Top 6 out of 8 IDF Golani Commanders are Religious

Yisrael Hayom's newspaper (via rotter) reported that as of this summer, 6 out of the top 8 commanding officers in the IDF Golani Brigade will be religious soldiers.

Golani Brigade Commander: Avi Peled, alumnus of Yeshivat Ateret Cohanim

Golani Brigade Deputy Commander: Dudi Oberman

Golani Base Commander: Eyal Asraf alumnus, of Yeshivat Ateret Cohanim

Battalion/Gedud 12 Commander: Udi ben Hamu, alumnus of Yeshivat Eli

Battalion/Gedud 51 Commander: Shai Kalfer, alumnus of Yeshivat Shavei Hevron

Battalion/Gedud 13 Commander: Avinoam Stulovitch, alumnus of Yeshivat Merkaz HaRav.

The only 2 high ranking positions with non-religious commanders in Golani are that of the Egoz unit commander and the Golani reconnaissance battalion commander (Gedud Siyur), though the outgoing Egoz unit commander David Zini is also a religious soldier.

Golani is far from being the only Brigade with religious senior commanding officers -- 4 of the senior Kfir Brigade commanders are religious, the Shaked battalion commander in Givati, and many more.

The newspaper asked: Is this a certificate of merit to the religious sector, or a badge of shame to the secular sector?

This is good fodder to PM Netanyahu before he continues on with his nonsense.

Rabbi Haim Druckamn on Wednesday told Eyal Gabai, director-general of the Prime Minister's Office, that he opposes any insubordination in the IDF.

However, Druckman, who heads the Or Etzion Yeshiva and the Union of Hesder Yeshivot, reportedly went on to say that if a soldier could not follow an order for a halachic or moral reason, he had a right to say that he cannot follow it.

Gabai praised Druckman for speaking out against insubordination, and said that "insubordination of any kind is unthinkable and cannot be part of the legitimate discourse."

The rabbi went on to stress that he hoped there would be no need for insubordination of this kind.

"Of course I very much hope things will not come to this. Especially after the Gush Katif trauma, when it turns out that in retrospect, even those who supported it [the Gaza disengagement] believe that it brought no good and only added to our troubles. I hope we will have the brains not to repeat such moves," Druckman told Olam Katan.

Druckman noted that Jewish law and military commands do not contradict each other, since the IDF recognizes the fact that a religious soldier cannot be ordered to do anything that is against halacha. (JPost)

Going to Israel?
Now get 2 phones for the price of 1 (and free calls too) with Talk'n'Save.

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

PSA: Religious Hostel for Autistic Children forming

Public Service Announcement.

I was asked by friends to post this -- please pass it on to your local email lists (Israel only)

Thanks!

--Jameel


Group of parents forming to create a religious hostel for autistic children.

We are a group of parents -- 48 families, of which 32 have already received authorization (or are close to receiving authorization) for away-from-home placement.

If you have an autistic child and are considering an away-from-home option, or you are considering moving your child from a non-religious away-from-home framework , you are welcome to join us.

We'll be happy to discuss all questions and inquiries.

Yanki and Daliah Schwartz

054-4222334 / 09-792-9970

קבוצת הורים - להקמת בית חם דתי לילדים על רצף האוטיזם

אנו קבוצת הורים המונה 48 משפחות -מהן 32 שכבר בעלות אישור להשמה חוץ ביתית או קרובות מאד לגמר התהליך.

לידיעתכם –

באזור המרכז עומד אי"ה לקום בית חם לילדים דתיים על רצף האוטיזם.

אם ילדכם נמצא בקבוצה זו ואתם שוקלים להוציאו מהבית (או מעדיפים שיעבור ממסגרת שאינה דתית) אתם מוזמנים להצטרף אלינו.

נשמח לענות על כל שאלה שתתעורר.

ניתן לפנות: לינקי ודליה שוורץ:

7929970 -09 / 054-4222334

Going to Israel?
Now get 2 phones for the price of 1 (and free calls too) with Talk'n'Save.

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

Srugim: (סרוגים) Rave Reviews

Israel's internet chats, blogs and media gave a resounding two-thumbs-up to Laizey Shapiro's "Srugim" TV series which debuted last night on YES TV. To the religious viewer, one could laugh, squirm, and ponder at many of the oh-too-familiar scenes in the show -- demonstrating the impressive quality of the acting, writing, and direction.

Normally, Israel's "artsy media" with their traditional anti-religious bias would have a field day with a TV series about religious singles, produced by a religious director. Yet the series has produced rave reviews from "Achbar Ha'ir", Maariv, NRG, and many others -- attesting that this series appeals to both Israel's religious and secular worlds.

Obviously, for the sake of the script, not every scene is typical of the Jewish "Bitza" (Swamp) Katamon singles scene, yet the familiarity allows for every scene to be believable -- and if it didn't happen to you personally, you know people that it could have happened to.

A guy's "tefillin request" sends him to the next door neighbor, where an American accented Hebrew speaking young lady offers HER tefillin to him. Shocked, he returns to his girlfriend and angrily responds that he wasn't looking for a Reform Lesbian's tefillin...but for real tefillin. His girlfriend dumps him rather quickly...and you can easily imagine the scene in Jerusalem.

Everyone says the Shabbat meal scene is slightly uncomfortable to watch, because everyone's been there. Anyone who's ever been single in Jerusalem knows about singles Shabbat meals, where everyone tries and hopes to meet their intended life partner. Sometimes awkward and clumsy, the Shabbat meal is can be a neccessary evil in the Katamon singles scene.

Here is a brief clip of one of a Shabbat meal in yesterday's episode.



Speaking to Srugim director, Laizy Shapiro today by phone, he told me that it was really an exceptional experience making the show, and that there was a special atmosphere with the secular actors when filming...and he said the show could be a bridge between the religious and secular. Judging from the favorable reactions of the newspapers, I believe he's correct.

I wonder how the singles scene in Jerusalem will feel about being reflected in this TV series.

(The whole first episode can be watched here on the YES website.)

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

The Plague of Publicity

Some people are desperate for publicity.

Andy Grove, the past CEO of Intel Corp proved via the Pentium bug fiasco, that there's no such thing as "bad" publicity.

Therefore, how do some religious Israelis get their name everywhere?

They write articles that bash...religious Israelis.

In this fashion, the spotlight is on today's idiot, "Efrat Shapira-Rosenberg"

I have no clue who she is, but her article in YNET entitled, "The Plague of Eretz Yisrael" is proof positive that she's an attention seeker, rather than someone who wants to honestly deal with facts.

Her opinion piece can be summarized as such: Religious Jews in Israel place an inordinant amount of focus on Eretz Yisrael and neglect everything else...and that is a "plague."

Her closing paragraph:

Yes, the Land of Israel is beloved, and it’s important, and it’s possible that for some people, there is no other issue. But the total focus on the struggle for the Land of Israel is not just a religious, social, and moral injustice. It’s also a plague.

Since Ms. Efrat Shapira hyphen Rosenberg is too busy mouthing-off via her YNETnews soapbox, let me tell you a single story from last week, which shows just how wrong she is.

Last week, Magen David Adom needed volunteer ambulance drivers and medics for night shifts in large cities in the Gush Dan (Tel Aviv) region. I answered their call, and did a night shift. What I found was the following: in this particular city, there were no local volunteers...at all!

Rather, all their volunteers in that (rather large city) were from settlements in the Shomron, and one volunteer from North America!

So the next time MS Efrat Shapira-Rosenberg has an epiphany about bashing religious Jews and settlers for caring "too much" about Eretz Yisrael, perhaps she should check out all the wonderful work they are doing around the country; including volunteering for MDA, Hatzala, Soup Kitchens, Aiding Developmentally challenged children, outreach, social service and welfare programs, and of course...IDF duty.

And if some people want to focus on Eretz Yisrael, that's their right, just as I know some people who focus on tzedakka, some who focus on learning and teaching Torah, and others who focus on saving lives.

Focus is a "religious, social, and moral injustice"???

I would advise that she be very cautious about using language such as "plague" and Eretz Yisrael in the same breath.

When the 10 spies spoke poorly about Israel, it didn't do them any good, nor the rest of our nation.

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael