History is Repeating

When I first started this blog it was not my intent to post anything political. It was a place for me to share my artistic pursuits. However, I've come to the conclusion that if it is on my mind and in my heart, it is worth posting about. If for no other reason but to get it off my chest.

Does anyone remember Neville Chamberlain from your history lessons?

Neville Chamberlain was British Prime Minister from 1937 - 1940. He was best known for his appeasement foreign policy, and of course the Munich Agreement he sign with German Chancellor, Adolf Hitler, in 1938.

In this "agreement" that Chamberlain was so pleased for having gotten Herr Hitler's signature on, was supposed to make peace with a dictator who already had begun to put his plan into action. This whole process just bought Hitler time, and made him look legitimate. We all know how that turned out.

This morning I find that President Obama is, and has been since November, penning a letter to Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. News of this literally made me cry. With Israel in the precarious position it is in, this is the last thing we need.

History is repeating itself, and no one seems to be in power who wants to stop it. Why? Can anyone please tell me why no one wants to stop this train wreck from happening?

Former Presidents Carter and Clinton tried to do the same thing with Iran. Each attempt was a failure. The developing foreign policies of the new President are not looking to supportive of Israel or Jews in general.

This also concerns me on another front. The U.S. military. My son needs a President who will give him the support he needs while he is defending our country. Currently in Afghanistan for the rest of his 15 month deployment, he should be assured his country is there for him. Not the man who is supporting terrorist worldwide, and building nuclear weapons. Even after being told by the U.N to stop!

Everything going on in the world now is headed in one direction, and personally I'm afraid for all of us.

Israel Tehillim List

This is the most up to date list I can find for those soldiers who are wounded and missing. This list also includes civilians who have been wounded. If you have other names please post in comments to add to list.

Good Shabbos, and please say tehillim 83, 130 and 142.


Gilad ben Aviva Shalit - kidnapped Israeli soldier that Hamas claims was injured in air raids on Gaza;
Li'el Hoshea ben Miriam – critical (enoshot) head injuries;
Wahal Mijan – critical (enosh), has metal shards in his brain, has had 3 operations & doctors are battling to save his life;
Ben ben Netiva – critical (enosh) with head injuries & has had 1 hand amputated & doctors are battling to save his other hand;
Neriya ben Rivka – very serious head injury;
Noam ben Aliza - one leg amputated; doctors fighting to save the other;
Yosef Chaim ben Ziva – very seriously injured on the entire left side of his body- regained consciousness yesterday BH;
Dvir ben Laya - seriously injured in his legs;
Raphael ben Dina – very seriously injured;
Elishama Shalom ben Rivka Leah
Oren ben Chaya – seriously injured shoulder & hand – has had 1 finger amputated;
Ronen Chai ben Leah – seriously injured
Ron ben Havatzelet – seriously injured with shrapnel over all of his body;
Eitan ben Sarah – very serious leg injury;
Gal ben Hedva – seriously injured with shrapnel to his jaw & mouth;
Ran ben Merril – moderate shoulder injury;
Idan ben Nadi – moderate shrapnel injuries;
Yitzchak ben Navah - moderate shoulder injury;
Netanel ben Navah - moderate shrapnel wounds to a lower extremity;
Ohad ben Bracha – moderate facial injuries;
Maxim ben Olga - light lower leg injury, operation to remove shrapnel;
Yisrael ben Ilana - light shrapnel injury to an ear;
Yo'ad Ido ben Frieda Elka- light shrapnel injuries;
Idan ben Liora - light shrapnel injuries;
Nadav ben Miriam (Maria) - light shrapnel injuries;
Sagi ben Osnat – light shrapnel injuries to his leg;
Omer ben Dorit – light shrapnel injuries to legs;
Evgeny ben Elizabeth – leg injury
Lior ben Mazal
Oleg Dizengoff
Avi Cohen
Roni Rapaport
Yaakov Wolf - hit by shrapnel in his neck that miraculously missed his jugular vein BH
Moshe ben Eidi – head injury

Wounded civilians:
Gavriel ben Sarah from Sderot – child in severe shock from kassam attack;
Yakov ben Rivka - very seriously injured from kassam rocket;
Bat El Hila bat Phoebe – moderately injured from kassam rocket that
fell in Netivot
Gila bat Odelia – moderately injured by kassam attack in Netivot

Kidnapped & Missing Soldiers:

Ron ben Batya (Arad)
Guy ben Rina (Hever)
Tzvi ben Pninah (Feldman),
Yekutiel Yehuda Nachman ben Sarah (Katz),
Zecharia Shlomo ben Miriam (Baumel)

This week's Parsha is Vayechi.
Gaza: Faces of War

Eretz Yisrael Needs You

The picture at the left shows an IDF soldier davening Shacharis in his tefillin. This breaks my heart.

Though he is fighting a battle almost no thinks can be won, or the rest thinks Israel has no right to fight at all, he still makes sure he puts on his tefillin to daven. G-d bless him, and all the IDF troops.

For those people who want to do something to help Eretz Yisrael, and the IDF troops I want to share this information my Rav, Rabbi Chaim Silver, passed on to us last night at our communities Kinus tefillah prayer service.

“Operation Tefillah, Torah & Troops,” has been launched. Endorsed and guided by Rabbi Simcha HaCohen Kook, the Chief Rabbi of Rehovot, Israel, and the Bostoner Rebbe (Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Horowitz) of Har Nof, Israel, people from around the world are partnered with soldiers in the IDF. Each person who takes part in “Operation Tefillah, Torah & Troops” is paired with an Israeli soldier, and is responsible to say tefillot (prayers), learn Torah, and do special acts of chesed (kindness) on behalf of that soldier.

Rabbi Kook and the Bostoner Rebbe note that this concept is one that has been a part of the Jewish people for thousands of years. When Moshe Rabbeinu (Moses) led the Jewish people to war with the nation of Midyon, for every person who went to battle, there was a designated person who was responsible for praying and learning for him. Throughout his reign, David HaMelech (King David) utilized this practice as well.

To participate in “Operation Tefillah, Torah & Troops” and receive the name of an Israeli soldier who needs your prayers, send an e-mail to the office of Rabbi Kook at maortlmo@gmail.com.

For those who cannot for whatever reason commit to this much, you can still daven tehillim. In particular: Psalm 83, 130 and 142.

Every tefillah makes a difference! It’s the least we can do.