Rabbi Aharon Zulberg, and the other people he credits, was still scratching his head as to what significant thing South African Jewry might do on behalf of their brethren affected by the war. His synagogue, “The Bais” teamed up with the Jewish National Fund of South Africa to offer respite for hostages released from the terror tunnels of Gaza and in urgent need of relaxation and tranquility. What better place could there be than the beautiful country of South Africa and an initiative was launched uniting Jews, and in the process learning about the inestimable good there is in people.

Credits

First group of Israeli hostages released from Gaza MSNBC

Israeli woman held hostage by Hamas for 55 days shares story of survival ABC 7 Chicago

"They Are Us, We Are Them" – Bring the Hostages Home American Jewish Committee

Shai Abramson and the IDF religious military choir

Motty Steinmetz Dirshu

Rachel Polin speaking

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 Rabbi Aharon Zulberg from Johannesburg, South Africa, like so many other Jews worldwide (and other very fine people, think of Dr. Julie Snyder from Beaufort, SC who jumped into action when she heard that knee pads were needed for soldiers – featured in our podcast “An Outpouring of Kindness” at the time the October 7 War broke out) wish to contribute to those affected by the war in Israel.

Rabbi Zulberg is a pragmatist and he realized that South African Jewry, with a weak currency could not compete with North American and European communities. Still, he and so many others wished to help and do something, so a collection of items to be sent to those most-impacted in Israel was assembled and dispatched. But this was just the catalytic enzyme of what would become a project totally unique to South Africa.

Credits

South African rand tanks, VOA Africa

How Did October 7 Change Israel, Unpacked

The Nation Builders: Israelis and Palestinians who Stepped up After October 7, Time Magazine          

Israel-Hamas: Charities Work Around the Clock to Send Medical Aid to Those on The Ground, Global News

It Starts With a Vision – Jewish National Fund USA

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Popular self-help author and speaker Sara Pachter, shares her best insights to make life more enjoyable and rewarding. All of her suggestions are wise and easily implementable. 

Credits

Od Yishama Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach

Ben Azadi

The Brain Coach

Easy Ways to Calm Down When you are Angry, Witapedia

Thomas Mulligan

Do Doorways Actually Make us Forget Things SciShow Psych

Vincent (Starry, Starry Night) Don McLean

Jingle from the Happy Hour, Dennis Prager Show

Children’s Music Danyvin Instrumental Music for Kids

What a Wonderful World Louis Armstrong

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The assault on Jews in college campuses and even in front of synagogues mandates a firm reaction, especially in light of the fact that the government national and local has been quick to condemn, but has offered no other relief. Some bright Jewish minds have rallied on behalf of those under threat, relying primarily on title six of the Civil rights Act of 1964. So far these suits have not borne a huge harvest. Rabbi Dr. Moshe Goldfeder of the National Jewish Advocacy Center – and so much more – explains in this episode how he has expanded the tool box of ways to effectively protect Jews on and off campus. 

Credits:

The Civil Rights Act Of 1964 Explained | This Day Forward | msnbc

What Is Title VI Of The Civil Rights Act? - CountyOffice.org

Rights groups slam Trump's anti-Semitism executive order Al Jazeera

Live NOW  FOX  Trump threatens Harvard's tax status after $2B funding freeze

New York Post Trump to take away Harvard’s tax-exempt status: ‘It’s what they deserve!’

Yeladim Sharim, Rebbe Alter

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Rabbi Mark Goldfeder is a rising meteor on the world scene because of his personal academic and legal achievements and the work that he has done - initially checking - and at this point defeating antisemitic initiatives. He is also the founder and director of National Jewish Advocacy Center.

The rise in antisemitic incidents has become an urgent crisis, which requires a bold new approach. The NJAC has instituted litigation that holds individuals, institutions and corporations accountable when they cross the line from free expression into illegal, harmful actions whereby antisemitic violators face severe financial consequences. In the first of two interviews Rabbi Goldfeder explains what he is doing and what can be done to defeat the scourge of antisemitism and anti-Israel advocacy.

Credits:

Representative Debbie Wasserman, U.S. Department of State, Ancient Hatred, Modern Medium: Conference on Internet Antisemitism, IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism

News 12 “Jewish Federation launches media campaign to battle rise of antisemitism in New Jersey”

AP: Rabbi Dr. Mark Goldfeder testifying at House Judiciary Committee hearing on antisemitism at colleges

Adam Savit on Webinar: Qatar’s Shadow War: How Qatar Built an Outsized Influence in American Politics

AP, CNN, NYT, Reuters, photographers embedded with Hamas terrorists on Oct 7 i24 News English, 34th day of the War

Inside Edition: Photo of Hamas Hostage Sparks Outrage After Winning Award

Testimony of Shabbos Kestenbaum at House Judiciary Committee hearing on antisemitism at colleges

Real Time with Bill Maher “New Rule: From the River to the Sea”

CBN NEWS “Activist Mahmoud Khalil Accused of 'Siding with Terrorists', Deportation Blocked”  Comments by Presidential spokesperson Karoline Leavitt

CBS NEWS “Harvard University hit with funding freeze after rejecting Trump administration's demands”

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Israel’s Arab neighbors were also her declared enemy. Accordingly, they had no interest in respecting a border regarding which they had signed an armistice. Infiltrators, that were called fedayeem would sneak into Israel to tend unmanned farmland, to loot border villages, or to carry out violent and often deadly attacks and then return across the border where they would be commended rather than condemned for the mayhem and murder which they had committed. In the early 1950s there were thousands of attacks each year resulting in the murder of several hundred Israelis.

Something had to be done, resulting in the IDF forming Special Forces Unit 101. After the murder of Susan Kanias and two of her children in a fedayeem raid in 1953, Unit 101 carried out their first reprisal in the West Bank village of Qibya. Overnight everyone learned that the rules of engagement had radically changed.

Credits:

Euro News: Qibya village sheds no tears for Ariel Sharon

Politics and Prowess: Meir Har Zion: A National Hero

Edward Sturm: The Man in the Hathaway Shirt Ad Made David Ogilvy Famous

Unpacked, History of Israel Explained: Moshe Dayan: Iconic Military Leader

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Having already explained in our previous podcast on this subject (S5 E1) that there are people who “give in order to take,” which is far from the ideal, in this episode we explore the concept proposed by Joseph Telushkin of “Imaginative Kindness.” When implemented – which is a cinch – it enables one to harvest so much more mileage from one’s kindness.

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Why Four, and why not a peace treaty? All of this will be explained in this episode that details the difference between an armistice and a peace treaty. Israel’s warring neighbors were battered and humiliated in Israel’s War of Independence, which they were so confident would result in Arab triumph. Exhausted and losing ground by the day they wished to conclude the war, but how do you arrive at an agreement with an enemy that you do not recognize. Ultimately, that is what an armistice can accomplish.

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A vast program of public works was initiated by the Israeli Government to provide employment opportunities for the refugee immigrants who were mainly unskilled. Likewise, the Jewish National Fund embarked upon a nationwide forestation project that totally transformed the landscape of the country.

After figuring out how to absorb the greatest number of immigrants the world has known, Prime Minister Ben Gurion had to deal with other burning issues such as how to deal with the deeply religious residents of Israel referred to as “Haredim.”

Critical attention also had to be devoted how to secure Israel’s borders when each neighboring country was hostile and sought Israel’s destruction. This resulted in the Army Reserves for every able-bodied soldier.

Audio Credits:

What Happened to Mizrachi Jews of Arab Countries | The Jewish Story |Unpacked

Golda Meir – The Matriarch of Israel Documentary | The People Profiles

Transforming Israel’s Barren Terrain into Green Forests | Greening Israel The Official Documentary | The Israel Guys

Hareidim and the IDF | Center for Israel Education | Whiteboard Video

IDF Band - Machar

i24 News | Insight – IDF Reservists: Citizen Soldiers

Why Don’t Ultra Orthodox Jews Serve in the IDF | Today Unpacked

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In 1950 the Israeli Parliament passed a dramatic and symbolic law known as The Law of Return. This would finally bring an end to the description of “The Wandering Jew.” The Law also brought a formal end to the execrable White Paper of 1939 (by the British Government) and a symbolic overturning of the Nuremberg Laws which the Nazis employed to determine who was Jewish. The Law of Return employed the same (non-halachic) status: if you were Jewish-enough to be condemned to death by the Nazis, then you were Jewish enough to be deserving of the protection of the State of Israel.

Jewish refugees from Arab countries had to flee for their lives (and not everyone was so fortunate) to the State of Israel, resulting in the arrival of 850,000 desperate refugees.

Israel cared for her brethren and saw to it that they would not be referred to or be looked upon as refugees. And yet, the primitive conditions in which they were originally housed in transit camps or ma’abarot was appalling.

Audio Credits: 

What Happened to Mizrachi Jews of Arab Countries | The Jewish Story |Unpacked

Untold Exodus of Jews From Arab Land | Stand With Us

Jewish Refugees From Arab Countries | Stand With Us

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