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After finishing an extensive period of service on the front lines of the Jordan Valley action area, the 'Netzach Yehuda' Battalion, Kfir Brigade's Ultra Orthodox battalion, set out on a front-line service trek. The total distance is 14 km, and the course finishes at the Mazada fortress by the Dead Sea. At the end, all of the warriors and soldiers of the command gathered for morning prayer services, with the view of the Dead Sea.

Photo by Abir Sultan / IDF Photo.

Israel's 60th Independence Day
"The ambassadors of peace shall weep bitterly..."
          Isaiah 33:7 - In memory of those who have fallen while on duty in the Israeli Foreign Service
          (IFM) Israel Independence Day is celebrated annually, according to the Hebrew calendar, on 5 Iyar, the anniversary of the establishment of the State of Israel. As this date falls this year on the Sabbath, celebrations have been moved up to Thursday, May 8 (3 Iyar). The day preceding this celebration is devoted to the memory of those who gave their lives for the achievement of the country's independence and its continued existence.
          On Yom Hazikaron, Remembrance Day, which will begin on Tuesday evening, May 6, the entire nation remembers its debt and expresses eternal gratitude to its sons and daughters who gave their lives for the achievement of the country's independence and its continued existence. It is a day of collective and personal anguish mingled with awe and honor for the fallen. (Full Story)

A Musical Salute: In Honor of Israel's 60th Anniversary
(IDF) Military orchestras will play the melody of peace in honor of the 60th anniversary of Israel's independence. For the first time ever, the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) has organized a unique performance by the IDF orchestra and ten other military bands from around the world. The performance will take place on Independence Day in Haifa and guarantees to be an unforgettable musical and visual show.
          The performance will include a parade of orchestras in which each orchestra will play its repertoire of songs. At the end of the parade, a joint performance will take place, in which the IDF marching song will be played, as well as the song "We Brought Peace Upon Us," and "Hatikva," the Israeli national anthem. (Full Story)

Israel Foreign Minister Livni's Independence Day Address at the President's Residence
" In my view, seeking peace is one of the sources of our national strength. It is integral to our children's education, it is the most popular word in Jewish prayer, in our songs, in our literature and poetry and in the speeches not just of our politicians but of our army generals.
"
           Israel FM Tzipi Livni
           FM Livni addressed the President of Israel, members of the Diplomatic Corps and other distinguished guests on the occasion of Israel's 60th anniversary: (Full Address)

Responding to Hamas Attacks from Gaza - Issues of Proportionality
(IFM) Israel is in a conflict not of its own making - indeed it withdrew every Israeli soldier and all 9000 Israeli civilians from the Gaza Strip in its 2005 disengagement initiative. But it is forced to act in self-defense to protect itself from deliberate missile attacks on its civilians by the Hamas terrorist organization.
          Although Hamas makes no effort to comply with international law, Israel is committed to limiting itself to a lawful response. This means that, while Hamas uses civilians both as a shield and a target, Israel seeks to limit injury to civilians on both sides. (Full Story)

Address by Israel's Vice PM and FM Tzipi Livni to the 8th Herzliya Conference
"Not only can Israel not allow a terrorist state to rise by its side, but the international community also cannot afford another terrorist state in its midst"
      "I believe that Israel does not have to apologize for its existence or for defending its citizens, and Israel will continue to take action and fulfill its duty toward the citizens of the State of Israel, even at the price of condemnation. " - Israeli Vice President and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni
      Address by Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs
Tzipi Livni to the 8th Herzliya Conference (Translated from Hebrew)

          (IFM) Good evening, everyone. This conference is a mark of Israel’s national resilience. I believe that national resilience is first of all a true ability to cope with difficult situations, challenges and threats. It also means the public’s sense of confidence in the government’s ability to cope with these threats, and cohesiveness around a common goal. All of these bear great significance for leadership and government.
(Full Address)

Two Senior Terror Operatives Arrested in Territories
(IDF) On Friday morning, during a joint operation to arrest wanted persons performed by the elite duvdevan unit and the ISA, Ahmed Muhammad Sanakara was killed. He was armed with a Kalashnikov rifle when the forces came to arrest him. Additionally, the force arrested four wanted operatives of the tanzim terror organization, who had been recently plotting a terror attack.
      Sanakara, 21, was the most senior wanted operative in the Territories. As a member of the tanzim terror organization, he was responsible for dozens of IED and shooting attacks targeting IDF forces in Nablus. He acted as perpetrator and dispatcher, and prepared the explosive devices in various attacks. In November of 2005 he took part in the laying of an IED in the Balata refugee camp which lead to an IDF officer being injured. (Full Story)

EU to Fund Visits by European Students to Holocaust Memorial Sites
(IFM) The European Union will fund visits by European students to Holocaust memorial sites, announced Franco Fratini, Vice President of the European Commission, at the opening of the Second Israel/EU Seminar on Combating Racism and Antisemitism.
      At the opening of the Second Israel/EU Seminar on Combating Racism and Antisemitism (22 January), Franco Fratini, Vice President of the European Commission, said that Europe is not antisemitic territory, but antisemitic activity is growing on the continent. "We see antisemitism as contradicting the values on which the European Union was founded, and we are committed to fighting this phenomenon with all the necessary educational and legal means." (Full Story)

The Myth of the Demographic Machete
By Yoram Ettinger

(AIDRG) According to a groundbreaking AIDRG study, there is no need to retreat from Judea & Samaria Jewish geography , in order to secure Jewish demography. Such a perceived need is based on the assumption that Jews are, ostensibly, doomed to become a minority between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean.
     
However, this assumption is crashed against the rocks of reality, as evidenced by the 2006 “Green Line” data, published by Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics (ICBS). In 1995, Jewish births constituted... (Full Story)

Shavuos: Sssssh-vuos, the Undated Anniversary
By Joe Bobker

Shavuos is a late-Spring, early-Summer yomtov, and our only festival with no well-defined date, despite its association with a singularly imposing theophany, Sinai; a time when "no bird put forth their song, no bird took wing, no ox gave bawl, no angel moved a feather...the sea did not roar…no creature said a word."
      In Torah vocabulary God is only "heard" via an echo, known as a bat kol, literally "the daughter of a voice;" and only "appears" via indirect anthropomorphic images such as a dream or vision. (Full Feature)

1000 Children Create a Human
Israeli Flag...in South Africa
World Bnei Akiva and Jewish Agency Shlichim (emissaries) around the globe have been preparing for Israel’s 60th Independence Day for months. In the South African branch of World Bnei Akiva, the emissaries decided to implement all the Israel education that the children have received throughout the year and create a huge Israeli flag. (Full Feature)

A "Hollywood", FL Production: Israel 60
World Bnei Akiva and Jewish Agency emissaries around the globe have been working for months towards the big day: Israel’s 60th Independence Day!
      Aviel Schary, World Bnei Akiva and JAFI emissary in Hollywood FL took part in a project organized at Browser Mimonodies Academy, Hebrew Day school: “The staff tried to think of the most creative way to get the students involved. Therefore, we decided to create a huge photo, writing ISRAEL 60 using the students as letters!” (Full Feature)

Feeling Good in Israel
(Jewish Agency Israel) Twenty one year old Yonas Shiferaw was born in the mountainous southern region of Ethiopia. When he was seventeen, his family moved to Addis Ababa and his father found a job working for the municipality. The family lived in their own home, not in the Ethiopian compound, and Yonas completed high school.
      In August 2004, Yonas, his parents and two brothers made aliyah. Their first home in Israel was the Jewish Agency for Israel’s Absorption Center in Haifa. Seeing that Yonas completed high school, he was recommended for Kedma, an educational advancement program for young Ethiopians. (Full Feature)

Click here for Archived Features

City, State Candle Lighting
Havdalah
New York, NY
7:49pm 8:50pm
Los Angeles, CA
7:31pm 8:32pm
Parshat B'har
May 16, 2008
11 Iyyar 5768






City, State Candle Lighting
Havdalah
New York, NY
7:56pm 8:56pm
Los Angeles, CA
7:36pm 8:37pm
Parshat Bechukotai
May 23, 2008
18 Iyyar
5768


 

Aish  HaTorah's Window on the Wall
Click above to view a LIVE shot of the Western Wall.

The REFORMulation of Judaism
In response to the frequently asked question “Why could he or she do things that you can’t do? Aren’t you both Jewish?” (Full Feature)

Classic Rug Collection Introduces Lakiya Rugs at Jewish Marketplace
Hand-Made Bedouin Rugs to Make their Official Bow at the Javits
NEW YORK, New York -- Classic Rug Collection, Inc., will introduce its “Lakiya Collection,” a series of flat-woven wool rugs and accessories, at the Jewish Marketplace. (Full Feature)


Joe Bobker's newest book "And You Thought There Were Only Four" answers every question you could ever ask (and more) on the freedom holiday of Pesach and the Exodus. From presenting intriguing facts such as the history of "Operation Matzo Ball" during WWII, to tackling some of the toughest questions surrounding Passover, its traditions, and history, Joe Bobker covers hundreds of topics and comprehensively backs each answer up with both rabbinical and biblical evidence. "And You Thought There Were Only Four" will satisfy every curiosity you ever had on one of the most important holidays of the Jewish year.

Get it Here on Amazon

IDF Photo

Acting PM Olmert's Remarks at the Laying of the cornerstone of Intel's FAB-128 plant in Kiryat Gat. FAB-128 is Intel's second Kiryat Gat plant and is due to begin production in the second half of 2008. Intel is expected to directly hire more than 2,000 workers, as well as 2,000 contractors, to work at the plant.

State of Israel Photo

Shmuel Rabinovich, the rabbi of the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest site, is given letters addressed to God by postal office spokesman Yitzhak Rabihaya, left, to place them into the cracks of the Wall, in Jerusalem's Old City. Israeli postal workers say that hundreds of letters written to God, most addressed simply to Jerusalem, arrive in Israel each year, frequently around Jewish and Christian holidays such as Chanukah and Christmas. The letters are collected, read, and periodically taken to the Western Wall in Jerusalem.

Photo by Oded Balilty / AP Photo

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (L) shakes hands with Italian Foreign Minister Gianfranco Fini during their meeting in Jerusalem.

Photo by Ronen Zvulun / Reuters Photo