by Rabbi Ephraim Nisenbaum
Renewing your nuptial vows this Shavuot.
When our daughter got married, I knew her wedding would be a special experience for many of our friends who had never seen an Orthodox Jewish wedding before, but I hadn't realized just how special it would be. Bob told me beforehand that he had heard from others about the separate dancing for the men and the women, and I had described to him how people attend Orthodox weddings not merely to enjoy themselves, but to create joy for the bride and groom too. But nothing really prepared him for the gamut of intense emotion that seemed to pervade the whole atmosphere.
He was amazed how the mood of the crowd could jump so quickly, from one minute to the next. Teary eyes and sniffling accompanied the solemn music as the bride slowly walked down the aisle towards her husband-to-be. You could hear a pin drop as she circled him under the canopy seven times, tightly holding on to the hands of my wife and her new mother-in-law. But then, moments later, as the ceremony came to a close and the groom smashed the cup in remembrance of the Temple's ...   more »

Ban Ki-moon publishes statement saying Qassam attacks are 'completely unacceptable', expresses concern for Palestinian civilian casualties. US State Department spokesman: Israel has right to defense
Yitzhak Benhorin
WASHINGTON - UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is "deeply concerned by the mounting number of civilian casualties from Israeli military operations in Gaza," a statement released by Ban's spokesperson said on Monday.
American Support  
US says Israel has right to defend itself / Reuters  
State Department spokesman urges restraint on all sides, but praises Jewish state for 'great restraint' in recent days and says it has right to respond to rocket attacks from Hamas. President Bush expresses his concern over Gaza violence     
In the statement, Ban also expressed his concern of Palestinian infighting, saying he hoped the present ceasefire would hold and calling on the Palestinian Authority to "take the necessary steps to restore law and order, and for all factions to abide by the ceasefire." 
Ban also held the Palestinians accountable for firing rockets at Israel's civilian population, calling these attacks "completely unacceptable" and saying they were in violation of international law.  
The statement added that the UN chief recognized Israel's right to defend itself, but that he ...   more »