The case for making Donald Trump America's first king

Joseph Orlowyesterdayedited

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The men who rebelled against the crown were also living in the wrong society. So they fixed it. The time has come to rebalance and move back towards monarchy.

https://www.vox.com/2016/7/20/12235572/donald-trump-king-america

Evidently, Trump is interested in the prestige and public attention that comes with the presidency. But he doesn’t want to spend a lot of time worrying about niggling policy issues like Brexit or corporate tax reform.

While the idea of a president with no power sounds crazy to American ears, it’s actually how a lot of advanced democracies work around the world. Many countries have a ceremonial figurehead — either an elected president or a hereditary monarch — who represents the nation at state dinners and ribbon-cutting ceremonies. And they also have a head of government, usually the prime minister, who makes all the important policy decisions.

In the United States, we’ve combined these roles into a single person, and it hasn’t been working very well. It’s made the presidency an impossibly demanding job, while giving our head of government a degree of prestige that makes it harder to hold him accountable for his policy mistakes.

So here’s a modest proposal: Let’s make Donald Trump king of the United States. This seems to be the job he actually wants. And replacing America’s powerful elected president with a powerless hereditary monarchy would improve the American political system.

Trump campaign manager calls polling "the biggest joke in politics

CONGRATULATE COM. FOR EJECTING SEXUAL ABUSE RABBIS - SAFED CHIEF RABBBI

https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Congratulate-community-for-ejecting-sexual-abuse-rabbis-Safed-chief-rabbi-600442

Chief Rabbi of Safed Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu said on Monday that the religious-Zionist community should be congratulated for ejecting rabbis from its midst who have committed sexual abuse or harassment.

Eliyahu was speaking in reference to at least three incidents in recent years in which prominent religious-Zionistrabbis have either been criminally convicted of sexual assault or accused of sexual impropriety.

Does anyone understand the 2020 race? This scholar nailed the blue wave — here's her forecast

https://www.salon.com/2019/08/17/this-political-scientist-completely-nailed-the-2018-blue-wave-heres-her-2020-forecast/

My model for 2020 starts off with Democrats at 278 Electoral College votes, and that's a problem for Trump, because of course you need 270 to win. It does that because of my model's prediction, based on turnout and predicted vote share, that Pennsylvania and Michigan will slip back to the Democrats. I'm uncertain about Ohio, but even if Trump wins Ohio, he can't win the other three Midwestern states. Then as you point out I have four tossup states: Arizona, North Carolina, Florida and Iowa. Even if he wins all four of them, the Democrats have already won the election — and the idea that he would win all four is pretty unlikely. 

President Donald Trump Loses In Trump Country trump's future is bleak

The Three Oaths dilemma dividing Jewish Zionists from anti-Zionists

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/22302

The Talmud cites three oaths which G-d administered: “One oath was that Israel would not make Aliyah 'as a wall'; and one oath was that G-d adjured Israel not to rebel against the nations; and one oath was that G-d adjured the nations not to persecute Israel too much” (Ketuvot 111a).

Of these three oaths, therefore, two apply to Israel and one to the other nations.

These Three Oaths are the basis for the ostensibly religious Jewish opposition to Zionism: the very essence of Zionism was that Jews from the world over return to Israel, ascending to the Land of Israel “as a wall”, together, united, using military force when necessary.

This compels the question: Does Zionism indeed violate G-d’s will? Do these Three Oaths constitute halakhah (Jewish religious law) in practice?

By Republican Standards, Almost Nothing Is Racist

When Democrats are accused of anti-Semitism, Republicans understand that coded language can be hurtful. But Trump’s racist comments get a pass.

Most of the time, conservatives and Republicans want the bar for what constitutes bigotry to be set extremely high. When President Donald Trump tweeted last weekend that four nonwhite Democrats in Congress should “go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came,” he offered a textbook example of racism. Trump’s own Equal Employment Opportunity Commission uses the phrase Go back to where you came from as one of its examples of discrimination based on national origin. Yet Trump insisted that “those Tweets were NOT Racist”—even as he doubled down on them by launching an attack on Representative Ilhan Omar that prompted rally-goers in North Carolina on Wednesday night to chant “Send her back!”

At the same time that Trump was denying charges of bigotry, however, he was also leveling them. At the North Carolina rally, he accused Omar of “vicious anti-Semitic” remarks—a reference to her tweet that the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s influence in Washington is “all about the Benjamins” and her allegation that pro-Israel groups “push for allegiance to a foreign country.” Those comments—which evoked hoary stereotypes of Jews as money-driven and disloyal—elicited criticism even from Democrats, and Omar apologized for the first. But however damning one considers her statements, it’s utterly illogical to claim that they constitute bigotry while Trump’s far more direct attack does not. Yet this is exactly what Trump and other prominent Republicans are doing.

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When Democrats are accused of prejudice against Jews, Republicans can find it easy to discern ugly coded language. But when Trump and others in his party are accused of hostility to black people, Muslims, and Latinos, prominent conservatives set the standard for what constitutes bigotry so high that it’s almost impossible to meet.

The Republican Party has its own Israel problem

https://www.jta.org/2019/03/20/opinion/the-republican-party-has-an-israel-problem

But Republicans, who often point to declining support for Israel among Democrats, should also be paying attention to similar trends in their own party.

The largest recorded drop this year is the percentage of Republicans – not Democrats – who sympathize more with Israel than with the Palestinians. Republican sympathies for Israel fell 11 percentage points this year, to 76 percent from 87 percent, a slightly lower level of sympathy than Gallup has recorded in the last decade.

Support for Israel among Republicans certainly remains robust, with 43 percent of Republicans reporting a “very favorable” view of the country. But there are signs that this support should not be taken for granted. A significant minority of Republicans, for a variety of reasons, are eschewing America’s traditional alliance with Israel and are skeptical of President Donald Trump’s ability to handle the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

What Donald Trump Will Never Understand About Jews

https://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-news-and-politics/290038/what-donald-trump-will-never-understand-about-jews

President Trump is well aware that the vast majority of American Jews voted against him and are loyal to the Democratic Party. He is well aware that the vast majority of the Jewish members of Congress are Democrats. The idea that the Democratic Party stands against Israel is certifiably false. Regardless of how you feel about Rep. Rashida Tlaib and Rep. Ilhan Omar—I find them contemptible, not least for lying to Jewish voters during election season about their views on a two-state solution and BDS—they are two junior members of the Democratic Party.  They do not represent the majority, or even a sizable faction within the party.  

Indeed, last week over 40 of their peers, freshman Democrats, visited Israel. Yossi Klein Halevi described them as a diverse group of policymakers who were empathetic to Israeli security concerns and excited to be there. When we talk about party leadership the lie becomes even more obvious. Nita Lowey, chairwoman of the extremely powerful House Appropriations Committee; Hakeem Jeffries, likely the next speaker of the House and the highest ranking African American in the House; Nancy Pelosi, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, all have impeccably pro-Israel records.  The notion that the Democratic Party supports cutting foreign aid to Israel is laughable—especially considering that the last person in Congress to actually block aid to Israel was a Republican. 

In fact, if you’re looking for something that a big number of Jewish Democrats agree on, it’s the investigation of Trump’s alleged crimes: Nearly half the Democrats on the Judiciary Committee are Jewish—including Chairman Jerry Nadler. 

No. What’s really happening here is not just irresponsible; it’s purposeful. The president thrives on fear. He hopes that by dividing America and frightening America he will win. And so he engineered this political moment. He pressured Prime Minister Netanyahu to make the wrong call so he could reap the political rewards. He created this political moment so he could call the majority of American Jews disloyal. He can’t make the case for us to vote for him on merit, so he resorts to bullying us. 

Now we must grapple with how to respond to this terrifying moment.  

Let’s start by being honest with ourselves. As hard as this is to accept, it’s simply a reality that whole swaths of the American political establishment are treating us like morons. Like we couldn’t possibly believe that Omar’s rhetoric is anti-Semitic and Trump’s rhetoric is also anti-Semitic. As though we couldn’t possibly be nuanced enough to be furious at both these few members of the House as well as the president. As though we couldn’t recognize both the left and the right have anti-Semitism problems. Be furious at BOTH. Demand better from BOTH. Look at your side of the aisle and raise hell—that is what you owe your people, your tribe; not lockstep agreement or partisanship, but the courage and conviction to demand the very best from those you vote for, volunteer, donate to, identify with. I want to see you at every town hall, meet-and-greet, and advocacy day demanding that those who are asking for your vote fight rising anti-Semitism always, not just when politically useful. 

To that end, I want to say that I am profoundly disappointed not a single Democrat condemned Omar and Tlaib sharing a deeply anti-Semitic cartoon drawn by the second place winner of Iran’s International Holocaust Cartoon Competition, Carlos Latuff. I encourage all of you to reach out to Democratic leaders in your community and express your anger, dismay, and disappointment at their silence—and tell them you demand better if they want your vote.  

The Truth the Trump gospel according to Yated

https://yated.com/the-truth/

But when the president of the United States, who is a greater supporter of Israel than anyone who preceded him in that position, points out the obvious and says that a Jew who doesn’t vote Republican is either an idiot or disloyal to the party that supports Israel and fights anti-Semitism, the Jews and the media go crazy and say that Trump is out of his mind. How dare he point out that the Democrats can no longer be counted on to support Israel? Who is he to remind everyone that the Democrat Party tolerates anti-Semitism and has within its ranks some of the most prominent enemies of the Jewish state? Not only does the party support and condone them, but it places them on vital congressional committees, where they certainly don’t belong.

Trump, the media warns, is an anti-Semite. “Jews,” they say, “be careful. Stay away from him. He doesn’t like you.”

It is helpless to remind them that his son-in-law is Jewish, that he permitted his daughter to undergo an Orthodox conversion to marry a Jew, that his grandchildren are Jewish, that his closest people in the administration are Jews, that he stuck his neck out for Israel several times, and that he freed Rubashkin because he is a compassionate person who cares about justice.

The New York Times and the media echo chamber that follows it accused Trump of bringing up the old canard that Jews are not patriotic citizens of the lands in which they reside, because he used that dirty word “loyal” when he said that Jews who vote for Democrats “are being very disloyal to the Jewish people and very disloyal to Israel.”

Donald Trump and the Jews: He's exactly why most of us vote for Democrats

https://www.salon.com/2019/08/24/donald-trump-and-the-jews-hes-exactly-why-most-of-us-vote-for-democrats/

If President Trump doesn't understand why a large majority of American Jews are Democrats, maybe he should take a look in the mirror.

In case you need a quick refresher, Trump sparked an enormous furor on Tuesday when he said, "I think any Jewish people that vote for a Democrat, I think it shows either a total lack of knowledge or great disloyalty." He added that "five years ago, the concept of even talking about this . . . of cutting off aid to Israel because of two people that hate Israel and hate Jewish people — I can't believe we're even having this conversation. Where has the Democratic Party gone? Where have they gone where they're defending these two people over the State of Israel?"

The new James Comey report proves whatever you want it to prove

https://edition.cnn.com/2019/08/29/politics/james-comey-russia-donald-trump/index.html

But Comey is, in many ways, the weathervane of Trump's presidency. How you feel about Comey and the actions he took in and out of office are a near-certain predictor of your view of Trump's presidency. So, too, this IG report on Comey's conduct. He's either an American hero for standing up to power at the risk of his career or a leaker and a liar intent on overriding the will of the American people. There's no middle ground.

Fox host goes viral with EPIC anti-Trump speech

James Comey helped save democracy when he wrote his memos

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/08/29/james-comey-helped-save-democracy-when-he-wrote-his-memos/

Okay, so former FBI director James B. Comey failed to dot his i’s and cross his t’s in creating and retaining memos detailing his private conversations with President Trump during the months between Trump’s inauguration and his sacking of Comey on May 9, 2017.

The report issued on Thursday by Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz found that Comey broke no laws and did not release any classified information.

But Horowitz took Comey to task for retaining the memos rather than leaving them with the FBI when he departed. The inspector general concluded that the memos were “public records,” not personal documents, as Comey had argued.

Horowitz also larded his report with civics lessons on the rule of law and the “dangerous example” in Comey’s failure to strictly follow FBI guidelines concerning the handling of government records. There is a strong sensation of outrage in the Horowitz report, which the New York Times characterized as “blistering.”

New IG report rebukes Comey — and debunks Trump's lies

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/08/29/new-ig-report-provides-rebuke-comey-debunking-trump/

But the report also discloses that the FBI has declined to prosecute Comey for these violations, and — notably — it says there is “no evidence” that he or his attorneys leaked classified information.

That last point is key, because Trump has accused Comey of exactly that, and repeatedly — at least 10 times over two years, according to a review of Trump’s comments.

“James Comey leaked CLASSIFIED INFORMATION to the media,” Trump tweeted July 10, 2017, shortly after news broke of the leak. “That is so illegal!”

New: Translation of Vayoel Moshe!

https://www.dropbox.com/s/rjm328cgza96vpd/Hakdama%20Vyoel%20Moshe%20In%20English.pdf?dl=0

In connection with the yahrtzeit

of the Satmar Rebbe zy"a this week

we are sending around

this new English translation

of the Hakdama to Vayoel Moshe.

(The translation of the whole sefer

is currently a work in progress.)

Feel free to print and distribute everywhere.

To contribute and take part in the mitzvah

of spreading the Rebbe's works

and the true Torah view on Zionism

Click Here

NY county’s Republican ad warns of a Hasidic ‘takeover’

https://www.timesofisrael.com/ny-countys-republican-ad-warns-of-a-hasidic-takeover/

 Facebook campaign ad from a US Republican branch has been slammed as anti-Semitic and “deeply disturbing.”

Titled “A storm is brewing in Rockland,” the video by an upstate New York county’s Republican Party took aim at the large and growing Hasidic Jewish community in the county, the specter of “overdevelopment” and a proposed yeshiva campus.

The video, which appeared to have been removed on Thursday morning, features menacing music, the slogan “If They Win, We Lose” and a warning that “they” will “change our way of life.”

Trump’s Steel Industry Claims

https://www.factcheck.org/2019/08/trumps-steel-industry-claims/

Summary

To hear President Donald Trump tell the story of the U.S. steel industry, it went from “dead” or “going out of business” to “thriving” all because of the 25% tariffs on imported steel he instituted in March 2018. While the tariffs have benefited U.S. steel producers, the reality of the impact isn’t that stark.

Domestic prices went up, for instance, but are now back down below the level they were when Trump was inaugurated. Production has gone up, too, but has been higher as recently as 2014. While the industry has announced several new investments, it’s simply not true that a new mill hadn’t been built in “30 years,” as the president wrongly claimed. Steel and iron mill jobs have increased, but they’re below the pre-Great Recession level. And technology has been a major factor affecting the long-term jobs decline.

Below, we’ll look at several claims Trump has made about the steel industry in recent months and how they measure up to the facts.

In late March 2018, Trump instituted the 25% tariffs on imported steel, and 10% tariffs on aluminum, with temporary exemptions for some countries, using his authority under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act. As required by the act, the Commerce Department had determined that the imports threatened national security. Two months later, he permanently exempted Argentina, Brazil and South Korea from the steel tariffs, with quotas on imports instead. Australia was also exempted, without a quota. In August 2018, Trump increased the tariff on steel from Turkey to 50%.

This year, in May, Trump lifted the tariffs on Canada and Mexico, and lowered the tariff on Turkey back to 25%. U.S. companies also have received exclusions on certain imports.

Trump Reacts To Justice Department Finding James Comey Violated FBI Policy

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-responds-james-comey-fbi-memos_n_5d67e1f0e4b022fbceb797ac

President Donald Trump on Thursday welcomed parts of a report by the Justice Department’s inspector general that concluded former FBI Director James Comey had violated FBI policies in his handling of certain memos regarding his interactions with the president.

While ignoring parts of the report that refute his own repeated claims, Trump said the IG’s findings leave Comey “thoroughly disgraced and excoriated”:

How Sherlock Holmes’ Creator Saved the ‘Scottish Dreyfus’

https://www.haaretz.com/jewish/news/.premium-how-sherlock-holmes-creator-saved-the-scottish-dreyfus-1.6513947

Oscar Slater had all the characteristics needed to become a “suspect” of a heinous crime. He was Jewish, German, an immigrant and a gambler. His police file included complaints about assault under aggravated circumstances, he changed his name several times and hung around with dubious underworld characters. There were also rumors that he was a pimp.

FOX NEWS' SHEPARD SMITH SHREDS TRUMP OVER FALSE CLAIMS ABOUT BORDER WALL, PUERTO RICO: 'THERE'S NO NEW WALL... NOT TRUE'

https://www.newsweek.com/fox-news-shepard-smith-shreds-trump-over-false-claims-about-border-wall-puerto-rico-theres-no-1456688

Fox News anchor Shepard Smith on Wednesday called out Donald Trump's false claims about the southern U.S.-Mexico border wall and Puerto Rico after the president lashed out at the network.

During a segment on Shepard Smith Reporting on Wednesday afternoon, the Fox News host fact-checked Trump's recent claims about Puerto Rico. "President Trump is calling the island one of the most corrupt places on earth. He added [on Twitter] that 'by the way, I'm the best thing that's ever happened to Puerto Rico.' Those are opinions as opposed to facts," he said.

Smith went on to declare that Trump also "repeated his false claims" about the $92 billion aid that Puerto Rico has received, citing a tweet the president posted yesterday.

"That is decidedly not true," Smith said in response. "We checked with sources including the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA. The latest numbers show that as of the end of June, the federal government has allocated $42.7 billion for Puerto Rico... About $21 billion is binding. In other words, Congress has to pay it. Of that, Puerto Rico has received less than $14 billion. So $14 billion or less. Not $92 billion."

ALH Report #2 (28 Aug.)"Violating the Vineyard?

BS"D  "Violating the Vineyard?"

27 Menachem Av, 5779  °° Wednesday, Aug. 28, '19 

Parshas Re'aih, "Lo sish'mah ... kee m'naseh HaShem Elokaichem Es'chem laDa'as haYish'chem Ohahavim es HaShem Elokaichem b'Chol levav'chem u'v'chol naf'shechem." (Devarim 13:4)

By Binyomin Feinberg, Jewish Press contributor*

feinbergbinyomin@gmail.com

* Opinions and perspectives expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of the ownership or management of The Jewish Press.

"I will violate (or "desecrate" / "profane" - "A'challail") the Vineyard - and I'll start with your daughter."

Venture to guess who made that statement - to an Orthodox Jewish mother -  about her devoutly religious, and precocious 17-year-old daughter. A Cossack band leader? An SS Lieutenant?  A member of the Soviet Politburo?  No; reportedly, it was Keren L., an officer in the Israeli military Draft Office, in February of this year.

Keren evidently made that statement in response to the refusal of the girl's mother to allow her daughter, Avigail, to submit to the IDF's female draft. Female enlistment into the IDF is forbidden by all leading Torah authorities across the spectrum. Avigail's mother, Mrs. Ester R. H., is herself a baalas teshuva - and former Israeli Air Force captain. Now she finds herself  simultaneously fighting two epic battles. For over six years, she's been fighting daily for her own life, against a formidable medical condition. Now, she's also fighting for the life (spiritual, at the very least) of her only daughter, Avigail Leah, to save her from a military persecuting her for simply following the Torah.

We first reported on this shocking story yesterday (see https://daattorah.blogspot.com/2019/08/another-religious-girl-and-her-idf-vet.html ). However, revealing details continue to emerge in this ongoing saga. Their struggle to resist the female draft extended over most of the past year. Avigail successfully applied for her religious certification documentation in mid-November '18.  The government's resistance to providing Avigail her religious exemption - to which religious girls are entitled to by  law (and status quo) - became apparent this past February, when her mother had a phone conversation with the aforementioned draft officer.  In response to the Draft official's insistence that Avigail enlist, her mother explained that her daughter is fully religious and entitled to a religious exemption no less than any other religious girl. 

In the face of the mother's resolute stand, the aforementioned officer retorted:

     "Achallel et haKerem" ("I will violate/ desecrate/ profane The Vineyard") "-- and I will start with your daughter."

Thereby, in addition to revealing her intransigence, she exposed her true motivations.

That statement, on its very face  reveals three things, for starters: 

(1) a shocking sense of entitlement;

(2)  a clear social-engineering agenda; and

(3) the unmitigated chutzpa to utter such terrible words.

In reality, many officials within the Israeli government make no secret of the fact that they have an agenda of drafting religious girls, and - quite apparently - especially religious girls. Moreover, as many individual cases of attempted drafting of religious girls reveal, many officials also feel entitled to act on that agenda, drafting religious girls at whim, even in blatant violation of Israeli law and the status quo.

This targeting of religious girls is actually reflected in a declared military policy shift about six years ago, when the Israeli government openly declared increasing the drafting of religious girls to be an official objective. That itself was no less than a declaration of war against the religious community.  Concurrently, the funding of key religious institutions and community services has played a vital role in helping keep strategic individuals in positions in which they can partially blunt communal religious reaction to the ongoing crusade against Kedushas Bnos Yisroel.

We could delve into the deeper meanings of the aforementioned statement, but that isn't necessary at the moment. Suffice it to look at the tangible actions of the draft officials against religious girls, in this case, as well as many others, including those cases briefly reported on in the Jewish Press  ever since Rinas bas Chedva was tormented for 39 days for fleeing her abusers in the IDF, and for her refusal to return to her abusers, and enablers, in the IDF.

It is also noteworthy that Keren used the term "Kerem," vineyard. In Tanach, the Jewish People are  referred to as a grapevine (e.g. in Tehillim 80), as well as a vineyard ("Kerem"), e.g. Yeshayah 5:7.  Violation of The Vineyard is an apt description of what drafting girls- especially religious girls - is all about. They take 18 year-old girls - just about ready to marry and start a family, and tear them away from their families, and out of their natural spiritual growth trajectory. Far worse, they place these girls into an environment that overall is secularist-dominated, highly promiscuous, and exploitative*. This is not to mention the escalated physical dangers of women being in a military environment, especially in the female - and even mixed (yes) -combat units. If that's not a "violation of the Vineyard," what is?

Please daven for Avigail Leah bas Ester Rus Leemor, and for her seriously ill mother, Ester Rus Leemo bas Tzippora. Avigail is facing the threat of imminent arrest anytime now, while her mother's condition has recently deteriorated.

The time to speak out against this unmitigated rishus is now.  Our federal elected officials need to hear from us, in America and beyond. We are judged by how we stand by those in precisely this type of danger.

###

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

* For further research, linked below are a few sample articles: (Warning: Some or all of these articles include text and/or images that are too explicit for unfiltered access for many of our readers.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Promiscuity & Abortion in the IDF:

Trump's Instability Threatens To Deprive Him Of One Of His Arguments Re-Election | Deadline | MSNBC

פסק הלכה ובירור מציאות הדברים מאת מגן חינוך הטהור בארה״ב ומגדולי הפוסקים ויושב ראש התאחדות הרבנים דארצות הברית וקנאדא

Another Religious Girl - and her IDF Vet mother -Targeted by the IDF

17 y/o Chabad Teen Threatened with Arrest if She Doesn't Comply with Draft Orders

This Sunday, Aug. 25th, Avigail Leah H., a demonstrably very religious 17 y/o teenage girl from Rechovos, was threatened with arrest, if she refuses to comply with IDF Draft Office orders to show up this Wednesday at the Draft Office. According to Jewish Law, it's absolutely prohibited for girls to serve in the military. In fact, leading Rabbis have declared it "yai'horaig ve'al ya'avor," a prohibition requiring giving up our lives to prevent. One primary reason for this is the rampant immorality and exploitation pervasive throughout the IDF.

Therefore, according to leading Rabbis, an act that could result in a girl enlisting is likewise prohibited, including submitting to a Rayon Dat. A Rayon Dat is a "religious test" often assuming the character of a belligerent military interrogation. Underage girls are often ordered to appear unrepresented and alone at these intimidating sessions, facing a battery of seasoned military officers. Quite apparently, they're well-trained in how to psychologically break girls down. Many religious girls are tripped up on by carefully selected questions, which many frum girls won't necessarily know how to answer. (See https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bO2Xh07BEzGbWiqI-MbF8dMY8nzbn3gysSmPQXjLXBU/edit?usp=sharing

)

The family's Rabbinic guidance was unequivocally adamant against submitting to a Rayon Dat, despite repeatedly being harassed by the IDF to do so. And, as faithful frum Jews, the family has been steadfast in their adherence to their halachic guidance. And it is precisely for their very fidelity to Torah that Avigail is being denied her religious exemption, under the veneer of being uncooperative with her IDF persecution. (George Orwell: step aside.)

Avigail's parents are baalei teshuva. Their family is demonstrably religious. She even has letters from Chiloni friends testifying to her religious observance, in addition to the Tatzhir Dat, which she submitted properly. Ironically, her brother risked his life in an elite (religious) combat unit under the K'fir division (akin to the Marines), often working with the Shabak (internal security service) in apprehending and neutralizing terrorists.

Moreover, Avigayil's mother, prior to rediscovering her Jewish heritage, actually had been an officer in the Israeli Air Force. Additionally, her mother has been suffering for years from a severe medical condition. The relentless IDF pursuit of her daughter, now extending for about a year, has been taking a real toll on her health. Nevertheless, none of the above deters the government. That uncomplementary picture itself says more than ten thousand words. The Brisker Rov ZTL is quoted as saying that while one who has bad character traits is a flawed person, an ingrate isn't truly a person at all.

דיין בכיר מארה"ב נגד בית הדין בישראל: האשה אינה עגונה

https://www.kikar.co.il/328619.html

מבוכה בבתי הדין הרבניים: בית הדין האזורי בתל אביב קבע שחרדי, תושב ארה"ב, מעגן את רעייתו מספר שנים. נגד אביו, 'נגיד' בחסידות גדולה, הוצא צו איסור יציאה מהארץ עד שבג"צ התערב וביקש שבני הזוג ינהלו משא ומתן ישיר, אך כעת דיין בכיר מארה"ב - המוכר על ידי הרבנות - קובע: האשה לא עגונה.

הסיפור החל לאחר שבית הדין בתל אביב קבע כי חרדי מארה"ב שנישא לרעייתו לפני 19 שנה, ובמהלך השנים היא לקתה באירוע מוחי בישראל ונאלצה להישאר בארץ בעוד הוא חזר לארה"ב, מעגן את אישתו.

British court orders businessman pay wife maintenance until he gives her a ‘get’

https://www.timesofisrael.com/british-court-orders-businessman-pay-wife-maintenance-until-he-gives-her-a-get/

A British businessman must continue to pay his wife maintenance payments until he gives her a religious divorce, or get, a British appeals court ruled.

Alan Moher of Manchester was ordered last year by a High Court judge to pay his wife maintenance as well as about $1.7 million in a lump sum by the completion of their civil divorce in May 2018, and then pay interest on any outstanding sum of the lump payment and an additional yearly payment until he gave her the get.

Digesting The President’s Absurdities As Allies Privately Worry | Deadline | MSNBC

Chris Wallace finally loses it on Trump as market plunges

Trump Accidentally Said the Anti-Semitic Part Out Loud

Jerusalem Post Diaspora 38 SEXUAL ABUSE VICTIMS TO SUE YESHIVA UNIVERSITY

https://www.jpost.com/Diaspora/38-sexual-abuse-victims-to-sue-Yeshiva-University-599399

At least 38 former students of Yeshiva University High School for Boys filed a civil lawsuit for sexual abuse on Thursday in the New York Supreme Court.

One of the group’s lawyers, Kevin Mulhearn, said that the victims were sexually abused at YUHSB (also known as MTA: the Manhattan Talmudical Academy) by a teacher and a principal from the 1970’s through the 80’s.

ISRAEL'S PRESIDENT CONTRADICTS TRUMP'S 'DISLOYAL' JEWS REMARKS, SAYING TIES 'NOT DEPENDENT' ON ONE POLITICAL PARTY

https://www.newsweek.com/israel-president-contradicts-trump-disloyal-jews-remarks-1455576

The Israeli president released a statement saying he had communicated to Pelosi that "the relationship between the State of Israel and the United States is a link between peoples, which relies on historical ties, deep and strong friendships and shared values that are not dependent on the relationship with one particular party," The Times of Israel reported. Although the statement did not specifically mention President Donald Trump, it said the call came "against the backdrop of recent events."

Rivlin called Pelosi after Trump's controversial comments on Tuesday in which he said that "any Jewish people that vote for a Democrat — I think it shows either a total lack of knowledge or great disloyalty." Many Jewish leaders and Jewish groups in the U.S. were quick to condemn the comment as not only inaccurate, but also anti-Semitic in that it nodded to the "dual loyalty" trope that has long been used to demonize the Jewish community.

Despite significant criticism, Trump doubled down on the remark in Wednesday comments to reporters.

"In my opinion, if you vote for a Democrat you're being very disloyal to Jewish people and you're being very disloyal to Israel. And only weak people would say anything other than that," the president said.

"The Democrats have gone very far away from Israel," he added.

Despite Trump's assessment, Israel's president and other Israeli leaders disagreed, with some even calling out Trump's remarks as anti-Semitic. But, Israel's right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has developed a close relationship with Trump, has thus far avoided addressing the remarks.

Ivanka and Jared publicly missing in action again amid Trump's 'disloyal' claim

https://edition.cnn.com/2019/08/22/politics/ivanka-trump-jared-kushner-trump-jewish-disloyal-claim/index.html

The President's daughter and son-in-law -- who are Modern Orthodox Jews -- stayed silent publicly as Trump caused a firestorm by questioning the loyalty of some Jewish Americans to Israel. Trump has recently decided that branding the Democratic Party as anti-Semitic would be savvy political strategy -- and aides have largely supported the fight, but when he questioned the intelligence and loyalty of Jewish people who support Democrats, some inside the West Wing privately conceded to CNN he had gone too far. The comments prompted criticism from many groups that what he said was anti-Semitic, but Trump dug in during the days that followed.

If President Donald Trump Is The 'Chosen One,' ‘The Gods Must Be Crazy’ | Morning Joe

Trump is either trolling everyone or thinks he's like a god

https://edition.cnn.com/2019/08/21/politics/erratic-trump-god-complex/index.html

There's been a change in President Donald Trump. He used to say he had accomplished more than any other President, a debatable claim. But now he's using messianic language about himself.

"I'm the chosen one," he said Wednesday about what he claims is a singular, and still only hoped-for, trade deal with China.

That was after he quoted a conspiracy theorist who described him, literally, as being like the King of Israel and said Jews "love him like the second coming of God" - -- also known as the Messiah.

Then Trump joked in front of a group of veterans about giving himself the Medal of Honor -- an award that recognizes the highest levels of military valor.

in opposition to NYS Educational Equivalency Regulations

BS"D

20 Menachem Av, 5779 °°° Aug. 21, '19

By Binyomin Feinberg

feinbergbinyomin@gmail.com

As the September 2nd deadline for submitting comments against the proposed Regulations for NYS Educational Equivalency approaches, we offer a sample letter that addresses the key issues. NY residents, you may use this to write your own letter to the NYS Board of Regents. We emphasize the need to ensure that any letter sent is properly edited, especially given the issue at hand.

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Here is some important contact information:

New York State Education Department 89 Washington Avenue Albany, New York 12234 Phone: 518-474-5889 E-mail: RegentsOffice@nysed.gov

Send your letter (email) to all of the following:

seregcomments@nysed.gov Christina Coughlin, NYSED

regulations@nysais.org NYSAIS will keep a record of all comments

Regent.Brown@nysed.gov Regent for the county where our school is

Regent.Cottrell@nysed.gov Regent at Large who will vote on the regulations

Regent.Norwood@nysed.gov Regent at Large who will vote on the regulations

Regent.Reyes@nysed.gov Regent at Large who will vote on the regulations

Regent.Young@nysed.gov Regent at Large who will vote on the regulations

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B"H

With G-d’s help, I would like to bring to your attention my deep concern over the new proposed Regulations released on July 3, 2019 by NYSED, known as “Substantially Equivalent Instruction for Nonpublic School Students” (7/3/19 St. Reg. EDU-27-19-00010-P).

The majority of the founders of the Orthodox Jewish communities emigrated to this country in pursuit of religious freedom, fleeing religious persecution in their countries of origin. Our parents taught us to appreciate this country for the Constitutional liberties it guarantees. We immigrated to this country to live a life of Torah, and pass it on to our children and all future generations, just as our ancestors have done for thousands of years, ever since G-d gave us His Torah on Mt. Sinai. This is because Judaism obligates us to transmit to our children that which was transmitted to us by our parents.

Specifically, every Jew is commanded by G-d in His Torah to transmit our Faith to our children. We are obligated to instill in our children an unwavering belief in the absolute, objective truth of the entirety of Torah, starting with the existence of our Creator, Who created the universe and fully controls it. We are further obligated to teach G-d's commandments, and our obligation to observe them, as it states: “Only take heed and guard your soul exceedingly so that you do not forget the facts that your eyes have seen and that they do not depart from your heart all the days of your life: and make them known to your children and your children’s children; the day that you stood before G-d your G-d, at Horeb (Mt. Sinai) when G-d said to me ‘Assemble this people for me; I will let them hear My words so that they may learn to fear Me all the days that they live on earth and teach their children accordingly’” (Deuteronomy 4:9,10).

Thus, in Judaism, Education is not just about teaching information. We are commanded to have children in order to raise them to grow to become servants of the Almighty. We are obligated to train to fulfill His commandments, and to abstain from what He prohibited. For us education is not just a part of life; it is the purpose of our life.

Additionally, it is specifically prohibited by Jewish law to expose ourselves or others to ideology that runs contrary to the ideology of our Holy Torah (e.g., see Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Laws of Idolatry 2:2-3; Sefer HaChinuch 387; Bi'ur Halacha 1:1). It is absolutely prohibited to expose ourselves or others to studies of immoral lifestyles. Therefore, to study or teach the theory of Evolution - or immorality - violates core Torah prohibitions, and would entirely jeopardize our Education.

It is prohibited by Jewish law to expose ourselves

Even worse, in a sense, is teaching that LGBT-advocated conduct - the most evil of "lifestyles" (explicitly branded an "abomination" in VaYikra/ Leviticus 18:22) - is acceptable, much less to be "respected." Yet, in 2010, the N.Y.State Legislature passed the "Dignity for All Students Act," which mandated precisely that type of LGBT indoctrination.

That law modified section 801a of NY State's Education Law, to require schools to teach children to respect flagrant displays of immoral conduct that the Torah unequivocally commands us to abominate (Lev.18:22). Many of us were unaware of this legislation at the time, and only were alerted to it in the wake of the recently-revoked Guidelines of the Department of Education.

Last November, shortly after the elections, Dept. of Education Commissioner Elia - not surprisingly - publicly reinterpreted the aforementioned law. She applied it to religious schools as well. Thereby, she enabled the extension of the anti-Jewish LGBT assault on public school children to the large majority of Orthodox children, studying in religious schools.

[Please be aware that even if we were confident that the LGBTQ propaganda law would never be applied beyond public schools, we would still oppose this reprehensible policy, even if tolerance of such a policy would somehow procure "benefits" for our schools.

Sacrificing public school children for other children is anathema, and antithetical to everything Judaism stands for.]

After a judge subsequently dismissed those NYS DOE Guidelines as procedurally flawed, NY State proceeded to promulgate the same agenda, but this time in a procedurally correct - and tactically far more effective - manner. The recently issued Regulations carefully and predictably omitted explicit reference to the ultimate goals of LGBT indoctrination, and other red-flag policies. Yet, those Regulations emphatically allow the forthcoming Guidelines to cleverly include the most objectionable policies - AFTER passage of the public comment period.

This is absolutely unacceptable. Such policies are anti-Torah, as well as anti-Jewish, un-American, and unconstitutional. It is imperative to vote down any Regulations that even passively allow adoption of Guidelines mandating LGBT indoctrination.

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Furthermore, please understand that the integrity of Torah institutions is only possible when complete control of what is acceptable in our curriculum is decided by qualified Rabbis and religious leaders. Please realize that government oversight influencing how Orthodox Jews operate their Yeshivas undermines the very purpose for which those institutions were founded. The curriculum of our schools, calibrated to enable our children to secure appropriate vocational employment, has been established by our Rabbis, and is not up for discussion. Our schools have enviably produced multiple generations of peaceful, law-abiding communities, blessed with successful businessmen and philanthropists. The past seventy plus years testify to the success of the Torah education system, producing tens of thousands of caring, responsible, moral and upstanding families who contribute considerably to society and the economy. Communally, we have the lowest rates of violent crime in the state. Any tampering with our curriculum is bound to ultimately increase crime in the state, by decimation (incremental or otherwise) of our religious values. If we can't unequivocally teach - without any exception - that everything the Bible forbids is objectively wrong and must not be committed, or tolerated, then, by definition, other prohibitions like murder, theft etc. will ultimately be neglected too. If the Divine origin of any part of the Torah is rejected - an evil in its own right - then adherence to all other commandments is also at risk, to the detriment of society at large.

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Torah observant Jews have proudly lived as G-d-fearing Jews throughout history, and have sacrificed our wealth and even lives to secure the ability to live a Torah-true way of life. It is our sacred duty to further transmit pure Torah-true Judaism exactly as it has been passed down to us from generation to generation from Sinai. And that is exactly how we intend to educate our generations forever, whatever the price may be, be it fines, prison or even our lives.

Additionally, what good is government funding if that interferes with what is most precious in our lives – pure Torah education? Any governmental oversight, reform or slightest interference in the curriculum, subjects, etc. constitutes persecution on the basis of our religious beliefs and way of life, and therefore cannot be tolerated. We came to this country for religious freedom; please don't impose on us to flee this country due to a form of religious persecution even worse than that of Czarist Russia.

We humbly plead with you, please reject any and all Regulations or forthcoming Guidelines that would infringe upon our Religious Liberties, ensconced in the Bill of Rights. Please stand up for the values upon which the Founding Fathers have established this Republic. No American should collaborate in undermining these Religious Liberties, so foundational to our Constitutional Republican form of government. Please abolish the proposed regulations, and shun complicity in anti-constitutional policies with which tens of thousands of New York citizens will be unable to comply.

Thank you kindly,

Sincerely,