The JackB

"When you're in jail, a good friend will be trying to bail you out. A best friend will be in the cell next to you saying, 'Damn, that was fun'." Groucho Marx

History

Paratroopers At The Wall

I am jumping on board the wagon and publishing this picture. Treppenwitz has a link to this as does Avrech and I am sure many others. Since I am so late in coming to the game I debated whether to post this or not, but upon reflection it made sense to join in.

One of the main functions of this blog is to serve as a journal of my thoughts and things that are important to me and this is meaningful for a variety of reasons. If you click here this a story about the three soldiers.

As a Jew it is hard not to get emotional about this picture. The reunification of Jerusalem, control of our holy sites is exceptionally meaningful. But part of the reason that this is special to me is that I met the soldier on the far left side.

It was January of 1995. I had gone to Israel for business and was in the process of trying to find a job that would allow me to stay. I had been staying in the North and was getting ready to head back Jerusalem when a friend asked me if I was interested in meeting one of the paratroopers from the famous photo.

I didn’t hesitate and said that I absolutely wanted to get a chance to shake his hand and listen to his story. The meeting took place at a kiosk in Afula. Over a falafel and a Coke I listened intently as Ziggy described the war and that particular day. I found it fascinating.

It would be nice to say that I could repeat that story here for you. It would be fantastic to try and share the tale so that you could follow it too, but I can’t do it. I can’t do it because it is not my story to tell and more importantly I can’t do it nearly as well.

All I can do is tell you that it is a special memory for me.

Haveil Havalim- The Plain Edition

Who would have ever thunk a drive-in in Buffalo would be the headquarters for the 117th edition of Haveil Havalim. I suppose that using a drive-in dates me. It is probably a good 15 years since I last went to a movie at a drive-in.

Of course some of you come from homes in which you have never been to a movie in a theater let alone a private car or truck. They were fun, drive-in’s that is. So maybe we should switch modes and move to something a little more modern such as this little doohickey below.

Go out and buy more Ipods. It will help keep Apple stock up and in turn you’ll help keep a smile on Avrech’s face, not to mention the good old Psycho Toddler who only recently joined the rest of us in using 21st century devices. 😉 Anyway, you’ll have to put up with one more comment or two from me. This is approximately the seventh time that I have hosted Haveil Havalim. I have never seen as big a response as I did this time. I easily received more than 130 submissions. Of course some of you sent me seven or eight submissions from your own blog. My apologies for not being able to use all of them.

One more special request. It would be greatly appreciated if you could link to this post on your blogs. The more exposure that HH receives the better.

And now on to our carnival. My apologies if it is not organized as well as it could be, it was a busy week.

World

Simply Jews blogged about the Iranian arrest of a US citizen. Liorah writes that Pakistan may ignite a war. Jihadists continue to use technology to promote their cause. At Jihad Watch there is a discussion about The Islamist’s War. Yid With Lid says The Muslim American Society Promotes Terror. Welcome To American Idol “Jihad Edition.”

Over at Slightly Mad there is a list of fine restaurants to eat at. Fiery Spirited Zionist has an opinon on Why “palestine” should never come into existence. Solomonia reports Mubarak: Hamas will never sign a peace agreement with Israel.

According to Israel Matzav Arab countries despair seethe over ‘Palestinians‘. Carl also offered Gaza ‘Palestinians’ pray for ‘occupation‘. The Augean Stables offers As Palestinians Self-Destruct, They Blame Israel.

Over at Yoni The Blogger we learn that: U.S. Aired Nasrallah Speech Because No One Knew Arabic.

Dag shares memories of the Six Day war. Daled Amos shares 3 SOLDIERS FROM THE FAMOUS 6 DAY WAR PHOTO SPEAK. Sadly, no surprise here: Syria claims Eli Cohen’s grave is ‘inaccessible‘.

Judaism

Jerusalem Joe offers Why Women Are Exempt From Prayer In Judaism – A Jungian Explanation. Meryl received an email asking for help locating lost relatives. Chana needs the bracha for Mentos. Back of The Hill says Spoken Of In Daniel. Over at a Simple Jew there is a Guest Posting By Chabakuk Elisha – “Heimishe” Racism.

Drew Kaplan covered White Days. A Mother in Israel provided Tzniut/Modesty roundup–Lots of links.

Rabbi Sedley offers 29th Iyar – Tefillat HaShlah. RWAC discussed Platonic Relationships. Jerusalem Joe asks Is Your Jewish Mother A Maximizer, and What Can You Do About It?

What do you think: Har Ha-Bayit – yea or nay today?

TG discussed being an Informed Jew. Over at Frum Satire we learned that Fish a nightmare for the cholent fan. It is not a date without Funny Shidduch Stories.

Wolfish Musings asks What, Exactly, Is Expected Of Us? Ezzie provided a post on Jewish Economics. Did you know that everyone is a prophet these days.

Planck’s Constant offered Shavuot and a world without Jews. DovBear wrote about Arousal. What do you know about chalitza and chultza?

Over at Daf Notes you can find ONE THOUSANDTH POST – HEAVENLY VOICES – YEVAMOS 14 and Daf Yomi – Yevamos 15 – NEW RULINGS REGARDING A MIKVAH AND ERUV.

At Crossing the Rubicon you can read about Torah Portions and Nostalgia. Steg wonders Do I Need An Image-Adjustment? Over at My Obiter Dicta we found Ignorance and Hillul HaShem.

Gil Student adds his two cents to The Problem with Education Today.

Israel

Jerusalem for Every Jew is the title of a post at Frumhouse. Simply Jews blogged about “family relationships” with My brother, my enemy. Over at Oleh Musings you can find A Few Musings, Occasioned by Rockets. Guide To The Perplexed blogged about Ali Abunimah’s One Country.

Video of Jewish Children Running to Bomb Shelter During Attack Smooth covered Yom Yerushalayim – Jerusalem Day as did Treppenwitz and the Seawitch. Tsimcha.com covered it too with Yom Yerushalaim: A SECOND MATAN TORAH!

Esser Agaroth observed A Little Divine Displeasure Perhaps? At Freedom’s Choice you can find If I Forget Thee… A Very Personal Recollection. Miriam wonders if anyone remembers going to Israel with NCSY in ‘1975?

Am Echad asks Why were “Messianic Jews” marching in Jerusalem?

Akiva has some heartbreaking posts about the situation in Sderot here, here and here. Boker Tov Boulder blogged about the terrorist handbook. One Jerusalem has more about Sderot here. Meryl has her own round up about Sderot here. Joshuapundit blogged about this as well as did Aussie Dave and Yid With Lid. Rafi has his own thoughts and so does Joe Settler.

ISL presents Peter Principle Becomes Law of the Land in Israel. Sometimes a response is required as in Striking Back. Israpundit proffered Sderot-the next Yamit.

Seraphic Secret blogged about Fourth Generation Warfare. The Spine discussed Palestinian Unity. That leads us straight to Gaza Civil War Watch: 40 Dead in Factional Fighting. Or should we say Statehood Please.

Have you ever seen a tankless parade. I enjoyed reading about The Dancing Man. Backspin provided Understanding the Six Day War. Rafi went on an adventure.

Caught: One would-be assassin from Doctors Without Borders read all about it at BokerTov Boulder.

Have you ever been to Hamas Kindergarten. Elder of Ziyon presented The death of Oslo. Perhaps it is time to think about Life after the PA. Shiloh Musings says Hesder, the “Arrangement” is “cracking”.

And sometimes there are those One of those great, “only in Israel” experiences. Then again we have stories about drivers swerving around an injured motorcyclist. At the Muqata More Only in Israel…a picture.

Carl reminds us that Israel has more than one leader sleeping at the wheel and he asks Are Goldwasser and Regev dead? Yo Yenta is blogging about Oil Insanity.

This headline caught my eye: Holy stinky washing machine batman!

Over at Not a Fish we find: Best way to deal with British promoters of anti-Israel boycott… – Updated”

Politics

Cross Currents wishes that we Had More Harry Trumans. Over at Daled Amos The Media Has Spoken The C Word. One of these days I am going to have tune into that new show Lifestyles of The Rich and Terrorist.

MyRightWord wonders, if the Hamas are described as having a “military” wing, their wingers are still termed “militants”? Omri provided “International Boycott” Of Palestinians Actually Meant “Triple The Amount Of Aid”. Of Course It Did.

Judith found the last edition of HH to be incredibly geeky. Let’s hope that she like this one better. Here is the speech that George W. Bush should have given care of Kesher Talk. Some people question Yahoo!’s actions in removing a site.

Miscellaneous

The Waffle King wonders what comic book characters Jblogosphere denizens would be. Ra’anana Ramblings is cruising down Memory Lane.

Over at EllieTalk she wonders about the Deadliest Catch. This is not about boy bands. It is about Old kids on the block.

A Bisele Babka wants to know Who is Coming for Lunch. AbbaGav is on a half hiatus. Soccer Dad met the JIBs with Jabs.

Rav Fleischmann proclaims. I Love The Smell Of Blogging In The Morning. I wonder what that smells like.

Raggedy Mom is turning into her mother. You must read Aaron: Two Years Gone and The Book of Ben. Mottel discusses how people see others. You know Everyone Needs Therapy.

And now for poetry. My Life In Haiku.

How many people missed out on the Great Blogger Bash of ’07. Irina covered her summer plans. I don’t know about you but I miss having summers in which I could make summer plans.

Elisson wrote about the Combover Hassidim. Congratulate Ocean Guy on his blogiversary here.

Nobody Irons like Grandma. Jewish Atheist discussed Pleasure vs. Happiness.

And now I present the Milton Friedman Choir – The Corporation. What about Hot Guys- Frum v Non-frum.

Everyone should have this kind of love for their spouse, Robert: Not Too Normal.

What Makes a Mentch. Shoshana covered the story of an Israeli woman and the WNBA. Miss Worldwide had a close encounter of the Blogger Kind.

Pearl offers A Shout-Out to Blogland. KCC #18 is live.

A Whispering Soul is still MIA. Call me crazy but I think that he still might come back, or maybe he has under a new name. Looking for new digs try checking out Schvach.

And thus ends this edition of Haveil Havalim. As always credit for starting this goes to Soccer Dad.

Esser Agaroth will be hosting the next edition. Thanks again for playing.

P.S. This may be updated throughout the day so don’t be afraid to check back in.

Holocaust survivor refuses to meet son

BEACHWOOD, Ohio – The letter brought a bittersweet end to Sol Factor’s 17-year search for his mother, a Holocaust survivor who disappeared in the aftermath of World War II:”We regret to inform you that we located the above mentioned person, but she would not like to be contacted by the inquirer,” reads the message from Magen David Adom, the Israeli counterpart of the American Red Cross

Factor, who had found clues to his past with the help of the Red Cross and a vast archive of Nazi records, knows only that his mother, now 83 years old, is living in Israel.

“Of course I’m disappointed because one likes searches like this to end with happy reunions,” he said in an interview in his home in this Cleveland suburb.

“There’s a sense of actual relief too, because now some of the mystery has been solved,” he said.

Factor, 60, was born Meier Pollak in Munich, Germany, in 1946 to Romanian-born Rosa Pollak, also spelled Polak. He has found documents showing that Rosa Pollak and her newborn son were discharged from a maternity hospital on July 9, 1946, and soon after went to a United Nations-sponsored hospital for refugees in Munich. Within days they became separated.

Factor was adopted in 1950 by an American couple in Belmont, Mass., and began looking for his biological mother in earnest in 1990.

For the full story please click here.

VA Tech Massacre- A Hero Rises

I know that the title sounds overly dramatic, but what Professor Liviu Librescu did is admirable.

JERUSALEM: A 76-year-old lecturer shot to death trying to save his students from the Virginia Tech assailant was a Holocaust survivor who later escaped to Israel from Communist Romania, his son said Tuesday.

Relatives said Liviu Librescu, an internationally respected aeronautics engineer and a lecturer at the school for 20 years, saved the lives of several students by barricading his classroom door before he was gunned down in Monday’s massacre, which coincided with Israel’s Holocaust remembrance day.

Librescu’ students sent e-mails recounting the last moments of their teacher’s life to his wife, Marlena, his son, Joe, told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

“My father blocked the doorway with his body and asked the students to flee,” Joe Librescu said in a telephone interview from his home outside of Tel Aviv. “Students started opening windows and jumping out.”

For the full story click here.

Thank You Jackie Robinson

I have been mulling over how to honor Jackie Robinson because today is the 60 year anniversary of his breaking into the major leagues.

I am not old enough to have seen Jackie play but I wish that I could have. It must have been incredible to see him steal home.

However I am old enough to understand the significance of what he did and to appreciate the tremendous courage and strength he possessed.

Philly.com has a series called Remembering Jackie Robinson that I urge you to read.

Here is another link to a series of information about him.

Thank you Jackie.

Explore more

Archives