And, as Rashi points out in this week's parsha, the well stopped producing its water just to make sure that everyone knew that the water had followed them on her behalf.

Dr. Henry Morgantaler, the famed/infamous abortion rights activist/physician was recently awarded the coveted Order of Canada award from the government, and many Catholic Church leaders are outraged. According to the The PEW Population Study, American Jews are the largest ethnic group that supports abortions. The report further states that 72% of American Jewish adults have NO children! Many other demographic studies have revealed that the Jewish People in North America have negative growth. The Jewish People need positive growth in order to ensure that there be a Jewish future.

The murderous event in Israel this week should serve as a wake up call to our people. And what is the response from the vice prime minister of the State of Israel? He calls for Jerusalem to be divided and given to the Arabs!

The Jewish People have weak leadership. Only a full change of leadership will change the direction we are headed in. In the late 1980s, Rabbi Meir Kahane debated Ehud Olmert on ABC-TV's Nightline. It is important to watch this debate. On a side note, it is despicable how Ted Koppel treated Rabbi Kahane, the primary guest on the program. Even the most vicious miscreants featured on the show, which premiered in 1979, have been handled with more respect than Rabbi Kahane received.

The Jewish Defense League is working hard to reverse the negative trends that affect our people. We aim to rekindle Jewish Pride through our protests and our many other activities. We require your monetary assistance to further our goals. We believe and identify with the vision of Miriam for the Jewish People. Join the JDL and be part of a positive future for our people!

With Love of Israel,

Meir Weinstein
National Director
Jewish Defense League of Canada

Next Year in Kosovo

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 12:26:00 -0500

On a beautiful summer day in San Diego, the Jewish Defense League joined with our Serbian friends to mark National Kosovo Day. This event commemorates the birth of the Serbian nation as their warriors valiantly fought off Turkish Ottoman aggressors in 1389. The rally was capably organized by Jennifer Milanovich, a Serbian American activist. She contacted us after reading Kosovo: A Crying Shame on this blog. I want to thank the San Diego Serbian community for making us feel very welcomed at the event. And I'd like to thank JDL San Diego for showing up to support our Serbian friends at their rally. The following is the speech I gave there:

"It is a privilege and an honor to be here with you at the marking of Vidovdan, National Kosovo Day. My organization, the Jewish Defense League, is the only major Jewish organization that I know of -- and I think I know them all -- that has consistently supported the Serbian people and your right to your ancestral homeland.

"A couple of months ago, the Jewish people celebrated Passover the same way as we have done for over two thousand years. We read the same words, we eat the same foods, we sing the same songs -- every single year. And for over two thousand years, at every Passover seder in every Jewish household in the world, the Jewish people continue to end the story of our freedom from slavery with the phrase �Next year in Jerusalem.� Well, just as Jerusalem is the capital of the State of Israel � the homeland of the Jewish people, Kosovo is the homeland of the Serbian people. . . . "A strong bond exists between Serbs and Jews. For hundreds of years, your country welcomed my people to live as citizens and neighbors. Serbian and Jewish cultures flourished. But there was a dark cloud on the horizon. During World War II, the Nazi-loving Croatians with their Ustashi henchmen murdered 750,000 Serbs, 60,000 Jews and 26,000 Roma. The Bosnians and their Nazi Muslim Hanzar division murdered an additional 300,000 Serbs and 60,000 Jews (and many Roma too).

"I know each one of you remembers or has knowledge of what happened 65 years ago, but the world has a very poor memory. And there are others who unashamedly whitewash the despicable crimes of the Nazis, Bosnians and Croatians, and indeed deny the Holocaust and the ethnic cleansing of the Serbs and Roma. In the 1990s, when you fought so valiantly to save your country, your enemies unjustly accused you of war crimes � when in fact they are the ones who could write volumes on ethnic cleansing!

"It�s a crazy world out there. Today, terrorists are rewarded with their own countries. Violence against our people continues to this day. And so, in the face of evil and hate, Serbs and Jews and all good people must stand together and say Never Again! For our own survival, we must continue to teach our children who they are and why they must remember and live their heritage. And, in the name of justice, we must continue to fight for what is rightfully ours.�

"Passover shows us that the Jewish people never gave up faith and hope, even though it took two thousand years for Jerusalem to be reclaimed as the indivisible capital of the Jewish people. Even if Kosovo is not in Serbian hands today, one day it will be -- if you make a commitment to your ancestors and to your future generations to always remember that Kosovo is Serbian! It will always be Serbian! As you celebrate Vidovdan every year until your country is reunited and even after that day comes, my people won't mind it at all if you borrow a phrase from us and say, 'Next year in Kosovo!'

"Thank you and may God bless us all."

Korach

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 15:54:00 -0500

This week's Torah Parsha is Korach. The focus on this parsha is leadership. A recent American population study, known as the PEW Population Study, reported that over 70% of American Jewish adults have no children! We have an obligation to examine our present day leadership. This week we will examine a very deep insight into this parsha by Rabbi Benyamin Kahane and then provide the readership with some of the JDL solutions to issues of our day:

"Fear of Hearing the Truth is Nothing New, but the Phenomenon Has Certainly Reached New Heights in This Generation. . .

In the introduction to the book Em Habanim Smaicha, which was written during the time of the Holocaust by one of the great rabbis of Hungary dealing with the obligation to live in the land of Israel, the following is written (page 37): "And so my words in this book are intended only for those who want to know the truth the way it really is, and for those who are willing to stop and listen to the words written here. I am not demanding: 'accept my views' . . . and whoever would like to refute what I say, let them refute only with direct proofs from the words of our sages as I have brought, and only then will I debate them, with the help of G-d." Rabbi Issacher Teichtel, the author of this book, was caught in a strange situation. His efforts to persuade (religious Jews!!) of the correctness of his argument fell upon deaf ears. His lack of success was not for lack of proofs or convincing logic, but rather due to the fact that people simply did not want to seriously confront the proofs, sources and sheer logic that he brought down to support his words.

This is why he prefaced his book by saying that his words were intended for the "person who wants to know the truth." After all, one would assume that everyone wants to know the truth, and the argument only exists as to what that truth really is. However, this is not so. There are some people, and many times it is the majority, who do not want to be convinced.

Korach Was Not Interested in Hearing

This was precisely the situation with Korach. Our sages reveal in an astonishing Midrash the following idea: "Now Korach who was prudent -- what was the reason for his folly?!" The famous answer is that, "His eyes deceived him" (see Rashi), and we have dealt with this at a previous time. However the Midrash brings down another answer, which may be even a more basic one: "All these arguments Moshe presented to Korach (i.e. tried to convince him) -- and you do not find Korach having a rebuttal at all. This is because he was clever in his wickedness. He said: If I answer Moshe, I already know that he is a wise man and will defeat me in a debate, and I will be forced to appease him. It is better that I do not talk to him. When Moshe saw that there was no point, he separated himself from him."

The above Midrash is both amazing and shocking. Korach knew that if he entered into a dialogue with Moshe, he would be convinced of the folly of his ways. Therefore, he avoided speaking to him. His need for "kavod" (honor) so burned inside him that his greatest fear was to be convinced that he was wrong, thus forcing him to abandon his dream of taking power. This is the deeper answer to the question Rashi poses: "Now Korach who was prudent -- what was the reason for his folly?" He did not see! He covered his eyes from seeing!

One may think that such behavior is an aberration reserved for the extremely wicked. However, a closer look will reveal that this is a very familiar trait. Very often a man sins and is well aware that this is a bad thing. Yet, he represses this idea in his mind so that it won't interfere with his everyday life. He knows that if he listens to someone, even to his own inner voice, he is liable to be convinced. Therefore, he closes all his senses and continues on his merry way."

Just last week, the Jewish Community of Canada was alerted to a possible attack by Hezbollah against our houses of worship and institutions. The threat is real. There are many sleeper cells in Canada (and in the United States and Europe too) ready to attack. During the war in Lebanon two years ago, tens of thousands of Hezbollah supporters marched in Toronto and Montreal to call for the destruction of Israel. The Muslim Brotherhood has a very strong support in Canada and all over the world. The situation with Israel and Iran is heating up.

And the Jewish Community is not prepared. The recent The PEW Population Study reveals shocking information. Also, a special interactive feature provides dynamic tools that complement the full report providing graphic profiles of the geographic and demographic distributions of religious faiths across America. We need bold programs inorder to effect a change in direction for our community.

The Jewish Defense League of Canada has started our Security Courses. JDL chapters around the world will be doing so in the coming year. We train our membership in all levels of security to deal with the threats to our community. Anyone still wishing to take part in our courses should email our office at jdlcanada(at)jdl.org.

Efforts are underway to assist Moshe Feiglin in opening chapters of his Jewish Leadership Group in Canada. Only through a change in Jewish leadership will there be a serious change in direction for our community. We are living in an era where Jewish leaders promote assimilation as a virtue. This so-called leadership must end right away. The survival of the Jewish People is at issue.

Join the Jewish Defense League today.

With Love of Israel,

Meir Weinstein
National Director
Jewish Defense League of Canada

High Court: A constitutional right to a gun

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 10:29:25 -0500

From Wire Services. . . Answering a 127-year old constitutional question, the Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to have a gun, at least in one�s home. The Court, splitting 5-4, struck down a District of Columbia ban on handgun possession. Although times have changed since 1791, Justice Antonin Scalia said for the majority, �it is not the role of this Court to pronounce the Second Amendment extinct.� Examining the words of the Amendment, the Court concluded �we find they guarantee the individual right to possess and carry weaons in case of confrontation� � in other words, for self-defense. �The inherent right of self-defense has been central to the Second Amendment right,� it added. The individual right interpretation, the Court said, �is strongly confirmed by the historical background of the Second Amendment,� going back to 17th Century England, as well as by gun rights laws in the states before and immediately after the Amendment was put into the U.S. Constitution. What Congress did in drafting the Amendment, the Court said, was �to codify a pre-existing right, rather than to fashion a new one.� Justice Scalia�s opinion stressed that the Court was not casting doubt on long-standing bans on carrying a concealed gun or on gun possession by felons or the mentally retarded, on laws barring guns from schools or government buildings, and laws putting conditions on gun sales. . . . The Court took no position on whether the Second Amendment right restricts only federal government powers, or also curbs the power of states to regulate guns. In a footnote, Scalia said that the issue of �incorporating� the Second into the Fourteenth Amendment, thus applying it to the states, was �a question not presented by this case.� But the footnote said decisions in 1886 and 1894 had reaffirmed that the Amendment �applies only to the Federal Government.� Whether the Court will reopen that issue thus will depend upon future cases. In District of Columbia v. Heller (07-290), the Court nullified two provisions of the city of Washington�s strict 1976 gun control law: a flat ban on possessing a gun in one�s home, and a requirement that any gun � except one kept at a business � must be unloaded and disassembled or have a trigger lock in place. The Court said it was not passing on a part of the law requiring that guns be licensed. It said that issuing a license to a handgun owner, so the weapon can be used at home, would be a sufficient remedy for the Second Amendment violation of denying any access to a handgun. Justice Scalia�s recitation from the bench of the majority�s reasoning continued for 16 minutes. Justice John Paul Stevens followed, for seven minutes, summarizing the reasons for two dissenting opinions � his and one written by Justice Stephen G. Breyer. The decision was the final one of the Term and, after issuing it, the Court recessed for the summer, to return on Monday, Oct. 6. Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., said that concluding orders on pending cases will be released by the Court Clerk at 10 a.m. Friday.

Israeli Baseball League

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 11:03:32 -0500

Check it out: http://holylandhardball.com/. It's a movie about the forming of the Israel Baseball League. I think it's great and I met one of the directors at the Holocaust Museum. His name was Brett Rapkin.

My Deepest Apologies

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 15:26:00 -0500

I know there are people who feel it is a sign of weakness when one apologizes. I disagree. When one does something that one regrets doing, the proper thing to do is to apologize as soon as possible. Yesterday, the Jewish Defense League held a demonstration outside a clothing store in Los Angeles. My behavior there was inappropriate and not representative of the Jewish Defense League as a whole. While I believe with all my heart that being there was the right thing to do, as there is no good reason for selling terrorist-inspired t-shirts and manufacturing a clothing line that pays homage to Hitler's Nazi militia, I must apologize for the hurtful things I may have said to others at the event. Additionally, I apologize to the members of my organization and our supporters -- and to my children -- for letting my anger get the best of me. . . . It will never again happen.

Do You Know About Directive 51?

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 13:25:36 -0500

Directive 51: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMs733gFg-I&feature What we choose to ignore: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jl1VIhdpl4c&feature 800 FEMA Camps: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irRWjUGr24c&feature Now search HAARP project!

A Warning to Obama Supporters

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 12:44:59 -0500

This is an e-mail that was sent to me. Pause a moment, reflect back. These events are actual events from history. They really happened!!! Do you remember? 1. 1968 Bobby Kennedy was shot and killed by a Muslim male extremist between the ages of 17 and 40. 2. In 1972 at the Munich Olympics, athletes were kidnapped and massacred by Muslim male extremists between the ages of 17 and 40. 3. In 1979, the US embassy in Iran was taken over by Muslim male extremists between the ages of 17 and 40. 4. During the 1980's a number of Americans were kidnapped in Lebanon by Muslim male extremists between the ages of 17 and 40. 5. In 1983, the US Marine barracks in Beirut was blown up by Muslim male extremists between the ages of 17 and 40. 6. In 1985 the cruise ship Achille Lauro was hijacked and a 70 year old American passenger was murdered and thrown overboard in his wheelchair by Muslim male extremists between the ages of 17 and 40. 7. In 1985 TWA flight 847 was hijacked at Athens, and a US Navy diver trying to rescue passengers was murdered by Muslim male extremists between the ages of 17 and 40. 8. In 1988 , Pan Am Flight 103 was bombed by Muslim male extremists between the ages of 17 and 40. 9. In 1993 the World Trade Center was bombed the first time by Muslim male extremists between the ages of 17 and 40. 10. In 1998, the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania were bombed by Muslim male extremists between the ages of 17 and 40. 11. On 9/11/01, four airliners were hijacked; two were used as missiles to take down the World Trade Centers and of the remaining two, one crashed into the US Pentagon and the other was diverted and crashed by the passengers. Thousands of people were killed by Muslim male extremists between the of 17 and 40. 12. In 2002 the United States fought a war in Afghanistan against Muslim male extremists between the ages of 17 and 40. 13. In 2002 reporter Daniel Pearl was kidnapped and murdered by-- you guessed it-- Muslim male extremists between the ages of 17 and 40. No, I really don't see a pattern here to justify profiling, do you? So, to ensure we Americans never offend anyone, particularly fanatics intent on killing us, airport security screeners will no longer be allowed to profile certain people. . . . Absolutely No Profiling! They must conduct random searches of 80-year-old women, little kids, airline pilots with proper identification, secret agents who are members of the President's security detail, 85-year old Congressmen with metal hips, and Medal of Honor winner and former Governor Joe Foss, but leave Muslim Males between the ages 17 and 40 alone lest they be guilty of profiling. According to The Book of Revelation:??(My Christian friends read it.) The Anti-Christ will be a man, in his 40s, of MUSLIM descent, who will deceive the nations with persuasive language, and have a MASSIVE Christ-like appeal. . . the prophecy says that people will flock to him and he will promise false hope and world peace, and when he is in power, he will destroy everything. And Now: For the award winning Act of Stupidity of all times the People of America want to elect, to the most Powerful position on the face of the Planet -- The Presidency of the United states of America A Muslim Male Extremist Between the ages of 17 and 40. Have the American People completely lost their Minds, or just their Power of Reason??? I'm sorry but I refuse to take a chance on the "unknown" candidate. Let's send this to as many people as we can so that the Gloria Aldreds and other stupid attorneys along with Federal Justices that want to thwart common sense, feel ashamed of themselves -- if they have any such sense. I STRONGLY URGE each one of you to repost this as many times as you can! Each opportunity that you have to send it to a friend or media outlet...do it! A lot of Americans have become so insulated from reality that they imagine that America can suffer defeat without any inconvenience to themselves. As the writer of the award winning story "Forrest Gump" so aptly put it: "Stupid Is As Stupid Does."

Film Review by Fern Sidman: 'Refusnik' Refuses to Tell Whole Story

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 00:23:00 -0500

The film 'Refusenik' is a seminal retrospective documentary chronicling the thirty year history of the struggle to liberate Soviet Jews from the spiritual shackles of bondage that was endemic to their existence in the former USSR. Told through the eyes and brave voices of such celebrity dissidents as Anatoly (Natan) Scharansky, Vladimir Slepak, Yosef Begun, Yosef Mendelevitch, Ida Nudel, Sylva Zalmanson, Alexander Kholmiansky and Yuli Edelstein, director Laura Bialis takes us on a multi-faceted journey of the creation of a revolutionary global grass-roots movement for freedom from tyranny and oppression.

Having been denied the right to live as clearly identifiable Jews by a repressive and often brutal totalitarian regime for several decades, a group of Soviet Jewish dissidents, also known as prisoners of conscience, courageously and overtly challenged the draconian dictates of the Politburo.

As Jews yearning to re-connect with their tradition and faith, their opportunities to express their Judaism were proscribed to them by the Soviets. They were prevented from attending synagogue, nor could they learn Hebrew, eat kosher food or conduct holiday rituals. All vestiges of Jewish life were expunged from Soviet society and any attempt to lead an observant Jewish life was classified as treachery. Any Jew who dared to practice the faith of their ancestors and challenge the monolith of Communism was publicly excoriated as a criminal and traitor. To solidify their position on the Jewish question to the general populace, the Soviets unleashed a vitriolic campaign of anti-Zionist propaganda that permeated both the educational system and the media. . . . Suffice it to say, those Soviet Jews seeking to emigrate to Israel were denied exit visas, placed under intense governmental scrutiny and surveillance and labeled enemies of the state. The punitive measures enforced against them included incessant harassment, the denial of admission to universities, ridicule in the media, termination of employment and the final unspeakable horror of arrest, a show trial and imprisonment in the Gulag of Soviet forced labor camps.

Bialis begins by providing us with a brief lesson on the centuries old tradition of blatant anti-Semitism in the motherland. The murderous pogroms of Czarist Russia and the Stalinist purges are the blood stained backdrop for the protracted battle of and for religious emancipation. History records that Jews were loyal citizens of the Czarist regimes, having fought with uncommon valor and bravery in the Russian military and later in time were in the forefront of establishing a new "classless" society as foretold by Marx and Lenin; free of racism and religious persecution. Their utopian ideals and dreams of an authentically egalitarian society were soon torn asunder and utterly shattered by the brutal realities of totalitarianism.

The film includes rare and never seen before footage of the early days of the Soviet Jewish struggle, smuggled out of the USSR by the BBC. In broken English, we hear the testimony of the dissidents; cramped into a small apartment, some speaking in hushed tones, sending out their own personal message in a bottle. When word of their plight reached the shores of the Western world the nascent student protest movements were poised to explode on the American landscape. The year was 1964, and young people were brimming with ideological enthusiasm. Jews were not immune to the contagious spirit.

Thus, 'Refusenik' focuses on and lauds the efforts of such liberation movements as the Student Struggle for Soviet Jewry and a whole host of local councils established for the sole purpose of bringing the spotlight on the agenda of Soviet Jews. We are guided through a step-by-step manual on how to build a grass roots movement as we see the various demonstrations held for Soviet Jews, as well as concerts, petition drives and the courting of sympathetic politicians. We hear from the founder of SSSJ, Jacob Birnbaum and New York director, Glenn Richter who speak of persuading people to come to demonstrations that were held at the Soviet Consulate in New York and the Soviet Embassy in Washington. As we imbibe the visuals of such historic moments we learn that the genesis of this movement saw a handful of students including writer Yossi HaLevi Klein (a Holocaust survivor's son) who were hell bent on making amends for the deafening silence and callow indifference of a previous generation of American Jews who did not take to the streets when their brethren were being butchered by the Nazis.

We hear excerpts from the speeches of the late Sen. Henry "Scoop" Jackson, a Cold War anti-Communist Democrat from Washington state, who in 1974 co-sponsored the Jackson-Vanik amendment in the Senate. The amendment called for the denial of normal trade relations to certain countries with non-market economies that restricted the freedom of emigration. The amendment was intended to help refugees, particularly minorities, specifically Jews, to emigrate from the Soviet Bloc. We also listen to the words of such West Coast activists as Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky and drapery manufacturer Si Frumkin who regale us with old war stories about the early days of the Soviet Jewish struggle in Los Angeles and the various and sundry activities that were organized on their behalf.

'Refusenik' however, tragically fails us as it consciously omits a huge and critically important chunk of history as it pertains to activism on behalf of Soviet Jews. What we don't hear or ever see in this film for other than a split second is the vitally significant contributions of the late Rabbi Meir Kahane and his Jewish Defense League as progenitors in the battle to save Soviet Jews from being spiritually decimated. It was Rabbi Kahane who was the first to give voice to the fact that the Soviets would not be moved or persuaded to release their Jews until and if their precious detente with the US were seriously threatened. Indeed, it was the Soviets who desperately needed lucrative trade agreements with the US, and therefore the United States possessed a great deal of political leverage with them. It was he who insisted that US foreign policy (as it applied to the Soviets) include human rights issues.

While students of history may agree or disagree, it is common knowledge that it was the JDL's utilization of anti-establishment activities on behalf of Soviet Jews that put this issue on page one of the newspapers; in a place where people saw it and began to care about it and more importantly began to take concrete action for it. It was the JDL who were the ones who vandalized Soviet property, threatened the safety of Soviet diplomats and engaged in the kinds of activities that these "nice Jews" who sponsored this film would rather not remember or think about. It was Rabbi Kahane who taught the world that it is the militant that serves as the gadfly to the moderate, forcing him to do things he never would have dreamt of. The glaring omissions of such a potent segment of Jewish activism in the US is downright appalling and smacks of the kind of news blackouts that were once associated with such government controlled media outlets as Pravda and Isvestia.

The film takes great pains to memorialize the efforts of those who had the temerity to smuggle crucial information and Jewish religious articles to their kinsmen in Russia as well as the heroic ventures of Soviet Jewish activists. The film explores the events leading up to the Leningrad plane hijacking incident of May 15, 1970, when a group of Soviet dissidents lead by Eduard Kuznetsov and Mark Dymshits attempted to hijack a 12 seat civilian airliner in which they alone were passengers in order to escape to the West. The group was tried and two were sentenced to death, however due to intense international pressure, their sentence was commuted. We are choked with palpable emotion as we watch the tale of Anatoly (Natan) Scharansky, who having just married his wife Avital was deported to Siberia where he spent 12 grueling years at the hands of his oppressors while enduring mind numbing interrogations and barbaric torture. Throughout it all, he never acquiesced to the demands of his captors and never relinquished his desire to remain a proud Jew who wished to live a full Jewish life in the Land of Israel.

Ultimately, we are left with a joyous conclusion as 'Refusenik' documents the eventual relaxation of Soviet emigration policies and the mass exodus of Soviet Jews to Israel. What is most interesting are the comments of former Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev who expressed sadness that those Jews who he attended university with and who possessed such brilliance would want to leave the USSR. We almost feel sorry for him, as though he has lost his best friends, yet we hasten to remind ourselves how initially reluctant he was to address human rights issues while engaging in disarmament summits with President Reagan.

'Refusenik' is a documentary that will inspire and give hope to all oppressed peoples and will serve as a stellar educational tool for a new generation of young people who know very little about the courageous few who carved a path of freedom, despite the punishments that were inflicted upon them by their tormentors. Having said this, the filmmakers still need to be taken to task for the historical distortions and omissions that are clearly prevalent here. Any revised version of history causes alarm and must be addressed in the strongest of terms. We can only hope that a new generation of filmmakers dedicated to accuracy and to conveying the unexpurgated truth, will produce more documentaries of this genre.

Fern Sidman is the former national director of the Jewish Defense League.

Shelach

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 00:34:00 -0500
This week's Torah parsha in Shelach. The central theme of this parsha is about the failure of Jewish leadership. The word Shelach is interpreted to mean "send forth." G-d allowed Moshe to send out men to spy out the Land of Israel. These men were to bring back a report about realities in the Land of Israel. The Torah states, "They returned from spying out the Land at the end of the forty days. They went and came to Moshe and Aaron and to the entire assembly of the Children of Israel. . . ."

The Sages comment on "They went and came" with, 'just as their returning was with evil counsel so was their going with evil counsel.' These spies brought back a report to the people that the Land of Israel was impossible to conquer. They brought back a report of fear. These were the same people that witnessed the exodus from Egypt and the splitting of the sea and the giving of the Torah. Yet, they had fear of leaving the "comfort" of the desert.

It is in this context that we understand the words of our Sages. The spies were to bring back a report to Moshe and not to convey their own false ideas. And the spies continued to tell the Jewish People, "The Land through which we have passed, to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants.". . . In 1948, just prior to Israel's independence, David Ben-Gurion, the first Prime Minister of Israel, held an emergency meeting to vote on proclaiming a Jewish State. The meeting was very tense. Demographics were discussed and so was acceptance by the UN. The US State Department issued a report to President Harry Truman not to recognize the State of Israel. David Ben-Gurion, however, was determined; he proclaimed independence for the State of Israel. Shortly afterwards, Israel was attacked from all sides and from within. In a strange turn of events, thousands of Arabs within Israel fled to Arab countries, even though Israel begged them to stay and live in peace. The Arabs were waiting and praying for the destruction of Israel. All their prayers to Allah could not stop God from watching over the Jewish People as He gave us the modern State of Israel. All the Arab nations lost this war and the Jewish Nation of Israel won respect and solved much of the demographic threat.

Today many of our so-called leaders repeat the same fears of yesteryear. Our "leaders" perceive a contradiction between a democratic state and a Jewish state. That is why the Jewish People's Policy Planning Committee warns of a demographic threat and pushes for Jerusalem to be an International City.

The issue of demography is important. The truth is that the Arab birthrate in Israel and the territories is in sharp decline. Moreover, Jewish fertility rates are on the rise. It is only the most assimilated of our people who have a very low birthrate, if any at all. For a good review of the true demographic trends in Israel, it is vital to read the facts as presented in The Ettinger Report. It is in this report that you will read how the State of Israel has defeated the demographic demon and Ettinger explains that a retreat from land and the establishment of a "terror state" will encourage Arab immigration, which will again pose a demographic threat.

The following article is another example of bad Jewish leadership: Arab MKs Vote to Keep Olmert in Power. Arab MKs are banding together to keep Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in office and to block a vote to dissolve the Knesset. Something is very wrong with Jewish leadership when Arab members of the Knesset vote to keep the prime minister in office!

The Jewish Defense League will continue to speak the truth and demand strong Jewish leadership. We need concerned people to call our office and commit some of their time to our projects. We seek to nullify the defamation and lies from the many anti-Jewish/anti-Israel gangs. We will mount a campaign against CUPE Ontario for their anti Jewish/Israel boycott crusade. And we are determined to expose the many Hezbollah and Hamas support groups in Canada. Our security training programs will start next week. Please call our office to get more involved at 905-474-0555.

The central message of this parsha is to be suspect of our leadership. Many leaders are chosen because of their finacial standing and not because of their commitment to Israel or the Jewish People. True Jewish Leadership must preach strong Jewish family values, commitment to the Jewish Way of Life and a Strong State of Israel.

The Jewish Defense League will change the posture of the Jewish People. Our many bold programs have given many Jews a renewed confidence. Join us today.

With Love of Israel,

Meir Weinstein
National Director
Jewish Defense League of Canada