https://www.wsj.com/articles/russia-ukraine-war-nato-military-11646843371
The invasion of Ukraine has given the group renewed focus after decades of seeking a purpose in the post-Cold War world
Thursday, March 10, 2022
Ukraine and the Jews
https://aish.com/ukraine-and-the-jews-12-facts/
Poland’s invitation for immigrants to come attracted Jews who were fleeing massacres in central Europe in the wake of the Crusades and the Black Death. Jews settled throughout Poland, including in territories that form present-day Ukraine, most notably the region of Volhynia, which lies at the intersection of Poland, Belarus and Ukraine. By the 1400s, up to 30,000 Jews were thought to be living in 60 different communities across Ukraine, including in the present day capital city, Kiev.
Wednesday, March 9, 2022
Contrary to KA Chelmiicki was a Russian hero like Putin
Bohdan Khmelnytsky, Ukrainian in full Bohdan Zinoviy Mykhaylovych Khmelnytsky, Polish Bohdan Chmielnicki, Russian Bogdan Khmelnitsky, (born c. 1595, Chigirin, Ukraine—died Aug. 6 [Aug. 16, New Style], 1657, Chigirin), leader (1648–57) of the Zaporozhian Cossacks who organized a rebellion against Polish rule in Ukraine that ultimately led to the transfer of the Ukrainian lands east of the Dnieper River from Polish to Russian control.
Khmelnytsky sought autonomy for his Cossack followers but succeeded only in devastating their formerly flourishing Dnieper lands and in subjecting them to the rule of Moscow, which gained control of Ukraine east of the Dnieper and gradually curtailed their liberties.
Bohdan Zynoviy Mykhailovych Khmelnytsky (Ruthenian: Ѕѣнові Богдан Хмелнiцкiи;[1] modern Ukrainian: Богдан Зиновій Михайлович Хмельницький; c. 1595 – 6 August 1657) was a Ukrainian[2][3][4][5][6][7][8] military commander and Hetman of the Zaporozhian Host, which was then under the suzerainty of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. He led an uprising against the Commonwealth and its magnates (1648–1654) that resulted in the creation of an independent Ukrainian Cossack state. In 1654, he concluded the Treaty of Pereyaslav with the Russian Tsar and allied the Cossack Hetmanate with Tsardom of Russia, thus placing central Ukraine under Russian control.[9]
Khmelnytsky was viewed as a national hero of Russia for bringing Ukraine into the "eternal union" of all the Russias – Great (Russia), Little (Ukraine) and White (Belarus) Russia. As such, he was much respected and venerated during the existence of the Russian Empire. His role was presented as a model for all Ukrainians to follow: to aspire for closer ties with Great Russia. This view was expressed in a monument commissioned by the Russian nationalist Mikhail Yuzefovich, which was installed in the centre of Kyiv in 1888.[54][55]
Russian authorities decided the original version of the monument (created by Russian sculptor Mikhail Mikeshin) was too xenophobic; it was to depict a vanquished Pole, Jew, and a Catholic priest under the hoofs of the horse. The inscription on the monument reads "To Bohdan Khmelnytsky from one and indivisible Russia."[56] Mikeshin also created the Monument to the Millennium of Russia in Novgorod, which has Khmelnytsky shown as one of Russia's prominent figures.[57]
Abarbanel worship angels is prohibited
Abarbanel (Rosh Amana 12) Concerning the Second question which was why the Rambam included in his fifth principle of faith that it is prohibited to make intermediaries between man and G-d I replied that I already mentioned in the introduction to the fifth principle that it includes true faith in G-d
First of all G-d is the only being that acts with free will
as opposed to even the angels,celestial spheres,stars and fundamental matter and
all things made from this matter. While all these things have control over
their activities they don’t decide what
to do. In contrast G-d acts solely according to
what He wants to do. That is why
worship and praise is only directed to G-d.
Secondly G-d is the only being that is omnipotent without any limitations, That is what is meant by saying “they all have domain and activities”. In other words all thes beings are limited and restricted to specific tasks. In contrast G-d can do anything He desires as it states in Tehilim (135), “All that G-d desires He does in the Heaven and Earth.” That is why He alone is worshipped since only He can accomplish anything like clay in the hand of the artisan. There is no thing who tells Him what to do.
The third point is that all the peoples and nations are uniquely dependent on the celestial powers that control them. In other words as has been stated there is the celestial ruler of the Greeks, Persians and all other nations except for the Jews who are not dependent on a celestial master or star Instead the Jews are uniquely dependent on G-d. This is as our master Moshe has said (Devarim 4:19-20) And lest you lift up your eyes to the skies, and when you see the sun, and the moon, and the stars, all the host of the skies, should you be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the Lord your God has allotted to all nations under the whole sky. But the Lord has taken you, and brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be for him a people of inheritance, as you are this day. Ibn Ezra wrote it has been established that each people has
a unique star and mazel. This is also true for each city. G-d gave the Jews a
major and superior status in that He directly directs them and not through a
star. Jews belong to G-d. Concerning this idea we find in Pirke de rabbi Eliezar that the 70 celestial leaders cast a lottery as to
which one of the 70 nations they would rule while G-d got the Jews by this
lottery. That is why it says that the Jews are the property of G-d. In other
words the relation of each nation to its celestial leader is that which G-d has
with Jews without any intermediary of a star or any celestial being. This is the basis for the absolute avoidance
of idolatry
[to be continued]
US blocks Polish attempt to send fighter jets to Ukraine
https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-shoots-down-polish-attempt-to-send-fighter-jets-to-ukraine/
The handover of Poland’s 28 Soviet-made MiG-29s would signal Western resolve to do more to deter Russia. Militarily, it would be unlikely to be a game-changer. The number of aircraft is relatively small. The MiG-29s also are inferior to more sophisticated Russian aircraft and could be easy prey for Russian pilots and missiles.
Russia has warned that supporting Ukraine’s air force would be seen in Moscow as participating in the conflict and open up suppliers to possible retaliation.
It would also weaken Poland’s own air force at a time of heightened danger in Eastern Europe.
Israel Allows in 25,000 Ukrainian Refugees Temporarily, Revokes Deposit Requirement
Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked announced on Tuesday that Israel is ready to take in up to 5,000 Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion, allow 20,000 other Ukrainians who arrived prior to the fighting to remain temporarily, and will no longer require refugees arriving at Ben Gurion Airport to deposit 10,000 shekels ($3,028) in order to enter the country.
Instead of paying a deposit, those who enter will merely have to sign a declaration pledging to leave Israel once the state of emergency in Ukraine is over.
The deposit applied to Ukrainian refugees without first-degree relatives in Israel.
The decision ends a point of controversy over asylum provisions. Ukraine’s Ambassador to Israel Yevgen Korniychuk, along with critics within the Israeli government, had demanded that the deposit requirement be lifted as unduly onerous in a time when people are fleeing for their lives.
Tuesday, March 8, 2022
Global Chabad Accountability
People have rightly been asking why Chabad worldwide has come under so much criticism over the actions of Biderman and his Chabad infrastructure in Vienna. Biderman doesn't act alone, he acts with the backing of his Chabad colleagues in Vienna, the backing of Chabad in crown heights, and the backing of every Chabad shliach in the world who fails to publicly denounce Biderman's actions.
Chabad run a tight ship and regularly delist shluchim all the time if they fail to adhere to the standards of the Chabad brand. Yet Biderman is still very much a celebrated member with virtually no public criticism from anywhere in Chabad.
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See blog post below:
Over the last ten years, there have been many hundreds of conversations with Chabad Rabbis all over the world about the custody case of the Schlesinger twins in Vienna. One recurring theme during those conversations was that even if there was a public acceptance by Chabad that Rabbi Biderman’s actions were part of the problem, and causing a public disgrace to Chabad (in many cases directly influencing people to “withdraw their donations from Chabad, because of the way Chabad has behaved in this case“), there is no central Chabad authority able to intervene or discipline Rabbi Biderman in any way.
The head Chabad Shliach in Austria, Rabbi Jacob Biderman has been undeniably involved in the case in support of the father having full custody of the children. In an article in 2012, Rabbi Jacob Biderman told Beth that her husband would be prepared to grant her a get only if she dropped her battle for custody of the children, and was “willing to leave him in peace”.
Chabad Central offices and leadership have been lobbied and after many hours of reluctant conversations over a two year period, this was their response:
“It is ultimately up to Rabbi Biderman to make a determination as how to best address this issue consistent with the facts on the ground.”
Does Chabad have any central authority from Crown Heights or accountability to their colleagues in other regions?
In 2015, Rabbi Yosef Feldman was removed [from Chabad dot org] after “his controversial comments to the Royal Commission, including his suggestion that paedophiles who had not committed sex crimes for two decades should be treated with leniency.” This was echoed by Manny Waks.
In 2017, a group of Rabbis met with the pope, and a video went viral showing those Rabbis dancing with the pope afterwards. According to the article, “A Chabad dot org list of “official emissaries” no longer contains the address of Chabad of Carroll Gardens in Brooklyn, whose leader, Rabbi Dovber Pinson, was on the trip.”
In 2021 a Chabad house in Manchester, England was removed from Chabad dot org website after being listed for many years. If anyone wishes to know more details, they should contact the Jewish Telegraph https://www.jewishtelegraph.com/ .
The opposite is also true. Sometimes, there is pressure from local communities to have the incumbent Chabad leadership step down in favour of a replacement board. Here is an example of Central Chabad in Crown Heights stepping in to intervene.
In a further perplexing example, the head Chabad Rabbi in Russia publicly put pressure on the Swedish government on matters that were totally unconnected to him.
On an informal level Chabad Rabbis from all over the world meet up for their Kinus conference where friendships are cemented, ideas exchanged and favours called in. To suggest that there is no communication between Chabad Houses in different regions is absurd.
In conclusion, it is factually incorrect to say that Chabad Centres around the world are independent. The actions of one Chabad Rabbi will have implications on the Chabad global brand. Chabad can choose to distance themselves from such a Rabbi, as has been demonstrated in other situations, or alternatively, accept that the actions of this Rabbi is representative of what Chabad stands for in practice. If they allow one of their representatives to remain on their Chabad shliach directory, then that is an endorsement of him and everything he has done in his capacity as Chabad shliach.
Ukraine Expert Alexander Vindman Humiliates Marjorie Taylor Greene With Brutal Fact Check
https://news.yahoo.com/ukraine-expert-alexander-vindman-humiliates-172257209.html
It started when the controversial lawmaker posted a tweet on Sunday claiming “Biden’s poor decision making leading up to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin declaring war on Ukraine.”
“Nope. It’s because you and your pro-Putin party encouraged Putin to invade, by cheerleading him,” Vindman responded.
Why Republicans may let Greene and Gosar's latest brushfire burn itself out
https://www.politico.com/news/2022/03/07/greene-gosar-mccarthy-white-nationalism-00014351
Even so, leadership’s lack of action marks a shift for House Republicans. Some in the GOP say former Speaker John Boehner would have told Greene and Gosar immediately to cut it out, as would former Speaker Paul Ryan. Back in 2019, McCarthy stripped then-Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) of his committees after he questioned why the term “white nationalist” was considered offensive — though only after years of such rhetoric from King.
“There is a strategy of, ‘If we don’t talk about it, it will go away, and it won’t get attention.’ And sometimes that works,” said another rank-and-file Republican, also addressing the handling of Greene and Gosar on condition of anonymity. “But in the long run, I’ve always found that backfires, so they’re playing with fire by doing that.”
Monday, March 7, 2022
Ukrainian Jews push back against Putin’s ‘neo-Nazi’ claim as they gear up for battle
He insists that the image of Ukraine as a hotbed of antisemitism is absurd.
“I don’t practice, but still everyone knows I am Jewish — I have such a Jewish face! And I never experienced antisemitism from Ukrainians,” he insisted. “The military guys I am working with now really don’t care that I am a Jew.”
He does not have similar feelings toward his Russian neighbors. “I did have a Jew-hating Russian first-grade teacher who mockingly called my long hair payos,” recalled Batozky, using the Hebrew term for the long side curls kept by many Hasidic men. And he said he heard more slurs against Jews from Russians Moscow State University, which he attended in the 1990s, then he ever heard back home.
Anti-vaxxer news - First new polio case in decades diagnosed in Israel
https://www.timesofisrael.com/first-new-polio-case-in-decades-diagnosed-in-israel/
A case of polio was discovered in Israel for the first time in several decades, the Health Ministry said Sunday, raising fears of an outbreak of the nearly eradicated disease.
A mutated form of the virus, which can cause illness in the unvaccinated, was discovered in a 4-year-old boy in Jerusalem, the ministry said. He had not been vaccinated against the disease.
The case was believed to be the first polio diagnosis in Israel since 1989, after Israel largely wiped out the disease through an aggressive inoculation campaign.
In 2013, traces of the virus were detected in sewer systems across Israel, but no human diagnoses were made. The discovery, however, pushed Israel to launch a mass vaccination drive among young children.
Like much of the world, Israel administers polio vaccines to children as part of its standard vaccine regimen, with four doses given between the ages of 2 months and around 7 years.
Putin's clumsy military campaign in southern Ukraine makes little sense
https://edition.cnn.com/2022/03/07/europe/russia-southern-ukraine-military-analysis-intl/index.html
It is a marvel that Moscow was either so convinced civil disobedience would not be a problem or decided that they simply did not need a plan to deal with it. The Kremlin's attempt to film Russian aid trucks handing out the solution to the problem its invasion created was greeted with local scorn and profanity. The protests go on.
Donald Trump has a bonkers theory on how to win the war in Ukraine
https://edition.cnn.com/2022/03/07/politics/donald-trump-ukraine-china-russia/index.html
Over the weekend, the former President provided a glimpse into how he may have handled on the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine -- and it is a doozy.
According to audio obtained by The Washington Post, Trump told a group of Republican donors in New Orleans that the United States should paint Chinese flags on its F-22 planes and then use those planes to bomb Russia.
"And then we say, 'China did it, we didn't do it, China did it,' and then they start fighting with each other and we sit back and watch," Trump concluded.
The Post reports that the Republican donor audience laughed when Trump proposed his "pretend-we're-the-Chinese" strategy. What's far less clear is whether Trump was actually joking.
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