Search Results for “tutu” – The Yeshiva World

Tutu Says Israel “Falls Short of Accountability”

May 30, 2008 10:09 am No Comments

Nobel Prize laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu has wrapped up his investigation into a Gaza shelling incident dating back to 2006 in which 18 people were killed. In his report, which will be submitted to United Nations human rights officials, he states Israel’s acceptance of responsibility for a stray shell that slammed into a Gaza home “falls short of accountability”. Tutu, who will present his findings to a human rights forum in Geneva in September, explained the purpose of his mission was to “make recommendations protect Palestinian civilians against future Israeli attacks,” using the press conference to call on the international community to end the Israeli embargo on Gaza. He stated the international community’s lack of action regarding the embargo is a shame to the entire community. He also made a call to terrorists to halt rocket attacks into southern Israel, stating the attacks are a gross human rights violation. (Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)

Archbishop Tutu Calls on Hamas to Stop Rocket Attacks

May 28, 2008 8:45 am No Comments

Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a Nobel Prize Laureate, met with Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyah in Gaza in his capacity as the leader of a UN fact-finding mission investigating the deaths of 19 people in a 2006 Israeli artillery fire incident. Tutu reportedly called on Haniyah to halt rocket attacks against civilians, condemning attacks against civilians on both sides, Hamas and Israel. On Wednesday, Tutu and his delegation are expected to visit Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza, where the incident occurred. He will ultimately prepare a report which will be presented to the UN Human Rights Council. The investigation surrounds a November 8, 2006 incident in which artillery fire from southern Israel struck a home in Beit Hanoun, resulting in the deaths of 19 civilians, including women and children. Following a comprehensive investigation, the IDF announced the unfortunate occurrence was the result of an artillery radar mishap, a rare occurrence. (Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)

Houston Residents Stew And Swelter After Storm Beryl Leaves Millions Without Power

July 10, 2024 10:00 am No Comments

The return of searing heat in the Houston area has deepened the misery for people still without power after Hurricane Beryl left residents in search of places to cool off and fuel up as the extended outages strained one of the nation’s largest cities. More than 1.7 million homes and businesses in Texas lacked electricity Wednesday morning, down from a peak of over 2.7 million on Monday, according to PowerOutage.us. State officials faced questions over whether the power utility that covers much of the area had sufficiently prepared. Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said that a sports and event complex would be used to temporarily hold up to 250 hospital patients who are awaiting discharge but cannot be released to homes with no power. Beryl, which made landfall in Texas early Monday as a Category 1 hurricane, has been blamed for at least seven U.S. deaths — one in Louisiana and six in Texas — and at least 11 in the Caribbean. It weakened as it moved deeper into the U.S. and early Wednesday was a post-tropical cyclone centered over northeastern Indiana. A flood watch was in effect for parts of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. The storm spawned suspected tornadoes in parts of Indiana and Kentucky. In the Houston area, Beryl compounded and repeated the misery of May, when storms killed eight people and left nearly 1 million without power. High temperatures Tuesday climbed into the 90s (above 32.2 Celsius) with humidity that made it feel even hotter. Similar heat and humidity were expected Wednesday. The National Weather Service described the conditions as potentially dangerous, given the lack of power and air conditioning. People coped as best they could. Kyuta Allen took her family to a Houston community center to cool down and use the internet. “During the day you can have the doors open, but at night you’ve got to board up and lock up — lock yourself like into a sauna,” she said. An executive for CenterPoint Energy, which covers much of the Houston area, defended the utility’s preparation and response. “From my perspective, to have a storm pass at 3 p.m. in the afternoon, have those crews come in in the late evening, and have everything ready by 5 a.m. to go out and get out and start the workforce is rather impressive, because we’re talking about thousands of crews,” said Brad Tutunjian, vice president of regulatory policy. Nim Kidd, head of the state’s division of emergency management, stressed that restoring power was the top priority. Patrick, who is acting as governor while Gov. Greg Abbott is overseas, said nursing homes and assisted living centers were the highest priority. Sixteen hospitals ran on generator power Tuesday morning, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. (AP)

Newly Restored House in Pompeii Offers Glimpse of Elite Life

January 10, 2023 7:00 am No Comments

The newly restored remains of an opulent house in Pompeii that likely belonged to two former slaves who became rich through the wine trade offer visitors an exceptional peek at details of domestic life in the doomed Roman city. On Tuesday, the House of Vettii, Domus Vettiorum in Latin, was being formally unveiled after 20 years of restoration. Given fresh life were frescoes from the latest fashion in Pompeii wall decoration before the flourishing city was buried under the volcanic ash furiously spewing from Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. The unveiling of the restored home is yet another sign of the rebirth of Pompeii, which followed decades of modern bureaucratic neglect, flooding and pillaging by thieves in search of artifacts to sell. That is delighting tourists and rewarding experts with tantalizing fresh insights into the everyday life of what is one of the most celebrated remnants of the ancient world. “The House of the Vetti is like the history of Pompeii and actually of Roman society within one house,” Pompeii’s director, Gabriel Zuchtriegel, gushed as he showed off an area of the domus known as the Cupid Rooms last month. “We’re seeing here the last phase of the Pompeian wall painting with incredible details, so you can stand before these images for hours and still discover new details,” the archaeological park’s energetic director told The Associated Press ahead of the public inauguration. “So, you have this mixture: nature, architecture, art. But it is also a story about the social life of the Pompeiian society and actually the Roman world in this phase of history,” Zuchtriegel added. Previous restoration work, which involved repeated application of paraffin over the frescoed walls in hopes of preserving them, “resulted in them becoming very blurred over time, because very thick and opaque layers formed, making it difficult to ‘read’ the fresco,” said Stefania Giudice, director of fresco restoration. But the wax did serve to preserve them remarkably. Zuchtriegel ventured that the fresh “readings” of the revived fresco painting “reflect the dreams and imagination and anxieties of the owners because they lived between these images,” which include Greek mythological figures. And who were these owners? The Vettis were two men — Aulus Vettius Conviva and Aulus Vettius Restitutus. In addition to having part of their names in common, they shared a common past — not as descendants of noble Roman families accustomed to opulence, but rather, Pompeii experts say, almost certainly, as once enslaved men who were later freed. It is believed that they became wealthy through the wine trade. While some have hypothesized the two were brothers, there is no certainty about that. In the living room, known as the Hall of Pentheus, a fresco depicts Hercules as a child, crushing two snakes, in an illustration of an episode from the Greek hero’s life. According to mythology, Hera, the goddess wife of Zeus, sent snakes to kill Hercules because she was furious that he was born from the union of Zeus with a mortal woman, Alcmena. Might Aulus Vettius Conviva and Aulus Vettius Restitutus have recognized their own life story in some way in the figure of Hercules who overcame challenge after challenge in his life? That’s a question that intrigues Zuchtriegel. After years in slavery, the men “then had an incredible career after that

UK Royals Brace As Harry-Meghan Doc Promises ‘Full Truth’

December 8, 2022 12:30 pm No Comments

Britain’s monarchy braced for more bombshells to be lobbed over the palace gates Thursday as Netflix released the first three episodes of a series that promises to tell the “full truth” about Prince Harry and Meghan’s estrangement from the royal family. Promoted with two dramatically edited trailers that hint at racism and a “war against Meghan,” the series “Harry & Meghan” is the couple’s latest effort to tell the world why they walked away from royal life and moved to Southern California almost three years ago. It is expected to expand on criticism of the royal family and British media delivered in a series of interviews over the past 18 months., Netflix released the first three hour-long episodes on Thursday, with three more due Dec. 15. The documentary includes video diaries recorded by Meghan and Harry — apparently on their phones — in March 2020, amid the couple’s acrimonious split from the royal family and move to the United States. Harry says in the footage that it’s “my duty to uncover the exploitation and bribery” that happens in British media. “No one knows the full truth,” Harry adds. “We know the full truth.” A title at the beginning of the series says the royal family declined to comment. The series comes at a crucial moment for the monarchy as King Charles III tries to show that the institution still has a role to play after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, whose personal popularity dampened criticism of the crown during her 70-year reign. Charles is making the case that the House of Windsor can help unite an increasingly diverse nation by using the early days of his reign to meet with many of the ethnic groups and faiths that make up modern Britain. Harry’s 2018 marriage to the former Meghan Markle, a biracial American and onetime actress, was once seen as boosting the royal family’s effort to move into the 21st century, making it more representative of a multicultural nation. But the fairy tale, which began with a star-studded ceremony at Windsor Castle, soon soured amid stories that Meghan was self-centered and bullied her staff. Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, stepped back from royal duties and moved to California, alleging racist attacks by Britain’s tabloid media. Harry’s criticism of the media was tinged with anger over the way the press treated his mother, Princess Diana, who died in a car accident in 1997 while being followed by photographers. The couple’s new life in America has been funded by lucrative contracts with Netflix and Spotify. Race became a central issue for the monarchy following Harry and Meghan’s interview with American talk show host Oprah Winfrey in March 2021. Meghan alleged that before their first child was born, a member of the royal family commented on how dark the baby’s skin might be. Prince William, the heir to the throne and Harry’s older brother, defended the royal family after the interview, telling reporters, “We’re very much not a racist family.” But Buckingham Palace faced renewed allegations of racism only last week when a Black advocate for survivors of domestic abuse said a senior member of the royal household interrogated her about her origins during a reception at the palace. Coverage of the issue filled British media, overshadowing William

NYC Cathedral Gunman’s Note Says He Planned To Take Hostages

December 17, 2020 8:00 am No Comments

The man killed by police Sunday after he opened fire on the steps of a landmark New York City cathedral had a note in his pocket that said he had planned to take hostages and use them as leverage to get U.S. aid for Latin America, a law enforcement official said Wednesday. Luis Vasquez, 52, started shooting as people were leaving a Christmas choral concert that had just ended outside the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine in Manhattan, the mother church of the Episcopal Diocese of New York. Witnesses said they heard Vasquez screaming, “Shoot me! Kill me!” as police officers at the event returned fire, killing him. No one else was injured. In the note — which police found along with Vasquez’s two semiautomatic handguns and a backpack containing at least five lengths of rope, four lighters, tape, knives, a can of gasoline and a Bible — the gunman railed against the U.S. government’s treatment of Latin America. He wrote of a U.S. regime that “has committed robbery and more against the people of Latin America,” according to the law enforcement official, who was not authorized to speak publicly and did so on condition of anonymity. The note was first reported by NBC New York. Vasquez, a native of the Dominican Republic who lived with his mother in the Bronx, wrote that the hostages he sought to take would not be harmed if the U.S. government, financial institutions and other entities met his demands to provide money to impoverished people in Latin America. Vasquez, dressed in black with his face obscured by a white baseball cap and a face mask bearing the Dominican flag, held a silver pistol in one hand and a black one in the other as he stepped from behind a stone column at the top of the staircase and started firing. It wasn’t clear if he was aiming at people or firing in the air. In the note, the law enforcement official said, Vasquez wrote he did not expect to make it home. Investigators are looking into whether he was intending to be killed by police gunfire. Given the contents of his backpack and the note, they are also studying whether he was intending to use the rope and tape to bind hostages and possibly set them on fire if his demands weren’t met. “I think we can all surmise the ill intentions of the proceeds of this bag,” Police Commissioner Dermot Shea said at a news conference on Sunday. Investigators are still trying to figure out why Vasquez targeted Saint John the Divine. One of the world’s largest cathedrals, the church has hosted high-profile events over the years including memorial services for choreographer Alvin Ailey and puppeteer Jim Henson, and speakers including South Africa’s Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Vasquez’s sister told The New York Times that he grew up near the church. She said a stint in prison in the 1990s — following a string of arrests and a guilty plea to charges he shot at a woman and police officers — had done damage to his mental health. “After he came out of jail, he was not the same,” Maria Vasquez-Montalvo told the Times. This year, being in isolation because of the coronavirus pandemic, she said, “he just lost it.

Camp HASC is proud to present A Time for Music: Livestream!

April 12, 2020 5:30 pm No Comments

To benefit The special children of Camp HASC. The best in Jewish Music from the comfort of your own home. Monday, Chol Hamoed, April 13th at 1pm (NY) – get ready for the best livestream concert you’ve ever experienced! A ONE TIME OPPORTUNITY! A brand new live show that after this broadcast, will not be available to be seen again! Preregistration available An EG Production 🎶 🎼 🎵

Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan Dies At Age 80

August 18, 2018 8:55 pm 6 Comments

Kofi Annan, a charismatic global diplomat and the first black African to become United Nations secretary-general who led the world body through one of its most turbulent periods, died early Saturday at age 80. Tributes flowed in from around the world after his foundation announced his death in the Swiss capital, Bern, after a short and unspecified illness. The statement remembered the Nobel Peace Prize winner as “radiating genuine kindness, warmth and brilliance in all he did.” He died “peacefully in his sleep,” the president of Ghana, where Annan was born, said after speaking to his wife. At U.N. headquarters in New York, the U.N. flag flew at half-staff and a bouquet of flowers was placed under Annan’s portrait. Reflecting the widespread regard that won him a groundbreaking uncontested election to a second term, leaders from Russia, India, Israel, France and elsewhere expressed condolences for a man Bill Gates called “one of the great peacemakers of our time.” Annan spent virtually his entire career as an administrator in the United Nations. His aristocratic style, cool-tempered elegance and political savvy helped guide his ascent to become its seventh secretary-general, and the first hired from within. His two terms were from Jan. 1, 1997, to Dec. 31, 2006, capped nearly midway when he and the U.N. were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001. During his tenure, Annan presided over some of the worst failures and scandals at the world body. Challenges from the outset forced him to spend much of his time struggling to restore its tarnished reputation. His enduring moral prestige remained largely undented, however, both through charm and by virtue of having negotiated with most of the powers in the world. When he departed from the United Nations, he left behind a global organization far more aggressively engaged in peacekeeping and fighting poverty, setting the framework for its 21st-century response to mass atrocities and its emphasis on human rights and development. “In many ways, Kofi Annan was the United Nations,” current U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said. “He rose through the ranks to lead the organization into the new millennium with matchless dignity and determination.” Even out of office, Annan never completely left the U.N. orbit. He returned in special roles, including as the U.N.-Arab League’s special envoy to Syria in 2012. He remained a powerful advocate for global causes through his eponymous foundation. Annan took on the top U.N. post six years after the collapse of the Soviet Union and presided during a decade when the world united against terrorism after the Sept. 11 attacks — then divided deeply over the U.S.-led war against Iraq. The U.S. relationship tested him as a world diplomatic leader. “I think that my darkest moment was the Iraq war, and the fact that we could not stop it,” Annan said in a February 2013 interview with TIME magazine to mark the publication of his memoir, “Interventions: A Life in War and Peace.” “I worked very hard — I was working the phone, talking to leaders around the world. The U.S. did not have the support in the Security Council,” Annan recalled in the videotaped interview posted on his foundation’s website. “So they decided to go without the council. But I think the council was right in not sanctioning the war,” he said. “Could

Romania: Defense Minister Confirms $3.9B US Missile Deal

July 27, 2017 6:00 am No Comments

Romania’s defense minister has confirmed that the country intends to buy Patriot missiles worth $3.9 billion dollars from the United States. Defense Minister Adrian Tutuianu said Wednesday that Romania’s Parliament first needs to pass a law that would allow the acquisition. Tutuianu estimated Romania could begin paying for the missiles by November. His comments were the first time a Romanian official has publicly provided details of the proposed deal. The U.S. State Department approved the sale this month, saying it would help to “improve the security of a NATO ally.” The State Department said the missile system would strengthen Romania’s “homeland defense and deter regional threats,” ”increase the defensive capabilities of the Romanian military,” and “shield the NATO allies” that often train in Romania. (AP)

PM’s Office Intervenes to Prevent Demolition of Illegal Jerusalem Arab-Sector Home

April 14, 2016 4:30 am No Comments

The Prime Minister’s Office intervened at the last moment to save an illegal home in the Wadi Joz area of Arab eastern Jerusalem. Israel Police and the Jerusalem Municipality were ready to carry out the demolition order but the PM’s Office halted it amid concerns of raising tensions among Jerusalem Arabs ahead of Pesach. Ynet reports the illegal home was constructed in 1992, on national park land. The courts ruled the Tutunji family of eleven could be ousted and the building destroyed. Aref Tutunji is quoted telling Ynet that he was under pressure to speak out against Israel but he refused. He explains he was in an Israeli hospital for a year and his children receive state-funded education. Hence, he feels a sense of loyalty. Ynet adds that an official points out the demolition will take place as it was postponed, not canceled. (YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)

Officials Seek Long Sentence for Ex-CIA Officer in Leak Case

April 21, 2015 10:00 pm No Comments

A former CIA officer convicted of leaking classified details of an operation to derail Iran’s nuclear ambitions would spend 20 years in prison if a judge follows federal sentencing guidelines. Jeffrey Sterling of O’Fallon, Missouri, will be sentenced next month in Alexandria following his conviction in January. A jury found him guilty of illegally disclosing to New York Times journalist James Risen a secret mission to stall Iran’s nuclear weapons program by feeding them deliberately flawed blueprints. Prosecutors on Monday filed papers urging a severe sentence, but declining to spell out a specific recommendation. They said probation officers correctly calculated a sentencing guidelines range of 20 to 24 years. The government cited testimony during the trial from former national security adviser and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice that the plan was one of the best options the U.S. had in its admittedly limited ability to confront Iran’s plans to build a nuclear weapon as part of their argument for a severe sentence. Rice convinced the Times to spike a newspaper article that would have divulged the program, but Risen later included it in a book, State of War. Prosecutors said Sterling leaked information about the program and falsely portrayed it to Risen as a botched operation because he felt he had been mistreated during his time in the CIA, and because it refused to settle his racial discrimination lawsuit. “When he disclosed facts about Classified Program No. 1 — and distorted them to maximize the damage to the CIA, an entity he had grown to despise — he did so out of selfishness, not love of his country,” prosecutors wrote in their sentencing memo. But the judge is free to reject the guideline recommendation. Meanwhile, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu and others are supporting Sterling and argue he has been treated unfairly. In a letter earlier this month, Tutu wrote that a harsh punishment for Sterling would stand in stark contrast to the likely sentence for former CIA director Davis Petraeus, who has agreed to plead guilty to leaking classified information to his mistress and biographer, Paula Broadwell. In that case, prosecutors are recommending probation. “Your Honor, I appeal to you to provide the sentencing of Mr. Sterling with a sense of equity that can help to move the way of the world closer to real justice, nurturing belief in the law as a guardian of justice and not a violator of it,” Tutu wrote to U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema. Defense attorneys have not yet filed their sentencing recommendation. Sterling has denied he is the source of the leak and the defense has asked the judge to either set aside the verdict or order a new trial. Sterling’s sentencing had been scheduled for Friday but was pushed back to May 11 because of scheduling conflicts. (AP)

Dershowitz Rips Obama on Har Nof Massacre

November 24, 2014 3:25 pm 8 Comments

The Following article is VIA WND.com Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz is unloading on President Obama’s “moral equivalence” in the wake of Tuesday’s shocking terrorist attacks at a Jerusalem synagogue that left five people dead, three of whom were Americans. The acclaimed defense attorney also accuses Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas of inciting the bloodshed. On Tuesday, terrorists stormed the synagogue in the Har Nof neighborhood in West Jerusalem. Using axes, knives and guns, the terrorists savagely interrupted morning prayers, killing three rabbis, another worshiper and a police officer. Police eventually killed the two terrorists. In his statement, President Obama condemned the attacks and said the deaths of three Americans meant shared grief between the U.S. and Israel. However, he was quick to urge all sides to renounce violence. “Tragically, this is not the first loss of life that we have seen in recent months. Too many Israelis have died. Too many Palestinians have died,” said Obama, who urged both sides to work together to “lower tensions.” Dershowitz said that was exactly the wrong thing to say. “It was moral equivalence. It was the wrong statement. It had all the wrong tone. It had all the wrong content. At this point in time, you unilaterally condemn only the Palestinian Authority and Hamas for incentivizing and inciting this kind of thing. You don’t bring it together with how many Palestinians may have died because they were being used as human shields,” he said, noting that the terrorist groups are fine with the U.S. and others in the world equating their actions with those of Israel. “Hamas is happy with moral equivalence,” Dershowitz said. “It gives them a kind of legitimacy that they don’t deserve, the kind of legitimacy that Bishop (Desmond) Tutu and Jimmy Carter had given them, but I would expect more of our president.” President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry were quick to point to point out that Abbas condemned the attack. Dershowitz said that condemnation came after great pressure from the U.S. and that Abbas deserves the lion’s share of the blame for the attacks themselves. “Abbas is largely responsible for this,” he said. “He talked about Jews ‘infecting’ the Temple Mount. He called for Muslims to protect the Temple Mount. He basically incited this. Did he intend it? Probably not, but his words carry very great power.” While the denunciation of the attacks by Abbas may have been grudging, Dershowitz pointed out that Hamas and Palestinians in the street made it clear they enthusiastically support such barbarism. “After this horrible, horrible massacre, immediately there was dancing in the streets in Gaza, in Ramallah, in Bethlehem and Nablus and celebration of these murders,” he said. “Although the great tragedy occurred in the synagogue, the most important events occurred before – the incitement – and after – the glee. How did the world respond? Spain unilaterally voted in parliament to recognize the Palestinian State without asking them even to stop terrorism,” Dershowitz said. However, he said the most common reaction worldwide was indifference. “United Nations? Silence. Most of the Arab states? Silence,” he said. “We’re not seeing condemnation. We’re not seeing outrage from many of the European leaders.” Dershowitz praised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for forcefully denouncing the attacks but also for imploring Israeli citizens not to seek vengeance on their own.

HaRav Zev Leff: Parshas Terumah

January 30, 2014 9:21 pm No Comments

Supporting the Supporter “Take for me an offering” (Shemos 25:2) The donations requested of Bnei Yisrael for the construction of the Mishkan are described as being taken rather than given. What does that mean? Moreover, Hashem is the Master of the Universe and all that it contains. Did He need contributions and materials from human beings to construct His Mishkan? The purpose of the contributions was to enable Bnei Yisrael to participate in the construction of the Mishkan. Thus the giving was in fact a receiving – “Take for me an offering.” The nesi’im, the heads of the tribes, responded to the call for contributions for the Mishkan by declaring that they would donate what was still needed after the rest of Bnei Yisrael gave all that they could. In the end, all that was left to bring were the precious stones for the Ephodand the Choshen, the oil and the spices for the incense and the Menorah. The nesi’im were censured for conducting themselves in this manner and the yud was removed their title inVayakhel (32:27). Since they were prepared to contribute whatever was necessary, no matter how great and did in fact contribute valuable items to the Mishkan, the question remains, however, why were they censured? The Nesi’im misunderstood the purpose of the giving. There was no deficit to be made up. Hashem has no deficit. The giving was an opportunity for self-development, the purifircation of one’s soul through attachment to a holy undertaking. Approaching the mitzah as if God needs our contributions was ludicrous. The Gemara (Bava Basra 10a) relates that the wicked Turnus Rufus once asked R’ Akiva, “If your God loves the poor so much, Why then doesn’t He provide for them?” R’ Akiva responded that Hashem could easily provide personally for the poor but he chose to give us the merit of giving Tzedaka to save us from Gehinnom. For this reason, says the Midrash (Rus Rabbah 5:9), the poor man does more for the rich man than the rich man does for the poor man. When Naomi asked Ruth who had provided Ruth with the food she brought home that day, Ruth answered, “The man I did for today was named Boaz.” Boaz provided her with what Hashem could have provided Himself but she provided him with a mitzvah – a chance to be God-like by giving to another. In this light, we can understand the words of Rambam in his commentary to the Mishnahin Pirkei Avos(3:19), “All is judged according to the number of deeds.”Rambam explains that it is better to give one dollar of charity one hundred times, than one hundred dollars one time. The more times a person acts in a way that is meritorious and God-like, the more he conditions himself to the performance of mitzvos and purifies his neshama. Tzedaka is not performed for the poor person’s sake, but rather to enable the giver to emulate Hashem and merit Olam Haba. So, too, with respect to the support of Torah institutions, as the Chafetz Chaim explains the verse in Mishlei (3:18) “Etz chaim he lamachazikim bah – It is a tree of life for those who grasp it and its supporters are praiseworthy.” The word lehachazik means both to support and to cling or to grasp. Hashem could

Former Rep. Turner Moving Back To Rebuilt Breezy Point Home

January 3, 2014 1:10 pm No Comments

After 14 months in exile, Former Republican Congressman Bob Turner in returning home, moving back into his rebuilt Breezy point home on Friday. “There’s no place like home,” he said, smiling to the camera, as he let in a NY1 crew during last preparations before moving in. Mr. Turner was one of more than 80 Breezy Point residents who lost their homes during a massive fire sparked by Hurricane Sandy in 2012. Turner and his wife Peggy did not evacuate, until the fire was right on their tails. “While we were here upstairs on the second floor reading, we noticed a glow,” Mr. Turner told NY1. He recalled leaving the house with wife, walking through water up to their chins, and escaping safely to his daughter’s house four blocks away. But his home of 14 years was gone. “You couldn’t walk into it, it was a smoldering heap,” he said. The former congressman, who was liked by his colleagues in Congress and many in the Orthodox Jewish community, told NY1 he’d absolutely not run for elected office again. “That’s just not in the cards,” he said. (Jacob Kornbluh – YWN)

Young Israel Calls On YU and Cardozo Law School to Rescind Invitation to Jimmy Carter

April 9, 2013 7:00 pm 5 Comments

The National Council of Young Israel today called on Yeshiva University and the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law to withdraw an invitation to former President Jimmy Carter to attend an award ceremony at the law school on April 10. Carter is slated to be the recipient of the International Advocate for Peace Award, which is an award that is given each year by the school’s Journal of Conflict Resolution. “The National Council of Young Israel strongly urges Yeshiva University, the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, and the school’s Journal of Conflict Resolution to do the right thing and rescind the invitation that has been issued to former President Carter,” said Farley Weiss, the president of the National Council of Young Israel. “We believe that honoring President Carter as an International Advocate for Peace Award may be consistent with this organization’s past of honoring another demonizer of Israel, Bishop Desmond Tutu, but it does not mean that bad decisions should be repeated over again; rather, they should learn from the past and honor those who truly deserve to be honored. We would further like to hear from Yeshiva University and Cardozo Law School, which is my wife Jessica’s alma mater, that steps will be taken by the university to prevent the recurrence of such honorees in the future.” “Mr. Carter’s well-known animus and bias towards the State of Israel has earned him widespread condemnation from Jews and non-Jews alike, and he is certainly not deserved to have any honor bestowed upon by him by an entity that has ties to the Jewish community and the Jewish State,” continued Weiss. “We hope that Yeshiva University and Cardozo will do the right thing and reconsider its decision to permit Mr. Carter on campus and not allow its students to pay honor to someone who has done much to hurt the honor of the State of Israel.” In April 2008, Carter deliberately and wantonly ignored the wishes of the United States government when he traveled to Syria to meet with Khaled Mashaal, the head of Hamas’ terrorist organization. Carter not only met with Mashaal but embraced Hamas, a terrorist group that has repeatedly called for the destruction of the State of Israel. This action by Carter was not one for conflict resolution, but was a slap in the face to Israel, the U.S., and Jews everywhere. Carter has also shown his repeated denigration of Israel not just through his actions, but through his words as well. In 2006, Carter wrote a book entitled “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid.” Carter’s use of the word “apartheid” in the book’s title was outrageous. Although apartheid is the rule of dominant minorities, Carter inexplicably used the divisive term to describe Israel, a country which is by no means ruled by a dominant minority. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

HaRav Zev Leff: Parshas Terumah

February 14, 2013 3:29 pm No Comments

Microsoft And Symantec Disrupt Major Cyber Crime Ring

February 6, 2013 7:30 pm No Comments

Software makers Microsoft Corp and Symantec Corp said they disrupted a global cyber crime operation by shutting down servers that controlled hundreds of thousands of PCs without the knowledge of their users. The move made it temporarily impossible for infected PCs around the world to search the web, though the companies offered free tools to clean machines through messages that were automatically pushed out to infected computers. Technicians working on behalf of both companies raided data centers in Weehawken, New Jersey, and Manassas, Virginia, on Wednesday, accompanied by U.S. federal marshals, under an order issued by the U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Virginia. They seized control of one server at the New Jersey facility and persuaded the operators of the Virginia data center to take down a server at their parent company in the Netherlands, according to Richard Boscovich, associate general counsel with Microsoft’s Digital Crimes Unit. Boscovich told Reuters that he had “a high degree of confidence” that the operation had succeeded in bringing down the cyber crime operation, known as the Bamital botnet. “We think we got everything, but time will tell,” he said. The servers that were pulled off line on Wednesday had been used to communicate with what Microsoft and Symantec estimate are between 300,000 and 600,000 PCs currently infected with malicious software that enslaved them into the botnet. The companies said that the Bamital operation hijacked search results and engaged in other schemes that the companies said fraudulently charge businesses for online advertisement clicks. Bamital’s organizers also had the ability to take control of infected PCs, installing other types of computer viruses that could engage in identity theft, recruit PCs into networks that attack websites and conduct other types of computer crimes. Now that the servers have been shut down, users of infected PCs will be directed to a site informing them that their machines are infected with malicious software when they attempt to search the web. Microsoft and Symantec are offering them free tools to fix their PCs and restore access to web searches via messages automatically pushed out to victims. The messages warn: “You have reached this website because your computer is very likely to be infected by malware that redirects the results of your search queries. You will receive this notification until you remove the malware from your computer.” It was the sixth time that Microsoft has obtained a court order to disrupt a botnet since 2010. Previous operations have targeted bigger botnets, but this is the first where infected users have received warnings and free tools to clean up their machines. Microsoft runs a Digital Crimes Unit out of its Redmond, Washington, headquarters that is staffed by 11 attorneys, investigators and other staff who work to help law enforcement fight financial crimes and exploitation of children over the web. Symantec approached Microsoft about a year ago, asking the maker of Windows software to collaborate in trying to take down the Bamital operation. Last week they sought a court order to seize the Bamital servers. The two companies said they conservatively estimate that the Bamital botnet generated at least $1 million a year in profits for the organizers of the operation. They said they will learn more about the size of the operation after they analyze information from infected machines that check

HaRav Zev Leff: Parshas Terumah

February 23, 2012 11:09 pm No Comments

Supporting the Supporter “Take for me an offering” (Shemos 25:2) The donations requested of Bnei Yisrael for the construction of the Mishkan are described as being taken rather than given. What does that mean? Moreover, Hashem is the Master of the Universe and all that it contains. Did He need contributions and materials from human beings to construct His Mishkan? The purpose of the contributions was to enable Bnei Yisrael to participate in the construction of the Mishkan. Thus the giving was in fact a receiving – “Take for me an offering.” The nesi’im, the heads of the tribes, responded to the call for contributions for the Mishkan by declaring that they would donate what was still needed after the rest of Bnei Yisrael gave all that they could. In the end, all that was left to bring were the precious stones for the Ephodand the Choshen, the oil and the spices for the incense and the Menorah. The nesi’im were censured for conducting themselves in this manner and the yud was removed their title inVayakhel (32:27). Since they were prepared to contribute whatever was necessary, no matter how great and did in fact contribute valuable items to the Mishkan, the question remains, however, why were they censured? The Nesi’im misunderstood the purpose of the giving. There was no deficit to be made up. Hashem has no deficit. The giving was an opportunity for self-development, the purifircation of one’s soul through attachment to a holy undertaking. Approaching the mitzahas if God needs our contributions was ludicrous. The Gemara (Bava Basra 10a) relates that the wicked Turnus Rufus once asked R’ Akiva, “If your God loves the poor so much, Why then doesn’t He provide for them?” R’ Akiva responded that Hashem could easily provide personally for the poor but he chose to give us the merit of giving Tzedaka to save us from Gehinnom. For this reason, says the Midrash (Rus Rabbah 5:9), the poor man does more for the rich man than the rich man does for the poor man. When Naomi asked Ruth who had provided Ruth with the food she brought home that day, Ruth answered, “The man I did for today was named Boaz.” Boaz provided her with what Hashem could have provided Himself but she provided him with a mitzvah– a chance to be God-like by giving to another. In this light, we can understand the words of Rambam in his commentary to the Mishnahin Pirkei Avos(3:19), “All is judged according to the number of deeds.”Rambam explains that it is better to give one dollar of charity one hundred times, than one hundred dollars one time. The more times a person acts in a way that is meritorious and God-like, the more he conditions himself to the performance of mitzvos and purifies his neshama. Tzedaka is not performed for the poor person’s sake, but rather to enable the giver to emulate Hashem and merit Olam Haba. So, too, with respect to the support of Torah institutions, as the Chafetz Chaim explains the verse in Mishlei (3:18) “Etz chaim he lamachazikim bah – It is a tree of life for those who grasp it and its supporters are praiseworthy.” The word lehachazikmeans both to support and to cling or to grasp. Hashem could provide for

Rav Ovadia Shlita Meets With Carter; Asks Him To Work Towards Shalit’s Release

August 25, 2009 9:07 am 10 Comments

Former US President Jimmy Carter on Tuesday morning visited with HaGaon HaRav Ovadia Yosef Shlita in the Rav’s Jerusalem home. The former American president was accompanied by Nobel Prize laureate Desmond Tutu, and Ireland’s former president, Mary Robinson and other dignitaries. The Rav told his high-level visitors “you must use your influence to work towards obtaining Gilad Shalit’s release”, explaining they are people who are heard and can exert influence towards bringing about the soldier’s release. The Rav also stressed no one yearns for peace more than Israel, deploring those schools in which children are raised on hate for the State of Israel. Shas leader Eli Yishai told the visitors that no one wants peace more than the Rav, explaining Israel has done a great deal towards achieving this goal, while the PA (Palestinian Authority) has yet to even announce it recognizes Israel’s right to exist. Carter pointed out that as a result of his meeting last year with Yishai; he managed to bring Shalit’s parents a letter. (Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)

U.N. Seeks to Curb World’s Traffic Deaths

April 1, 2008 6:44 pm 4 Comments

Over 1.2 million people die each year on the world’s roadways — more than are killed by major scourges such as malaria or diabetes. In response to this growing epidemic, the United Nations’ General Assembly on Monday approved the first ever conference on road safety, to be held next year in Russia. It’s high time the issue of traffic fatalities got the attention it deserves, advocates said, especially since experts expect vehicle ownership in populous nations such as China and India to double in the next 20 years. “We have an epidemic in the making — one that we can stop,” said Dr. Mark Rosenberg, the U.S. member of the Commission for Global Road Safety and moderator of a press briefing Monday at the United Nations in New York City. “We have solutions at hand — what we don’t have is the attention of the world to this problem,” he added. The Make Roads Safe campaign, a Washington, D.C.-based advocacy group that’s long lobbied for global action on traffic deaths, offered these grim statistics on the scope of the problem: More than 1 million people are killed worldwide, and more than 50 million are injured in traffic accidents each year. Road deaths are now the number-one global killer of people aged 10 to 24. While 965 people lost their lives in air crashes last year, more than 3,000 people die on the world’s roadways every day. 85 percent of traffic casualties occur in low- and middle-income countries. For example, the rate of child deaths due to road accidents in South Africa is 26 per 100,000 population, compared with 1.7 per 100,000 in Europe. Someone is killed or badly injured on the world’s roads every six seconds. “A lot of us have been trying to bring this issue forward for a long time, but the public tends not to look at these things as something that is preventable,” said Dr. Linda Degutis, president of the American Public Health Association. Changes in driver behaviors are key, Degutis said. In many countries, truck, bus and other transport employees drive recklessly due to economic pressures, with little policing to restrain them. “The quicker they can do a route, the faster they can get there, the more money they make,” she said. “There’s just not that incentive to be safe. We have to create those incentives for safety.” There was some star power on hand at the U.N. to help focus attention on the issue. Michelle Yeoh, the Chinese actress best known to Western audiences for her roles in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Memoirs of a Geisha, spoke to delegates of her recent experiences as a Make Roads Safe campaign ambassador in Asia. “I honestly wasn’t prepared, on our first fact-finding trip to Vietnam, for the emotional trauma that greeted us,” Yeoh said. She recounted visiting a hospital and meeting a bewildered 5-year-old girl who had lost a foot after a traffic accident, then talking with a woman whose 9-year-old daughter had perished in a motorcycle crash. Yeoh also attempted something millions of Vietnamese do every day: cross a chaotic urban roadway. “Some of you may know that I make action movies. But for five seconds, I just stood there, terrified,” she said. “I didn’t think that I could do it.” Other advocates of

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