“We have agreed with Elmar Mammadyarov that…we will discuss joint measures to ensure that this outrageous action will not go unanswered,” Lavrov added. Lavarov and Mammadyarov are Russia’s and Azerbaijan’s respective foreign ministers. Read More »

Over Shavuot a small shul in Efrat made the headlines when Rav Riskin allowed the women to read Megillat Ruth for the men. Not having studied the issue myself, I have no strong view on the matter. Read More »

From the Economist describing the Karaite renaissance that is apparently underway: Threatened by a two-pronged assault of assimilation and intolerance, Karaites have begun building up their own defences. Though they have no yeshivas , or religious academies, they have begun studying at home. Read More »

Today’s award goes to the Chief Rabbinate spokesma n: “Israel is a Jewish state and Jews have superior rights,” says the chief rabbinate’s spokesman. I cut that in mid-sentence Its not because the end of the sentence makes the first half any better, but only because the ending is somewhat surprising: “But the Karaites are not Jewish. Read More »

Not sure why I suddenly remembered this story today : There’s a story that Defense Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer likes to tell, and he tells it with no little charm: how, in the 1970s, he happened to be in the Far East when terrorists attacked the Read More »

My wife bought this puzzle for our four year old daughter. I love how the Haredi Mother still has the broom in one hand as she is “spoiled” by her children. Read More »

This headline has me scratching my head (translated): Harav Eliyahu: The Emmanuel Rozen Story Proves Women Shouldn’t Serve In The IDF What exactly is the logic here? Harav Eliyahu’s basic argument is that sexual harassment is endemic in society, and as such we shouldn’t be allowing women to serve together with men. Fair enough. Read More »

From the Guardian: First milk, butter, coffee and cornmeal ran short. Now Venezuela is running out of the most basic of necessities – toilet paper…. Read More »

Last week it was reported that t wo UNRWA reps posed in front of a map where “Israel” was replaced with “Palestine”. As someone who is a current Ph. Read More »

Harav Elyakim Levanon, one of the better known Hardalnick rabbis sent a letter last night to the members of the Jewish Home, urging them to support Harav Ariel’s candidacy to the position of Chief Rabbi in order to prevent a schism in the Religious Zionist community. Read More »

The New York Times reported the following story of an unusual type of pig : What’s new at the Queens Zoo these days is three female mulefoot hogs. The mulefoot, a domestic hog named for its unusual non-cloven hoof, is black, beautiful and classified as “critically rare” by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy. Read More »

Makor Rishon dedicated their weekend edition to coverage of the Chief Rabbi race (Israel). Much of the discussion was an analysis of whether the Amar-Ariel deal will actually occur. Read More »

Guest Post Professor Geza Vermes, 1924 – 2013 One of the most unusual figures in academic Jewish life, Professor Geza Vermes, Emeritus Professor of Jewish Studies at Oxford, passed away on May 8, aged 88. Others will memorialize in detail his very considerable academic achievements. His personal history was remarkable. Read More »

In honor of Yom Yerushalim, I thought to share this story from the Itinerary of Benjamin of Tudela . It is commonly thought that BoT started his travels in the year 1160: Jerusalem is surrounded by high mountains. On Mount Sion are the sepulchers of the house of David, and those of the kings who reigned after him. Read More »

A Commonplace Blog: In my classes on the Bible as literature, in fact, I like to tell my students that the book might be more accurately called The Norton Anthology of Ancient Hebrew Literature . It is, in any event, a library—and no singular term, certainly not “1,000-page morality tale,” can adequately describe it. Read More »

Its been awhile since I gave out a worst hasbara of the day award. However, today I have the pleasure of giving it to a major player in Hasbara – CAMERA. CAMERA is a major media watch dog, that points out innaccurate and distorted accounts of events in Israel and the Middle East. Read More »

According to this piece in NRG, Harav Dov Lior is furious that Jewish Home leader Bennet doesn’t listen to him. Yesterday the Jewish Home decided to back a proposed law that would expand the 150-member body that elects the two chief rabbis to include more women and public representatives. Read More »

I’d love an involved in a pita, thanks!Hat Tip: @mark leibowitz Read More »

Not sure when this cartoon is from, but it must be at least 20 years old..From “Angry Arab ” blog: Arabs have unearthed this old cartoon by famed Palestinian artists, Naji Al-`Ali (killed by Yasir `Arafat). The headline says: “Arab solidarity”. The man with the papers says: “If Israel were to attack Syria, we should attack. Read More »

This is possibly the best review I’ve ever read for any product. From Amazon – Someone once asked me if I had ever tried Axe body-wash. I put down the five pound turkey leg I had been gnawing on, looked them dead in the eye and said, “Once. Read More »

Google has announced the axing of my beloved Google Reader, come Jan 1st. And this is from a company whose slogan is “Do no evil”. I am desperately looking for a good alternative (NOT FEEDLY), and would appreciate any suggestions. Also, those who follow this blog through Reader should make sure they resubscribe at their new service. Read More »

Discuss! Read More »

This is a picture of an ad for Bialik’s “Sefer Ha’agada”. Charming. There is also a great new website focused on Sefer Ha’agada Bet Avi Chai, where the Aggadot are brought with commentaries, pictures and resources for children. Read More »

From Ynet : VIDEO – Yityish (Titi) Aynaw, the first Ethiopian-born woman to be crowned Miss Israel , is attracting media attention in her homeland as well, with intense coverage by Ethiopian newspapers, websites, television and radio stations. … Read More »

Today it was reported that flyers were hung up in Jerusalem stating “Remeber what the Bayit Hayehudi did to you” (punning ” Remember what Amalek did to you “). I thought I’d help the Haredim out, with some other possible flyers: “Her ways are ways of pleasantness and all her paths are peace.” well, unless you voted Bennett. Read More »

Sivan Rahav Meir writes : ביום שלישי בערב הייתי בחתונה חרדית ליטאית. הנה משהו שילמד על ההיסטריה: לאורך הערב אמרו שם הרבה יותר “לפיד” ו”בנט” מ”מזל טוב” On Tuesday night I was at a Litvak Haredi Wedding. Read More »

לא חרב עולם התורה, אלא בגלל שנאת אשת רה”מ (The Torah World was not destroyed, but for the hatred of the Prime Minister’s wife)That line could have been taken from the Talmud, but it is actually a fairly good summary of current Israeli politics. Read More »

Damon Linker writes: If atheism is true, it is far from being good news. Learning that we’re alone in the universe, that no one hears or answers our prayers, that humanity is entirely the product of random events, that we have no more intrinsic Read More »

Gonen Ginat at Israel Hayom : The real problem facing prominent political figures in the haredi community is one that no one talks about. For years, they walked around with the misguided notion — a product of self-persuasion — that most of the Israeli public viewed them as the real representatives of Judaism. Read More »

In preparation for the incoming locust swarms, I went looking for some useful recipes. One of the first recipes to come up on Google, was from the blog “The Inn at the Crossroads ” which is a blog dedicated to replicating all the food mentioned in Game of Thrones Books (of which I’m a huge fan). Read More »

From the Daily Monitor : The United Nations Mission in South Sudan has announced that it is seeking to recruit a supplier of coffins to help transport remains of its staff who may die in the country. Read More »

Everyone is wondering how the religious Jewish Home party can bond so strongly to the non religious, possibly left-wing Yesh Atid party. The answer is quite simple. Deep in the psyche of the Dati-Leumi public there is a strong wish to be recognized by the rest of the Israeli public. To belong. To be cool. Read More »

From The Jerusalem Post: Meir Porush, another UTJ MK said that “the disengagement of Bayit Yehudi from the Torah world strengthens Netanyahu to take steps, together with Yesh Atid, to enact a disengagement from Judea and Samaria,” Every single time I Read More »

Read More »

I’ve no idea who this is, but I like his death notice in the New York Times : SHUCHMAN–Amos, of New York, on February 1, 2013. Beloved and caring husband of Alice Shuchman for 51 years, father of Daniel (Lori Lesser) and Nina (Brian Roth), grandfather of Jacob, Sarah, Aaron and Ariela. Born in Tel Aviv in 1928, fought bravely in the Haganah. Read More »

From Israel Hayom : Yaakov Rivlin, one of the most respected commentators of the haredi system, recently expressed an insight that some would call historic. Read More »

I didn’t think anyone could beat this costume , but as always, once someone sets the bar, someone else has to raise it: The pictures are volunteers and the head of Zaka – an organisation that collects body parts for burial – wearing white robes with blood and a caption on the back saying “Hiss reminds – the body has no spare parts”. Read More »

I decided to have this cleared up before the commencement of Purim drunkenness for the year. Read More »

I guess the drinking started early: Before my arak-drenched boozefest commenced, an Israeli friend explained that there are three things you are supposed to do on Purim: read the Megillah (the relevant section of the Talmud , the central religious Read More »

Can you imagine the outrage if they were dressed up as a blown up bus?Via @alfiguri Via Ynet Read More »

From The Washington Post : But on Monday the head of the Modern Musavat party, Hafiz Hajiyev, told the Turan Information Agency that the time has come for Aylisli to be punished forportraying Azerbaijanis as savages . “We have to cut off his ear,” Hajiyev said. “This decision is to be executed by members of the youth branch of the party. Read More »

From The Guardian : The court previously heard that the men, two of whom are alleged to have received terror training in Pakistan, planned to detonate a series of suicide bombs in an attack that could have been bigger than the 7 July 2005 atrocities. Read More »

Like many of you I was disgusted when I first say the video below showing how Mr Galloway – a British MP – “stormed out” of a debate at Christ Church on Wednesday evening, upon finding out that his opponent, Eylon Aslan-Levy, a third-year student at Read More »

I’ve been told this isn’t a joke: A new service for Jerusalem residents that will deliver quiches on Fri afternoon. Useful for those of you invited to a meal, who have no idea how to cook. Read More »

Responding to the news that Tzipi Livni will be the first to join Netanyahu’s new coalition, a Likud spokesman states: “”לבני החלישה משמעותית את כושר המיקוח של בנט ולפיד . אין סיכוי שהרבנים יאפשרו לבנט לפזר את הכנסת. הוא יצטרך לזחול לממשלה בתנאים של נתניהו” “Livni has significantly weakend the bargining power of Bennett and Lapid. Read More »

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes ,Political Humor & Satire Blog ,The Daily Show on Facebook Read More »

So would Maimonides also not have been elected? (H/t @ravtzair) The Israeli center has basically said that they don’t want to be poor Social Democrats, they prefer to be well off middle class. Labor only got two more mandates than in the last election. Read More »

There is no point in translating this, but I was mildly amused: : תפילה קצרה לאומרה לפני ההצבעה ריבונו של עולם! תן לי “כוח להשפיע” על “עם שלם”, לקום ב”נץ” או להתפלל ב”עבודה”, ללמוד ב”מרץ” את ה”שס” וללכת “קדימה” למען חיזוק “יהדות התורה” בארץ, ואז תהיה Read More »

Yesterday a small storm in a teacup erupted in the Israeli media, when Israel Channel 2 news aired a video showing Jeremy Gimpel – 14th place candidate in the Jewish Home party – badly expressing his views on the Temple Mount: When I watched the Read More »

From Jpost : Shas spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadia Yosef on Saturday night condemned the Bayit Yehudi party, saying whoever votes for them “denies the Torah,” Army Radio reported. Read More »

This ad published this week in Be’Sheva is a call for Arieh Deri, the leader of Shas (Israeli Haredi political party) to be tried in a rabbinic court (Beit Din – not to be confused with the state’s own Rabbinic Courts) for his part in approving the Oslo Agreements. Read More »

Reading the Economist this week, In an editorial about America’s handeling of the fiscal cliff, I was struck by the highlighted sentence: FOR the past three years America’s leaders have looked on Europe’s management of the euro crisis with barely disguised contempt. Read More »

Pictures from Jerusalem snowday: Some of my own pics: created with my 4 year old daughter! And one picture to annoy everyone, supposedly taken today on the Temple Mount: Read More »

Sorry, you can’t really be an Israeli blogger, and not post something about the downpour during the last few days. Read More »

This picture was posted on Rotter.net . The writer explains that this is a picture he was given which shows what Montifiore’s Coach looked like after years of neglect. Lord Montifiore famously used the coach to travel around Israel on one of his many visits, and the moment was captured in a classic song sang in Israel. Read More »

The Economist has this to write about Hell: Hell hardly hurts any more. In everyday parlance (“What the hell are you doing?”), it is merely a bark, not a place. As a place, it is anywhere nasty: the London Underground in summer, the worst bits of Lower Manhattan, department stores at sales time, a publisher’s party. Read More »

For the purpose of an academic paper I’m writing, I needed to find out how many Jewish terrorist attacks against Palestinians there have been. Statistics about the Arab-Israeli conflict are notoriously hard to come by, and endlessly debated. However, the common method has evolved to cite B’Tselems statistics. Read More »

Wow, I didn’t think I’d get to give two of these out day after day..This version was released by Balad “in an animated clip showing Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and several nationalist MKs singing Hatikva in to a Middle Eastern tune. Read More »

This is probably the only time I’ll get to give the award, but this is truly terrible: Read More »