May the IDF Be With You
by: Schvach Yid


But not with Britain, that Sceptred Isle of Shakespeare’s imagination, as in:

This royal throne of kings, this sceptred isle,
This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars,
This other Eden, demi-paradise,
This fortress built by Nature for herself
Against infection and the hand of war,
This happy breed of men, this little world,
This precious stone set in the silver sea,
Which serves it in the office of a wall
Or as a moat defensive to a house,
Against the envy of less happier lands,--
This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England.
William Shakespeare, "King Richard II", Act 2 scene 1


Ah, England! Are you down and out in Beverly Hills, or anywhere else for that matter?
No matter, just ‘think of England’!

According to Pamela Geller, founder and author of the Atlas Shrugs blog site, the Arab Moslem occupants of Britain are freely expressing their displeasure at Israel’s latest ‘sin’
against their Arab Moslem brethren in Gaza. The poor Brits!

Ha! Remember the British Mandate of Palestine? Shall we recall the muck the British made of their charge?

England has never been very good at international politics. On a global scale, without exaggeration, Britain has made a centuries-long career of screwing up. They’re good at writing literature; in fact, they are superb at it. They’ve been pretty good at composing music, and at theater, as well. Science and Philosophy have been areas of first class accomplishment for the English. In fact, they have probably been superb at most of the humanities and pure sciences (but I’m not crazy about the Anglican Church – sorry).

But not politics. They are utter disasters at politics. The Arab Moslems have landed on
British turf, and they’re there to stay, and they want what they want – period.

So England is calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities ‘over there’, for humanitarian reasons – now that Israel has responded appropriately on its own behalf.

The British know all about humanitarian behaviors. They have had a centuries-long tradition of that. Take the bombing of German civilian populations during the Second World War, and just because the ‘Nazi swine’ bombed the English citizenry incessantly with incendiaries, V-1 ‘buzz bombs’, and the super murderous (for the day) V-2 rockets.

What did Britain have to say about the matter? Hey, America, you do the daylight bombing runs over France and Germany, we Brits will do it in the cover of night.

Brilliant, not to mention humanitarian. And the Jews? The British version of humanitarianism doesn’t bode well for us.

Screw Britain – but gently; it’s important to be humanitarian to those who would do it to you.

A Lesson in Defense Strategy for the Jew Haters
by: Schvach Yid



Well jadies and jents, it appears that the ‘neighborhood bully’ has at long last located his testicles and has finally chosen to do the right thing. Mazel tov! The Jew-haters are aghast and livid (not Livni), encouraging Israel to not ‘overdo’ this most necessary response to Arab Moslem aggression. Maybe Israel won’t ‘overdo’ things. Perhaps Israel won’t emulate America’s disastrous incursion into
French Indochina/Vietnam. Hopefully, this time, Israel will get things right and remove the covers from its binoculars before making tactical field decisions.

Vienna Mike of Arutz Sheva comment fame, where are you?

The time has long past for the Jewish State of Israel to stand up and assert it’s belief that the Land of Israel is Jewish, and that no one may trounce on us on our turf. This belief is supposed to constitute the raison d’être for the founding of the modern Jewish State.


Defense Minister Ehud Barak’s statement that this will not constitute a brief operation is encouraging, but international third party interference has consistently exerted a historical precedence in Israel’s defense efforts, so we’ll see.

So here are some basic rules of national defense, and of life:

When a foreign military force, whether formal military or citizens’ militia, attacks your country’s civilian population, it is the duty of your government to eradicate the foreign belligerents.

One doesn’t respond to one’s foe‘s hostility in order to jockey that foe into a position of having to negotiate, but rather one responds for the purpose of eradicating the foe.

There is no peace possible with a people who don’t want peace.

Take a lesson from US Navy Admiral William‘Bull’ Halsey of WW 2 fame – hit hard, hit fast, hit often.

Kill anyone who attacks, or threatens to attack, your children.

Kill anyone who causes your children to live in fear.

When one is forced to choose between the lives of one’s own children or the lives of the children of those who attempt to kill one’s own children, then what do you think should constitute the appropriate response – 60 years of requests?

A message to Israel’s enemies: don’t start a war unless you are prepared to run the risk of losing.

Knock off the public relations propaganda; the truth of the matter is self-evident!

Hannah Ashwari, wherever you may be, f*ck you!

Tznius, Moslem-Style, Revisited
by: Schvach Yid


I’ve just learned of the existence of Naomi Wolf – the (a?) Jewish feminist. Actually, it has occurred to me that there may not exist a Jewish woman who is not feminist (at least in America), but that’s another matter.

This past August Ms. Wolf wrote about the habit (no pun intended) of religious Moslem women wearing the hijab. Her critique, which was published in The Sydney Morning Herald, can be accessed at:
http://www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/behind-the-veil-lives-a-thriving-muslim-sexuality/2008/08/29/1219516734637.html

She wrote, in part:

What kind of “Western gaze” are all these Muslim women hiding from in places like Morocco, Jordan, and Egypt? … Muslim women are covered up to protect them from Muslim men. I experienced it myself. I put on a shalwar kameez and a headscarf in Morocco for a trip to the bazaar. Yes, some of the warmth I encountered was probably from the novelty of seeing a Westerner so clothed; but, as I moved about the market - the curve of my breasts covered, the shape of my legs obscured, my long hair not flying about me - I felt a novel sense of calm and serenity. I felt, yes, in certain ways, free.

There’s controversy here, and it’s Moslem vs non-Moslem. You can read some of it at:
http://sheikyermami.com/2008/08/29/naomi-wolf-i-need-a-hijab-to-set-me-free/

Please don’t ask. I don’t know if the blog site owner is Moslem or not. Perhaps it doesn’t matter.

Last evening, around 6:30pm, I cruised around town looking for food. Every place was closed, except for the few - yet increasing in number of - so-called ‘Mediterranean’ eateries. ‘Mediterranean’, in this application, is a euphemism for Arab. (At one of these restaurants, the husband and wife proprietors answered the inquiry of a curious customer by telling him they come from Greece. The two owners then turned to each other and spoke in Arabic; she, by the way, dresses utterly ‘Western’.)

Are you familiar with the old quip that one can tell if a Chinese restaurant is any good by whether or not ‘real’ Chinese people eat there? Well, in my nook of America’s Bible Belt, there are ‘Mediterranean’ restaurants with Moslem clients, and those where traditional Moslem attire is absent. One, of course, can anticipate which is which in advance by simply scanning the scene for a sign that announces halal meat.

Back to the subject at hand. - is it tznius? ‘Down’ here I see lots of women clad in traditional Moslem attire, and I’ve had a wicked thought concerning the matter. I think we’re all informed of the appetite many men have for women donning lingerie. Hijabs and abayes are not lingerie, but still, I never saw the big deal of women’s hair getting a guy started until I learned about the Moslem religious tradition of concealing it. In high school, where a major effort of teachers and administrators is directed at assuring (as far as possible) that the young males aren’t provoked (at least in my day), the hair of the female students flew freely.

But introduce this new (for Westerners) social value, and what develops?

Some people at a Walmart not far from my home were aghast (and made no bones of expressing it) at the site of Moslem female customers dressed in their traditional garb. I had no objection; in fact, I see some potential here for the development of a new American male appreciation of female sexuality.

No, I do not advocate that non-Moslem women wear the garments of religious Moslem women, but rather that a little tznius would be appreciated, as in ‘cover-up a bit more’.

Here’s a link to a list of comments and posts on the subject: http://www.hijab.com/.

A Mohel Named Riper
by: Schvach Yid



It’s like the quip about the hematologist named Dr. Blood, or Dr. Dracula, but in today’s A7 edition there’s a post about a bris performed on the 8-day old son of the Chabad sheliach to the Andean Peruvian city (town?) of Cusco (Cuzco). It’s reported as the first bris ever performed in the Andes Mountains. You can read about it here:
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/129009

Also, thanks to Mottel of the Letters of Thought blog, here is his posting of photos from his trip to Machu Picchu, also located in the Peruvian Andes, where evidently Yiddin sought to bring some kedushah to a place previously used for human sacrifices (I think).
http://mordechai7215.blogspot.com/2008/10/machu-picchu-trip.html

Here are some more of Mottels photos of the Peruvian Andes:
http://mordechai7215.blogspot.com/2008/10/on-end-of-sukkos-moray-and-how-i-became.html
and here:
http://mordechai7215.blogspot.com/2008/10/out-and-about-cuzco-for-lack-of-better.html

Mottel likes the Andes, I guess. The photos are nice - enjoy!

Okay, Read This One
by: Schvach Yid



It’s by Jonathan Mark of The New York Jewish Week at:
http://bestjewishnewsny.com/2008/12/23/times-excellent-coverage-of-the-shoah-1943/

The Top 10 Reasons Israeli Men Piss in Public:
by: Schvach Yid

#10 - ‘I had to go’

#9 - ‘who can find a bathroom in time?’

# 8 -‘the bathroom at home is always occupied’

# 7 - ‘I forgot to pay the key fee’

#6 - ‘Olmert sold my bathroom’

#5 - ‘Shin bet banned me from settling in a home with a toilet

#4 - ‘Israel has just negotiated all water rights to the Palestinian Authority’

#3 - ‘How else do you expect me to celebrate May Day on Rehov Kaplan?’

#2 – ‘I can’t see a thing through these sunglasses so I figured…’

And the #1 reason – ‘Ehhhhhh…’

Happy Chanukah!
by: Schvach Yid



Sarah speaks, not about Chanukah (at least not in this video), but rather about her
apparent first love and passion, Ladino language and music.

Sarah's family hails from Thessaloniki,
formerly known as Salonica, Greece,
(Macedonia) and Greece sorta figures into Chanukah (in a Syrian sort of way).

Since Chanukah is upon us, I want to offer a gift to the readers of my blog site, so here she is, Sarah Aroeste:








For those of you who are fortunate enough to live in New York (my home town – how I miss it), she concertizes regularly there; she also takes her Ladino act to places far and wide. Her concert schedule can be found on her blog site at: http://www.saraharoeste.com/

My thanks to YoYenta for introducing me to the Sarah Aroeste Band
http://www.yoyenta.com/index.php?s=sarah+aroeste&submit=Search



art work by Michoel Muchnik at: http://www.muchnikarts.com/

Angst
by: Schvach Yid

I love that word – German (my family’s native language) incorporated into English
(my native language). In my hands it’s so pretentious, like me – I’m an expert on everything, you know.

The stress and sense of alienation we often (unfortunately) create for our fellow members of the Jewish community is a regrettable habit that stems from this conviction of expertise and superiority that many of us exercise. We attempt to fluff our sense of self esteem at the expense of others.

I’m guilty of this sin of belittling others, and I can’t afford to do it, despite the fact that I do it all too frequently. I can’t afford to do it because I’m just as vulnerable as any one else to the criticisms and chastisements of others, and believe me, I’ve suffered from the mindless slings and arrows of others.

But I’m stubborn, and I persist.

Two blogs have just entered my life, and I’m glad for it. They provide a bit of mussar for our tribe.

The first is This is Babylon, at http://thisisbabylon.net/2008/12/04/racism-in-the-jewish-community-a-perspective/ .

Mr. Babylon has a point, and a problem. His problem appears to be self-inflicted. His schtick hurls back to the local community politics of the mid to late 1960’s and ‘70’s.
He comes across as a guy in search of a fight with a fabricated in-your-face style (that, by the way, is a ‘Torah-ism) that’s hard to miss. The point is, he’s arguing with himself, and
he’s going to ‘peter-out’ without solving any problems. He needs to revamp his archaic style to one that is not out-of-the-group confrontational. Since he’s Jewish, perhaps he should ‘get Jewish’; after all, he made the choice.

His point is that he has a good point. There really is racism in the Jewish community. I’ve seen enough of it, and it never speaks well of us.

Mr. Babylon (I assume this is not his real name) cross linked to another blog site, Notes of a Jewpanese Nomad, at
http://jewpanese.wordpress.com/2008/06/25/the-pressure-to-be-liberal/

Here, there is true angst, not the literary pugilistic assertions of a writer who, I think, takes some delight in making himself an outsider (as I think may be the case with Mr. Babylon), but rather the honest anxiety of a person who feels shunned by her own people.
She doesn’t want respect; she wants the acceptance to which she’s entitled as a Jew.

She calls herself Kaguya, and here’s a bit of her bio:
My two heritages are being Jewish and Japanese. I am lucky in that these two leagacies have few conflicting values; in fact, they compliment each other extremely well. I am also lucky in that I get the two heritages from the “right” parent: My Japaneseness–traditionally a patrlinial heritage–is passed down by my father and my Jewishness–traditionally a matrilinial heritage–is passed down by my mother.

Mr. Babylon, too, is entitled to acceptance, but quite frankly I think he may ask for at least some of the rejection he perceives.

See how expert I am? My brain needs a tune-up.

This is Precisely How I Feel
by: Schvach Yid

Thank you Pameal Geller, founder and owner of the Atlas Shrugs blogsite, for posting this image.

If you have ever walked into a car dealership to ‘talk’,
If you have ever had your car serviced by a car dealership,
If you have ever been dependent on the automobile industry, for anything,
Then you have to loathe them.

So if you hate getting ripped off by those dealers/manufactures,
If you value your bucks, as well as your personal integrity,
Then you have to oppose any taxpayer bailout of the auto industry.

Let them do it themselves,
And let them do it decently and properly.

Do you think those people are capable of even considering honesty as an
alternative lifestyle?

I Love It
by: Schvach Yid

And here’s the link: http://ilanadavita.wordpress.com/2008/12/09/did-anyone-say-sheep/

Bravo Pamela
by: Schvach Yid

That’s Pamela Geller, the founder and writer of the Atlas Shrugs blogsite, found at
http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/ , for highlighting two incisive articles about the
Mumbai massacre, the first written by Mark Steyn, found at http://www.ocregister.com/articles/mumbai-muslims-time-2248410-jews-muslim# ,
and the second by Dennis Prager at
http://www.creators.com/opinion/dennis-prager.html?columnsName=pra


Writes Steyn:
Last week, a Canadian critic reprimanded me for failing to understand that Muslims feel "vulnerable." Au contraire, they project tremendous cultural confidence, as well they might: They're the world's fastest-growing population. A prominent British Muslim announced the other day that, when the United Kingdom becomes a Muslim state, non-Muslims will be required to wear insignia identifying them as infidels. If he's feeling "vulnerable," he's doing a terrific job of covering it up.

I just got ‘laid-off’ from my job - my boss (a tenured full professor), his secretary, and me. On that campus that was my workplace there occurred no small number of hijabs and abayas adorning the scenery. I have a little bit of news for the general Western public. Moslem women dressed in tradition Moslem apparel are adept at keeping their chins off their chests. They have a habit of broadcasting an unabashed message of self-confidence and high self-esteem. Don’t worry, they travel with ease of mind.

Please have an informative read at
http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2008/12/mark-steyn-jews.html

Good Shabbos Everyone
by: Schvach Yid

If the slaughter of perhaps as many as 200 innocents in Mumbai bothers you, as it does me, then please be sure to read Jonathan Mark’s tetralogy of posts on the disaster at the Chabad House in Mumbai, now known to all as the Nariman House. They can be accessed at his NY Jewish Week blogsite Route 17, http://bestjewishnewsny.com/ . This series includes a very well deserved homage to the schluchim and schluchot of Chabad, and to Chabad's chosen mission
relative to the mitzvah of Ahavas Yisroel.

By the way, as a comment to his very appropriate assertion that Israel has no business
releasing Moslem terrorists in recognition of Moslem holidays, Israel’s leadership should
recall that the ‘New’ Testament reports that Caesar released Barabas in like fashion (but no Islam, not for another 6 centuries). The Jewish State of Israel is supposed to be Jewish, not Roman, and besides, we're not invaders who've seized someone else's land.

Please have a restful Shabbos.

Parshat V’yetzei
by: Schvach Yid


You’ve got to view this at: http://g-dcast.com/
It’s hysterical, and in a contemporary sense, oh so true, and not necessarily
for the kids.