Jewish Russian Telegraph

Bibi To UN: 'Have you no shame?'

New York Post:

Excerpts from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu's address yester day to the United Nations General Assembly:

NEARLY 62 years ago, the United Nations recognized the right of the Jews, an ancient people 3,500 years old, to a state of their own in their ancestral homeland. I stand here today as the prime minister of Israel, the Jewish state, and I speak to you on behalf of my country and my people.

The United Nations was founded after the carnage of World War II and the horrors of the Holocaust. It was charged with preventing the recurrence of such horrendous events. Nothing has undermined that central mission more than the systematic assault on the truth.

Getty

Yesterday, the president of Iran stood at this very podium, spewing his latest anti-Semitic rants. Just a few days earlier, he again claimed that the Holocaust is a lie.

LAST month, I went to a villa in a sub urb of Berlin called Wannsee. There, on Jan. 20, 1942, after a hearty meal, senior Nazi officials met and decided how to exterminate the Jewish people. The detailed minutes of that meeting have been preserved by successive German governments.

Here is a copy of those minutes, in which the Nazis issued precise instructions on how to carry out the extermination of the Jews. Is this a lie?

A day before I was in Wannsee, I was given in Berlin the original construction plans for the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. Those plans are signed by Hitler's deputy, Heinrich Himmler, himself. Here is a copy of the plans for Auschwitz-Birkenau, where one million Jews were murdered. Is this too a lie?

This June, President Obama visited the Buchenwald concentration camp. Did President Obama pay tribute to a lie?

And what of the Auschwitz survivors whose arms still bear the tattooed numbers branded on them by the Nazis? Are those tattoos a lie?

One-third of all Jews perished in the conflagration. Nearly every Jewish family was affected, including my own. My wife's grandparents, her father's two sisters and three brothers, and all the aunts, uncles and cousins were all murdered by the Nazis. Is that also a lie?

YESTERDAY, the man who calls the Holocaust a lie spoke from this po dium. To those who refused to come here and to those who left this room in protest, I commend you. You stood up for moral clarity, and you brought honor to your countries.

But to those who gave this Holocaust-denier a hearing, I say on behalf of my people, the Jewish people, and decent people everywhere: Have you no shame? Have you no decency?

[Read more]

posted by: jrtelegraph

Reinharz To Step Down From Brandeis

JTA:

Breaking: Reinharz to step down as Brandeis president

By Jacob Berkman · September 25, 2009

The president of Brandeis University, Jehuda Reinharz, will step down at the end of the year to head a major Jewish non-profit, he informed the school's board of trustees Thursday.

"It is now time for me to enter the next chapter of my professional life," Reinharz wrote to the Brandeis Board. "I plan to continue to serve in the non-profit arena at the national and international level where I can address issues facing the Jewish community.  I have already been approached by two foundations to run their organizations at the conclusion of my time at Brandeis."

"I wanted to let you know that I have made the decision to step down from the presidency of Brandeis University.  I have reached the conclusion that now is the right time for me to focus on the next chapter of my career," he later wrote in an email addressed to the Brandeis Community. "I have notified the Board of Trustees and they have requested that I continue in my role for this upcoming academic year and stay on as president until a successor has been selected up until June 30, 2011 if necessary.  Following the completion of my term as President of Brandeis, I expect to be the president of a significant foundation, where I can address issues facing the Jewish community at the national and international level. "

Reinharz came under some fire this past year when the university decided to close its Rose Art Museum. But The Boston Globe reported early Friday morning that he was under no pressure to step down. [link]

Reinharz dismissed suggestions that he is resigning under pressure arising from the museum controversy, saying he strongly considered stepping down in summer 2008 before signing a five-year contract extension. At 65, Reinharz said he felt the time had come to move on.

“This is not a decision I took lightly,’’ he said in an interview at his office yesterday afternoon. “I’ve poured a lot of sweat and blood into this place, which I love. But I think the time is right.’’

The chairman of Brandeis' board of trustees, Malcolm Sherman, accepted the resignation.

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I accept your letter of resignation with reluctance but with the understanding that you have thought long and hard about this decision.  As you know, we would have greatly preferred that you complete your term.  But we appreciate your willingness to continue leading Brandeis for this academic year and until a successor has been named.  We also understand that your commitment to stay on as President will not go beyond June 30, 2011. While at this time it is difficult to think about Brandeis in the absence of you as its visionary, we feel fortunate that you will hold the position of President Emeritus, working with the Board and Brandeis following your tenure as president.

There is no word yet on where Reinharz will land, but he was recently named to the advisory board of the Genesis Philanthropy Group, a fund started by several Russian Jewish oligarchs, which has become a major player in the Jewish philanthropic scene. [link]

posted by: jrtelegraph

Greg (Zvi) Margolin: Yom Kippur, Repentance or The Day?

Greg (Zvi) Margolin:

          Here is my very short digest of Rebbe's talk on the meaning of Yom Kippur.

In a few places in Talmud there is a well known argument between Rabbi Yehuda ha Nosi

and Rabbis of the Gemora: Rabbis say that Yom Kippur redeems only those who do Teshuva (repentance), Rabbi Yehuda ha Nosi says that Yom Kippur -- the day itself-- redeems  whether Jews do Teshuva or not. Practical law sides with the Rabbis. Maimonides also sides with the Rabbis but in his explanation of the law, where he states that people must do Teshuva in order to be redeemed, Maimonides adds that it is the day itself that redeems and not the act of Teshuva.

Lubavitcher Rebbe asks a question -- why so and why Rabbi Yehuda ha Nosi would think

that Teshuva is not necessary for redemption?

Here is his explanation: Jews are connected to G-d on three levels. One level

is fulfilling of Torah and commandments. This connection exists when a Jew does mitzvos according to the will of his Father in heaven.
Second level is when a Jew does Teshuva. Sins cause dirt and damage to a Jewish soul. When a Jew does Teshuva he cleans his soul, removes the dirt, and heals the damage. Such connection is  superior to the previous one. Finally, the third connection is in the fact that Jewish soul is a part of Godly soul. This is the most high connection. Nothing can damage or impede such a connection. This connection of the core of the Jewish soul is not dependent neither on doing mitzvos and learning Torah, nor on doing Teshuva, it is a complete, deep and unique connection which never goes away. The purpose of doing Teshuvah on Yom Kippur and nine preceding days is to prepare a Jewish soul to a unique, one time a year only experience. This is the time when the third connection with G-d is reveled. This occurs during the time of the prayer Neila. About Neila it is said that at the time when Jews say this prayer nobody else can be present, this is the time of the most intimate union between the Jews and G-d. Nobody includes angels and all spiritual creatures.

Once this connection occurs the redemption takes place by itself.

Gemar Hatima Tova!

Here is a Chabad.org guide for Yom Kippur.

posted by: jrtelegraph

Khan vs Salita for WBA light-welterweight Title

BBC Sport:

Khan set for Salita title defence

By Nabil Hassan

British boxer Amir Khan is set to make the first defence of his WBA light-welterweight title against Dmitriy Salita, BBC Sport understands.

Khan's promoter Frank Warren is in talks with Salita's camp and the fight is expected to happen on 5 December.

A venue for the clash is yet to be decided as Khan prepares to defend the title he won in July when he beat Andreas Kotelnik on points.

Ukrainian-born Salita is unbeaten in 31 fights and is the mandatory challenger.

The 27-year-old is nicknamed 'The Star of David' due to his Jewish roots and has 16 knockouts to his name.

He made his professional debut in 2001 and last fought in May, defeating American Raul Munoz on points.

"I know quite a lot about Khan. He was a good amateur and a very good technician for his age, so I expect a good fight," Salita told the Jewish Telegraph newspaper.

"He has good hand speed and movement, but there are holes in his defence and offence and I'm very confident of winning.

"I have never lost, while he was beaten quite recently, but let the best man win."

Khan, 22, defeated Ukrainian Kotelnik in Manchester with a fine performance and has lost only once in 22 professional fights.

That defeat came in September 2008 when he was knocked out inside the first minute of his WBO intercontinental lightweight title defence by Colombia's Breidis Prescott.

Bolton boxer Khan recently spoke about the possibility of fighting fellow Brit Ricky Hatton, while it was also rumoured that he was offered the chance to meet stablemate, and the recognised pound-for-pound best boxer in the world, Manny Pacquiao.

But it would appear that Khan has turned down those opportunities to make a mandatory defence against Salita.

Mikhail Prokhorov Buys Controlling Stake in New Jersey Nets

CBSSports.com:

In Russia, tycoon's bid for Nets called 'unpatriotic'

Sep. 24, 2009 CBSSports.com wire reports

MOSCOW -- Russian tycoon Mikhail Prokhorov's bid to buy the New Jersey Nets was called "unpatriotic" by a member of his country's upper parliament chamber's sports committee.

"I can't consider this action as anything other than unpatriotic," sports committee member Aslambek Aslakhanov said Thursday, according to the state news agency RIA Novosti.

"We also have talented children here, but sports isn't being developed. They're not trying in order for us to return to our former sports ranking of best in the world."

Prokhorov's bid for the Nets may be a boon to the troubled NBA team, but some Russian legislators and analysts call it a blow to the nation's sports.

"I don't deny that Mikhail Prokhorov has put money into developing sports in Russia, but I would have liked all the means he considered possible to have gone to specifically supporting sports in the fatherland," upper-chamber legislator Viktor Ozerov was quoted as saying.

The collapse of the Soviet-era "Big Red Machine" that was a dominating force in Olympic Games has rankled many Russians, but the sports prowess has surged in recent years with an array of top tennis players and the recent victory in the World Ice Hockey Championships.

Prokhorov, Russia's richest man worth an estimated $9.5 billion by Forbes, reached a tentative deal Wednesday to invest $200 million to acquire 80 percent of the Nets' shares and fund nearly half the cost of building a new arena. Prokhorov, who owns a share in the prominent Russian team CSKA, says he wants the deal partly as a way to get access to the NBA's training methods and educate coaches on how to improve Russian basketball.

The Kremlin hasn't commented on Prokhorov's move, but members of the upper parliament chamber, the Federation Council, commonly reflect the views of the Russian leadership.[link]

posted by: jrtelegraph

It Is All America's Fault

RealClearPolitics:

Obama's Time Warp: The U.S. Is Still the Bad Guy

By Michael Barone

In the early 1980s, while planning a vacation in Latin America, I went to bookstores to look for histories of the region. All I could find were Marxist tracts arguing that "the people" were exploited by greedy corporations and military dictators, all propped up by the United States.

Available literature on Latin America today includes much more sensible accounts. But some people, including Barack Obama, whose college thesis written in those years has never been made public, seem stuck in a time warp in which the United States is the bad guy.

That, at least, seems to explain Obama's latest foreign policy moves, starting with Honduras, where the president was ousted by the country's supreme court for violating a constitutional provision that forbids any moves to seek a second term. (Other Latin countries, notably Mexico, have similar constitutional prohibitions.)

The White House immediately interpreted this as a military coup and decided that, this time, the United States would come out on the side of "the people." In fact, we find ourselves siding with a friend of the Iranian mullahs, Hugo Chavez, who swept aside similar constitutional limits in Venezuela, and opposing the elected congress, courts and civil society of Honduras.

Honduras is not the only or, sad to say, most important example of where this administration has come out on the side of our enemies and against our friends. Israel has been told that it must stop all settlement construction, even the adding of spare rooms for newly arrived infants, while nothing is asked of the Palestinians.

In Eastern Europe, Obama acknowledged last spring the importance of placing missile defense installations in our NATO allies Poland and the Czech Republic, then reversed himself this month and cancelled the program.

The president of Poland, which has sent brave and effective troops to Iraq and Afghanistan, was given an after-midnight phone call, which he declined to take. The president of Russia, which has refused to aid our efforts to stop the Iranian nuclear weapons programs, expressed his delight -- and pointedly made no concessions in return. [Read more]

We are dying out of curiosity. What did Mr. Obama write in his thesis that it needs to be kept so secret?

Obama is a very talented man, he managed to turn some probable marxist-leninist bag of platitudes into a sought out mystery.

posted by: jrtelegraph

Obama Puts Israel On A Chopping Block

American Thinker:

Bolton: We welcome our Post-American President

Rick Moran
Entrance question: Do Americans elect a president to look out for American interests or the interests of other countries?

John Bolton, speaking to Robert Costa at NRO has the obvious answer:

Former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton tells NRO that President Obama's address to the U.N. was "a post-American speech by our first post-American president. It was a speech high on the personality of Barack Obama and high on multilateralism, but very short in advocating American interests."

"It was a very naïve, Wilsonian speech, and very revealing of Obama's foreign policy," says Bolton. "Overall, it was so apologetic for the actions of prior administrations, in an effort to distance Obama from them, that it became yet another symbol of American weakness in the wake of the president's decision to abandon missile sites in Poland and the Czech Republic, and his recent manifest hesitation over what to do in Afghanistan."

"The most significant point of the speech was how the president put Israel on the chopping block in a variety of references, from calling Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegitimate to talking about ending ‘the occupation that began in 1967.' That implies that he supports going back to 1967 borders," says Bolton. "Obama has a very tough road ahead. He is frequently taking the side of the Palestinians, who don't have a competent leader who can make hard decisions and compromises in the future." [Read more]

posted by: jrtelegraph

Kiev Plans Hotel at Babi Yar Site

JTA:

September 23, 2009

KIEV, Ukraine (JTA) -- The Kiev municipality's decision to build a hotel on the site of the Babi Yar massacre memorial has alarmed Ukraine's Jewish community.

Kiev officials approved a plan Sept. 17 to build 28 hotels to accommodate the tens of thousands of visitors expected for soccer’s 2012 European Championship, including one at the Babi Yar site, the UNIAN news agency reported Tuesday.

More than 33,700 Jews were gathered and killed by the Nazis along the Babi Yar ravine’s edge on Sept. 29 and 30, 1941.

The Babi Yar memorial is located in a residential area of the Ukraine capital.

Kiev City Councilman Sergey Melnik, who opposes the plan, told JTA that 67 Kiev capital deputies voted for the hotel plan without knowing essential details of the construction. Kiev Mayor Leonid Chernovetsky reportedly has shown interest in building on Kiev's green spaces, Melnik said.

According to Kiev municipality officials, there are 125 hotels in Kiev -- far fewer than in European capitals. [link]

posted by: jrtelegraph

Madeleine Albright Talks to Pravda

Pravda.ru:

Former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright took part in the forum too. She particularly participated in the meeting titled “Non-Economic Aspects of Entrepreneurship.”

	Madeleine Albright

Madeleine Albright said during the meeting that America no longer had the intention of being the first nation of the world.

Ms. Albright started her speech in Russian. “Hello and thank you! It’s a pleasure for me to be here,” she said in Russian. Albright wrote in her autobiography that she was trying to learn some Russian during the 1960s.

The former US Secretary of State surprised the audience with her speech. She particularly said that democracy was not the perfect system. “It can be contradictory, corrupt and may have security problems,” Albright said.

America has been having hard times recently, Albright said.

“We have been talking about our exceptionalism during the recent eight years. Now, an average American wants to stay at home – they do not need any overseas adventures. We do not need new enemies,” Albright said adding that Beijing, London and Delhi became a serious competition for Washington and New York.

“My generation has made many mistakes. We give the future into the hands of the young. Your prime goal is to overcome the gap between the poor and the rich,’ the former head of the US foreign political department said.

Read the originals in Russia here and here 

posted by: jrtelegraph

The Cry of the Shofar

Sichos in English (from the talks of the Lubavitcher Rebbe):

Without a doubt, the highlight of Rosh HaShanah - termed by our Sages, "the mitzvah of the day" - is sounding and hearing the blasts of the shofar.

The Baal Shem Tov offers a parable in which he likens the sounding of shofar to a child who finds himself in peril and screams out to his father, "Father, Father, save me!"

The Previous Rebbe once related in the names of earlier Rebbeim that one of the Rebbeim let it be known that the scream itself is even more important than the words "Father, Father, save me!" Of the two aspects-the scream itself and the content of the scream-what is most important is not the substance and content of the cry, but the very cry itself.

The substance and content of the cry differs from one Jew to the next. However, each and every Jew equally possesses the ability to shout out to his Father. Indeed, every Jew does in fact scream out to G-d. It may be so inward a shout that it is impossible to discern, but every Jew shouts out to his Father in Heaven from the innermost core of his soul.

This, then, lies at the heart of sounding and hearing the shofar on Rosh HaShanah - shouting out to G-d from the quintessence of one's soul. Such a call is most assuredly accepted on high.

There is an additional parable offered by Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev that helps us better comprehend our certainty that G-d categorically and unconditionally accepts our shofar cry.

There once was a child who desired an apple, which his father was reluctant to provide. The child quickly made the appropriate blessing over the apple and as such, the father was forced to give the child the apple, as he did not desire that his child recite a blessing in vain.

We see in the analogue as well that even in an instance where the Father does not necessarily desire to act in a kind and benevolent manner owing to the past misconduct of His child, the Father will still fulfill His child's desire once His child has made the appropriate blessing (i.e., the appropriate cry and gesture).

How much more so is this the case when the Father's reluctance to grant His child's request stems only from His desire to test the child's cleverness. In such an instance, when the child proves his cleverness by reciting the appropriate blessing, the Father surely grants his request.

G-d surely desires to provide us with all manner of good. In fact, G-d's desire to endow us with all manner of good is even greater than our desire to receive this goodness. This is in keeping with the saying of our Sages, of blessed memory: "More than the calf desires to suckle [and receive milk], the cow desires to nurse [and give milk]."

G-d not only desires to provide us with all our needs, but He also desires that we serve Him. This is expressed in the verse, "You long for the actions of Your creations." That is to say, G-d is desirous of our spiritual service.

Therefore, when the Jewish people recite the blessing, "He mercifully hears the shofar blasts of His nation Israel," this assures that G-d most certainly receives our cries with great mercy. This is especially so since, according to Jewish law, one does not make a blessing when one is in doubt as to whether that blessing is to be recited.

The very fact that the Men of the Great Assembly ruled that we are to recite this blessing over the shofar serves as the clearest indication and the most obvious proof that our cry of the shofar is heeded by G-d in a merciful manner.

This results in G-d granting each and every Jew all that G-d deems they are in need of, both spiritually and materially, with regard to all matters of children, life and sustenance. Since G-d grants us His bounty from His "full, open, holy and generous hand," He surely grants us all this in a most abundant and plenteous manner.

All the above blessings are included in the blessings that we wish one another for the new year, namely, that we be granted a "good and sweet year." Moreover, these blessings find expression in our receiving them in a very real and concrete manner, in a manner of palpable and revealed goodness.

From the above two parables it is clear that Rosh HaShanah contains two distinct aspects that merge into one whole: the point of Rosh HaShanah from the perspective of the Jewish people - corresponding to the parable of the Baal Shem Tov of the child who cries out to his father; and the crux of Rosh HaShanah from G-d's perspective - corresponding to the parable of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev of the father who fulfills his child's request once he has made the appropriate blessing.

From the perspective of the Jewish people, Rosh HaShanah is the time when a Jew binds himself completely to G-d, accepting Him as his sovereign and Father-King, and crying out to Him from the very depths of his heart.

On His part, G-d obliges Himself, as it were, to the Jewish people, obligating Himself to provide us with all His abundant blessings - "I will provide you with your rains at their appointed times," and all the other blessings mentioned there - so that we may all truly enjoy a "good and sweet year." [link]

posted by: jrtelegraph

Based on Likkutei Sichos, Vol. II, pp. 405-407.