by Sara Yoheved Rigler
Not all wins take place on the playing field.
A soul was getting ready to descend from the supernal "World of Souls" to what Kabbala calls, "The World of Action." Like all pre-flight souls, this one was assigned a primary mission and several secondary missions.
It was also given a time limit. It would have just 46 years to complete its task.
THE WORLD OF ACTION
The soul plunged, and landed in the womb of one Gittel Poseh Claman, a Russian Jewish immigrant living in Manitoba, Canada. On November 8, 1921, the soul, snugly wrapped in an 8½ pound body, emerged, amidst cries of "Mazel tov!" Eight days later, the soul-cum-body was circumcised and duly named Zalman Baer Claman.
Now, a soul descending from the "World of Souls" to the lowest of all worlds, the "World of Action," is like a denizen of a Park Avenue penthouse awakening in a slum in the middle of a rumble. The "World of Action" has only one thing going for it, which makes it worth the trip. It is the only world where free choice is possible. Not the chocolate-or-vanilla choices which occupy most minds. Only one area of ...   more »

When I grew up in Brighton, New York, a suburb of Rochester, you knew it was Young Kipper (how I remember calling the holiday) because there were policemen directing traffic into the Temple.
Nowadays, I usually observe Yom Kippur in Israel's secular capital, Tel Aviv, where traffic and business-as-usually dwindles in the hours approaching the fast day and stops altogether after sundown. Families walk together in the middle of the street and children ride their bikes on the main thoroughfares.
There is a quiet in the air, a human hum, a pause in incessant intensity of the city and the nation, as our thoughts turn inward, and the Jewish people tries to return to itself.
I have been critical about my country's leadership, this year and the year before that, as they led the nation, with corruption, deception and weakness, to defeat after defeat. The Augean stables have yet to be cleaned, and there is no certainty that it will ever be.
But despite my displeasure with our politicians, there is something strong and wonderful and resilient about our nation, to which I returned last night after a few days in the carefree, friendly and altogether pleasant city of Amsterdam. ...   more »

If I had to choose the one, most surprising, finding of the Rabbinic Leadership Survey conducted by STAR (Synagogues: Transformation and Renewal), a national foundation dedicated to synagogue innovation and leadership development, I'd go for the one dealing with American politics. Maybe it's because everybody now is consumed by politics - maybe it's just me. Whatever the reason might be, if these findings represent the conventional wisdom in the Jewish community, some interesting conclusions can be drawn from it.
So, here it is: "While rabbis promote involvement in a variety of political and civic causes," the survey explains, "Israel is still the main issue they rally their synagogues around." Not very surprising. But take note: When the rabbis were asked which party is more supportive of Israel, their answer did not reflect what we all know about the preferences of the Jewish community in general (78 percent favor John Kerry, 22 percent support George Bush and 65 percent to 74 percent of Jews identify as Democrats, according to The Solomon Project). Thirty-six percent - a fair share - of the rabbis said that "all parties are equal" in their approach to Israel. However, more than a third of them, ...   more »

By Shmuel Rosner, Haaretz Correspondent

The United States Congress on Friday approved an additional $500 million for developing joint defense projects with Israel. The funds will be allocated between many different projects, including the development of a short-range missile interception system, navigation systems for missiles and combat aircraft, and aerial drones. The money is not part of the regular military aid to Israel, which currently stands at over $2 billion.

Advertisement The Senate authorized the funding after it was approved by the House of Representatives on Thursday. The amount approved by Congress is well in excess of the $270 submitted for approval by the U.S. Government. Original Source

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THE QUEEN was praised yesterday after converting a room at Windsor Castle into a MOSQUE. She took the historic step so Muslim staff have a quiet place to pray during Ramadan, Islam’s holiest month.And the part-time sales assistant who asked for the special area has hailed the Queen as “an example to the world”.Thrilled Nagina Chaudhry, 19, of Slough, Berks, said: “I can’t believe the Queen went to so much effort. She pulled out the stops to create a prayer room for me and other Muslim staff.“It was an incredible act of kindness within her own home.“The Queen is the head of the Church of England so it’s great to know she respects other people’s faith.” Muslims fast during daylight through Ramadan, which began on Sunday. The prayer room is in a former office in the Saxon Tower, close to the castle’s St George’s Chapel.A castle spokeswoman said: “We have staff from all walks of life. So when people request facilities for their beliefs we try and provide them.”

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 hardline Muslim teacher who caused a furore by denouncing pupils for celebrating Christmas has been made a Government schools inspector.Israr Khan's Ofsted appointment was described by a former colleague as 'absolutely astonishing'. Khan, now headmaster of an Islamic school, launched into his tirade during a concert rehearsal at Washwood Heath Secondary School in Birmingham in 1996 after the choir including around 40 Muslim youngsters, had sung a number of popular Christmas songs, including carols. He leapt from his seat, yelling: "Who is your God? Why are you saying Jesus and Jesus Christ? God is not your God - it is Allah."As children in the audience began booing and clapping, a number of choir members - both white and Asian - walked out, some in tears.Mr Khan, a maths teacher, was asked to work from home pending an investigation but there was no disciplinary action.It has been claimed that Washwood Heath school was then a 'hotbed of Islamic fundamentalism'. Rashid Rauf - the airline terror bomb suspect whose extradition is currently being sought from Pakistan - was a pupil there at that time.Mr Khan left Washwood Heath a year later to found the independent Islamic Hamd House Preparatory School in Small Heath, ...   more »