A side note…

“One didn’t grow up orthodox, and so maybe has a grudge to settle (with whom? himself?) and one of them is a convert who deems himself worthy of commenting on Jews’ lived realities outside of Torah observance, something they have not experienced.”

What does this even mean?  Because I was brought up non-Orthodox I didn’t have a Jewish upbringing?  Because Jacob is converting, his time and effort spent within the Jewish world is meaningless? 

How do you define YOURSELF, Lazer?  Gefilte fish and Yiddish?  I’ll pass. 

There is a new Jewish Renaissance of Ba’alei Teshuva and converts.  Judaism is being reinvigorated by those who embrace Hashem and Torah, not your false Jewish markers.

Tonight I am having two tattooed Ba’alei Teshuva at my Shabbos table.  One is a biker and one a recent parolee.  Tomorrow I am having lunch with an entire frum family of converts.  In fact, all of my friends are converts and Ba’alei Teshuva - Just like during the time of the Tanach, Mishna and Gemara.

But I guess Rabbi Akiva, Onkelos, Rabbi Meir Ba’al Haness, Reish Lakish, Ruth, Yisro, Ovadia, Tzipporah, Yael, etc. aren’t Jewish enough for you.

Sad.

Lazer is at it again!

He wouldn’t, of course, answer any of my questions.  He just posted a sign that says “abort yourself.”  Mature and perfectly proves my point.

Me:  Dear Gentiles:  Please pay this idiot no mind.  He feels he speaks for Jews and Judaism when he does not.  In fact, he is disdainful of religious Jews and those who follow Torah.  He calls us the Frum Mafia.  Oooooo.

“Seriously.  What don’t they understand about the irrelevancy of Halakha when it comes to non-orthodox Jewish identity. Goyim get a pass on this (but not at cultural appropriation, as linked as it may be, because that does not require any understanding of Jewish identity, just the capacity and willingess to not be an asshole). Not only does the frum mafia not understand Jewish identity, but they are also arrogant fuckasses who think they know more by virtue of observing the mitzvot, which they often write a la Ashkenaz as “mitzvos”, along with every other possible word that has a tav/saf (note that they ignore dageshism [“sikvaseynu”] or that they do not insert a kometz instead of a kamatz because they don’t actually know Yiddish).  You are therefore as guilty of using Jewish culture for the purposes of cred as anti-Semitic goyim—which is unsurprising, seeing as how you all, like certain goyim, have unhealthy love affairs with Zion that rival Jehudah Halevi’s (may your fate be worse than his*).”

Falafel for Thought.

“There is no such country as Palestine. ‘Palestine’ is a term the Zionists invented. There is no Palestine in the Bible. Our country was for centuries part of Syria. ‘Palestine’ is alien to us. It is the Zionists who introduced it”.

- Auni Bey Abdul-Hadi, Syrian Arab leader to British Peel Commission, 1937 -

Peleshet = Palestine? Not even close.

Peleshet

In Herodotus’ ‘History’ we can also read that the Philistines once inhabited the southern coast of today’s Israel. They lived in a region spoken of in the Old Testament as Peleshet,  a Hebrew name, often translated as: Land of the Philistines, Philistia or Palestine (see for example: Genesis 21:32, Isaiah 14:29 and Psalm 60:8).

The word Peleshet comes from the root Pelesh which mens ‘dividers’ or ‘intruders’.

Ancient Egyptian inscriptions mention a non-semitic seafaring nation coming from Crete (=Caphtor, see Amos 9:7) and invading Egypt.

When they were thrown out by Ramses II (1194 B.C.) they settled down in the coastal region of today’s southern Israel. They established five towns: Ashkelon, Ashdod, Ekron, Gaza and Gath.

Even before conquering Jerusalem (587 B.C.) Nebuchadnezzar had destroyed all these five towns and had deported the inhabitants to Babylon (see 2 Kings 25). After that nothing was ever more heard of these Philistines!

The (uncircumcised) Philistines were neither Arabs nor Semites. There was no connection whatsoever  with the Arabs or the Arab countries.

The Arabs who had no name of their own for this region, adopted the Greco-Roman name Palestine, that they pronounced Falastin.

In 63 B.C. the Roman general Pompeius ruled in the Near East. He too used the name Palaistine for the land of the Israelites. In 135 A.D. Publius Aelius Hadrianus (Emperor of Rome from 117 to 138 A.D.) called Judea: Syria Palaestina. It is generaly accepted that Hadrian purposely called Canaan Palaestina to insult the Jews (and their God!). He was determined to wipe out the identity of Israel-Judah-Judea. So he actually cut them off from their Biblical inheritance and national history. In the same way Hadrian changed the name of rebuilt Jerusalem in Aelia Capitolina and on the Temple Mount he erected a pagan temple for the Roman god Jupiter Capitolinus! The Romans have killed many Jews and have sold even more as slaves. Others abandoned Canaan, but never has there been a time without Jews or Jewish communities in the land.

For over 2000 years Palestine has been in use as the name for the land of Canaan, Eretz Yisrael, the land God Himself promised to Abram and his offspring (Gen.12:7,

Psalm 105:11). So all the inhabitants, including the Jews were in fact Palestinians!

After the First World War the Ottoman Empire was divided and the borders of Israel were laid down,  naming the land Palestine. In 1920 the League of  Nations assigned Palestine to the British to govern it temporarily as a mandate, with the promise of establishing a Jewish National Home, as stated in the Balfour Declaration (1917).

In 1948 the government of the new Jewish nation decided to give the country the Biblical name of Israel again, so at once all ‘Palestinians’ became Israelites.

So it is very clear that Palestine has never exsisted as an autonomous entity. There is no language known as Palestinian. There is no distinct Palestinian culture. There has never been a land known as Palestine, governed by Palestinians.

From the end of the Jewish state in antiquity to the beginning of British rule, the area now designated by the name Palestine was not a country and had no frontiers, only administrative boundaries.

Sources:

- ‘When Palestine meant Israel’ – D. Jacobson

- ‘Bijbelse Encyclopedie’ – W. H.  Gispen

- ‘Biblical Archeology Review’

- ‘Encyclopedia Britannica’

Me:  Hey, they settled Gaza?!?  For shame!  I demand they be uprooted!

sura93 just keeps on giving.

He is now equating the “Palestinians” and the Philistines (a Greek sea people).  Way to invent a history!

What?

“Your feelings were hurt, yet you appropriated and disrespected my entire culture and heritage. Stop complaining. And no, we don’t worship the same God if you think Jesus is God. You probably say Judeo-Christian, which is another appropriative, useless phrase.”

(Source: lazersilberstein)

Arabs attack Jewish funeral on the Mount of Olives

Arabs Attack During a Levaya on Har HaZeisim

Police and politicians continue to promise to protect Jews visiting Har HaZeisim [Mount of Olives], boasting new surveillance cameras and a police presence, but the celebration may be premature.

On Wednesday, during a levaya [funeral], Arabs began pelting members of a chevra kadisha [volunteers who bury the dead] with rocks. B’chasdei Hashem [by the Mercy of Hashem] no one was injured but there was damage to at least one vehicle.

The incident occurred at about 11:00am, near the end of a levaya. They chevra felt “threatened” and as a result, expedited completing what had to be done and they fled.

It appears that the new police station is not a magic solution since the area is question is quite large and in reality, the Arabs are simply bold and brazen today, well-aware they can do as they please for in reality, they have taken control of the area.

(Source: theyeshivaworld.com)